You’ve started a small business, have spent months refining your products, and are now ready to start selling. There’s only one problem: no one knows about you. Even though your shop is open, you aren’t getting any orders or service calls. This can be discouraging and make you rethink why you entered the small business world. Don’t lose hope yet, though. There are plenty of marketing tools out there that won’t break your bank and are still effective. These low-effort techniques are ones you can use every day to develop your business further and market to your target audience.
Marketing Tools You Should Be Using
Marketing tools can have varying levels of success, but that’s expected; every small business is different. Ask yourself these questions: What are you selling? Who is your audience? Are you trying to market locally or online? You’ll need to tailor your marketing around these questions to achieve the most success for your small business. There are a few tools that you should be using no matter what. Let’s go through the top marketing strategies for branding your small business in the community.
Email may just be the most effective form of communication with your potential customers. Research shows that people prefer to receive emails over other types of correspondence. A tried and true method is email newsletters. Many websites have a pop-up that will ask for your email to be added to a newsletter list. In your newsletters, you can share new products, discounts, and any outreach you’re doing in the community.
Social Media
In today’s marketing world, social media for your business is a no-brainer. The question is: how much time and money should you invest in social media? Some small businesses pour a lot of money into social media without seeing the desired results.
Here’s the key: know your audience. If your business sells Disney T-shirts, connect with other Disney businesses and Disney fan accounts. Partner with influencers who are popular in Disney circles. Sponsored posts may go farther than you think. Even more, sponsored ads on Facebook are relatively inexpensive and are good at catering to your specific audience. Social media advertising is an accessible and easy way to ensure you are well-known in your community and stay engaged with previous customers.
Google Business Profile Account
If you’re a local business, you should have a Google Business Profile account without a doubt. You can add a description of your business, contact information, and your business address. This is where people leave reviews as well, which can really boost your credibility. It’s here that people can Google specific keywords that will pull up your business. This is also based on location. If people are searching in near proximity to you, chances are that your business will pop up. If you are looking to increase the visibility of your business locally, start by creating your Google Business Profile account.
How To Develop Your Brand
Your brand is extremely important to how people remember your business. Have you thoroughly designed your name, logo, and website to cater to your audience? Do you have a fun, eye-catching brand? Because here’s the thing: there are a lot of businesses out there. You need to be memorable, which starts with developing a unique and creative brand. Here are some steps you can take to start the process.
Create a Website
This may seem simple, but a lot of business owners don’t spend much time on their websites. They have their products listed, their logo, and maybe a contact page. Yet, websites have more pull with customers than you may think. It’s the first impression that people will get of your small business, so you should have a clean, well-designed website that represents your brand. If you don’t have the skills to do this, hire a contractor to build your website. It will be money well spent, as a website is a tool you will continually use throughout your small business career.
Invest in Local SEO
Local SEO can be complex and confusing, which is why small business owners may choose to stray from it. However, the reach that local SEO can have is astronomical; it can be a game-changer for small businesses. Suppose you don’t have the skill set to do it yourself, invest in a marketing company. They’ll handle keywords, content creation, meta descriptions, schema, and web development, which can skyrocket the success of your small business.
Start a Blog
If you enjoy writing, why not start a blog? You can develop content that will draw readers who may be interested in your products. If you don’t want to write, hire a freelance writer. Blogs also come with SEO benefits, such as the ability to add keywords and backlinks. You can also spend time writing guest posts, where you contribute content to other websites. If you can write for big-name websites, you’ll attract business back to your website.
Networking and Partnerships
Marketing is all about who you know. Building relationships with people may just open opportunities for you down the road. When you are trying to build a business, connecting with other successful businesses can be very beneficial.
Attend Local Events
Go to events in your community where you can network and meet new people. It’s also a great idea to sponsor local events, schools, or sports teams to get your name out there. If you’re a local business, it’s even more important to connect with the people in your community.
Collaborate with Other Businesses
Connect with businesses with which you could form partnerships. It may be that you sell similar or contrasting products, but you could work together to build a new product or package. In this way, your business will be exposed to the customers of the other business. It also shows initiative when you reach out to others in the industry. Form those relationships and see where it takes you.
Offer Coupons and Giveaways
People love a good deal. If you market that you’re running a sale, either through emails or social media, you’ll most likely get an influx of new customers. Keep in mind that you may lose some money when you’re running promotions, but the point in this scenario is to advertise your small business, not make money. Make sure to do the math before you offer something like this, as it may attract a lot of customers who take advantage of the deal.
Need a Marketing Team That Cares About You?
Markinuity is a marketing team that cares about your financial success. We work hard to provide excellent content, beautiful websites, and local SEO services that will provide long-term results. Our team at Markinuity truly cares about each of our Heroes (clients), and we want to see them grow!
Contact us today for a free SEO site audit or a consultation, and we can help you create success for your small business.
