As a small business owner when you hear the term marketing, your mind goes directly to money leaving your bank account. Although this is true, you must also consider that you will have control of the amount of money that you are willing to invest in marketing. Now, you should never skip out on marketing even if you do not have a budget or the budget is low.
There are still simple solutions that do not break the bank that you can implement into your marketing campaign. The goal is always to get more customers through the door purchasing your product or service. That is what marketing can do for any business big or small.
As a business owner, it can be difficult to do everything all at once and be on top of the research. You may not be in a position yet where you can hire a marketing team or have enough time to do extensive research. Our tips and tricks are a great way to start your marketing journey and expand your business.
Simple Marketing Techniques
A free and easy method to market your business is by creating a Google My Business account. This will make a little bit of time in some cases but is fairly simple to do. It helps customers find you and gives them all the necessary information to visit your location. You will show up on Google Maps which customers can easily click on and be routed to your location. They can also leave reviews which can help bring in more customers.
Another simple way to reach out to customers is by creating an email list. You want to have repeat customers and when a customer forgets about your business this can cost you in the long run. You can also apply for business awards so that your business has a legitimate sticker that clients are familiar with.
You can place these badges on your website to boost your credibility among consumers. You can also create in-house videos that highlight a particular product or service, or outsource that task. Try your best and invest in better quality down the line. Employees can turn into brand ambassadors by encouraging them to reach out to their network about your business.
Content That Works
When it comes to content you will need to do some local SEO. This can be intimidating, and you might want to enlist a marketing firm to do it for you. When you are creating content be sure to use location-based keywords on your website pages and blog posts. You can also reuse content for your social media posts and email marketing. It is unwise to use an entire post, but instead use small excerpts or phrases.
When creating content, it is important to focus on topics that matter to your customers and stay on brand with your company. You can also link back to other sections of your website so potential customers stay on your website longer.
Take Advantage of Social Media
Social media has become a sector of marketing all its own, but you do not have to take a class to manage your accounts. Using social media to promote your business is easy. You can promote your products and blog posts. You can request feedback and do polls on your followers. However, it doesn’t have to be all serious, as many followers engage more with personal posts. Show some personality, highlight your employees, special events, and fun things around the workplace.
You will need to implement tagging people and places and the use of hashtags on your social media pages. You will also need to find the right social media platforms that work for you and your business. To draw up a user engagement partner with other brands and even try a giveaway or contest. People love to win things and feel special. It is a great way to hand out some swag that people will wear while out and about.
Add Some Audio
While still on the topic of social media, you will need to set yourself apart from the other pages that your customers follow and your competitors. One of the simplest changes you can make to boost your social media engagement is to add some audio. Different platforms fare better with different types of audio, and you should be deliberate with the kinds of audio you use. There are three main types of audio you can use such as vocal music and sound effects. Find the appropriate one for your post or story and boost engagement. You can use many tools to add audio, and some platforms have these tools built right in.
Global Marketing at the Local Level
You might think that you should only market to your immediate community because you’re a local business. This is a big mistake. You will need to find a balance between marketing locally and globally by using both keyword groups and keeping Google My Business up to date. A person may be coming to visit your town and put your business on one of their must-dos or must-see places. They can then turn around and post about which can drive up profits and growth.
Know Your Target Market
The critical component of any marketing campaign or program is knowing the target market. You will need to do some market research to find who your customers are and how you can serve them. Then you can create ways to reach them and even bring on a market research analyst to help you find your target market.
The key is to work with what you have and grow your client base. Over time the company and profits will increase. Start small, stay within your budget, and expand when you can. Get the most out of your marketing budget, no matter how big or small it is.
By Indiana Lee, BOSS contributor
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