Small business marketing are an important part of the American economy and the American dream. Small business marketing can be the most challenging part of running your business. With a limited budget, marketing is often the first thing to get cut. That is the worst thing you can do for your business. Wisely investing in a marketing strategy will grow your business without breaking the bank. Here are the top ways to improve your small business marketing.
Getting Started with Small Business Marketing:
Network
Networking is old-school but very effective for small business marketing. Depending on how you do it, the only thing networking will cost you is time. Connect with other business owners in your area to build your network. You could even create a group of non-competitive businesses and do some promoting for each other. With a group of business owners, you could also chip in on an expensive marketing strategy that you would not be able to afford on your own. The important thing is to get connected with people in your community and build relationships.
Focus on your online presence
It is a well-known fact that the internet and social media have a growing sway on people today. If your small business isn’t growing, you need to assess your online presence. Do you have active social media accounts? Do you have online reviews and are they positive? Find someone either within your business or hire out to handle your online presence. Your website, social media and reviews are most likely the first impression on potential customers, so make them count.
Ask for reviews
Find a way to routinely ask customers for online reviews. You need to have a simple way for customers to easily leave a review on your website, Google and Facebook. Use email to ask for reviews or add it to paperwork that you give customers. You could also offer an incentive like a discount in exchange for a review. People will be much more likely to buy your product if they are assured about the outcome by satisfied customers.
Give away something for free
If you can give away free samples of your product, customers will be much more likely to buy your product. If you sell something large or expensive, consider having a free giveaway once a year. Make sure that you highly publicize the giveaway and get plenty of pictures and a review. Use that content on your website and social media accounts to draw in potential customers.
Small business marketing can be challenging but it is not impossible to be successful. With a few tips, you can focus your marketing budget to get the most bang for your buck. Keep up with your local competitors and learn from their marketing strategies. They may have found success that you can emulate to bring in more customers. Always be ready to adapt and change to fit the changing market and your business will grow.
