It’s unrealistic in this economic climate to expect to start a small business and have customers just flock to your door. You will have to do some marketing, and probably a lot of it. A sound marketing strategy doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, so don’t be nervous. Marketing will do great things for your business. It gets the word out about the goods or services you provide. It will focus on your target audience, so there won’t be wasted time or other resources trying to get the wrong people’s attention. Marketing will give you a platform from which to shout far and wide about who you are and why people should spend their time and money with you.
Read on to get valuable tips for marketing your small business.
Related: Everything You Need to Know About SMB Marketing
The Purpose of Marketing
One of the biggest struggles for any small business is being seen. This is why marketing is an essential component of your business’s long-term success. The purpose of marketing is to get the right people excited about your offering. The marketing process includes considering the needs and desires of your ideal customer and ensuring that you can meet those needs. A good company doesn’t just have the right goods; they know how to articulate what they offer in a way that generates interest.
Small Business Marketing Tips
You don’t have to spend much money to market your small business effectively. Here are marketing tips you can begin today.
Create a Professional Website
An online presence is one of the first things you should have as a small business. Create a professional-looking website that impresses visitors and provides a great user experience. Your website is an asset that lends constant value. Your website is your company’s identity. From this platform, you can show the world who you are and what you offer.
Additionally, your website should be designed and optimized for SEO. This will affect how well your site is indexed by the search engines and how the pages are ranked. This will get you and your website seen by people using Google or other search engines.
Are you looking for the best in web design and marketing? You’ve found us! We’re the best in St. Louis, and we would love to show you why. Check out Emod Marketing to learn more.
Post & Engage on Social Media
This is one area that most small business owners know well. But for those who don’t use this marketing avenue, why not? Not only should you post daily on your company’s social media, but when people make comments, you should tag them and respond. It will show that you aren’t just another stiff company, but you are flesh and bones people. People spend their money where they feel trust and connection.
Tagging people and using hashtags is yet another way to use your social media posts to broaden your reach. These will make you visible to another set of people and potential customers.
Use your social media posts to promote your blog posts, get customer feedback, engage with your customers, and share important industry-related information.
Related: The Top 7 Benefits of SEO
Create a Free Google My Business Account
If you’re a local business (and even if you aren’t), a Google Business Profile will put you in front of customers looking for what you offer. The profiles are free and effective. They allow you to show up on the local section of people’s Google search, Google Maps, and most impressively, the right-side Knowledge Panel you’ll see when doing a search.
You will, of course, have to optimize the profile, so it ranks higher and gets seen. This is easily done by having a Google My Business account and verifying ownership of the profile.
Find What Works, Then Double Down
As you implement marketing actions, become very analytical. Collect data to know what’s working and what isn’t. When you find things that work, double down on them. Don’t be afraid to experiment and tweak methods or actions that seem to miss the mark by only a little. You might need to consider a different time of day for posting, for instance, if one of your social media accounts isn’t growing well.
Appreciate Your Existing Customers
In your effort to grow your business and obtain more and more customers, it is easy to forget the importance of your existing customers. It can cost up to five times more to get a new customer than to keep a current one. So, keep marketing to them for repeat purchases, cross-selling, and upselling. Even if these aren’t possible, make sure you do your best for every customer. They will tell their friends and family.
Know the Value of LinkedIn
When we think of social media, we tend not to include LinkedIn. But LinkedIn is a powerful force for marketing your small business. Use your current connections for dialogue and engagement. Talk about your blog posts and other business-related news you’re excited to share. LinkedIn may not have the same glitz as Instagram, but growing a following there is just as exciting and potentially profitable to your small business.
Use Blogging
Writing blogs that offer value to your audience is a great way to drive traffic to your website and your business. Your content (blogs) can influence people looking to purchase the goods and services you offer. You can provide the information they need to spend their funds with you.
Blogs also establish you as an expert in your field and build trust with your audience as you provide the information and inspiration they need.
Starting a blog is an inexpensive venture that can net huge rewards.
Related: Why Should You Outsource Your Website Design?
Final Thoughts
As a small business owner, you know the frustration of having something of value to offer but having few opportunities to do so. Use the above tips for marketing and let them inspire you to create more. You will begin seeing more business growth as your brand becomes known and respected.
Are you ready for big things to happen in your business? We’re ready to work with you to handcraft winning websites and marketing strategies. Visit Emod Marketing today.
