In order to successfully market a small business, it is important to understand the unique challenges and opportunities that come with being a small business owner.
While large businesses have the budget to invest in extensive marketing campaigns, small businesses often have to be more resourceful in their marketing efforts.
However, with a bit of creativity and smart work, it is possible to effectively market a small business on a limited budget. The following are some tips for successfully marketing a small business:
1. Google My Business Profile
One way to make sure your small business is found online is to create and maintain a Google My Business (GMB) profile. GMB is a free service that allows businesses to manage their online information, including their hours, location, and contact information, all in one place.
Creating a GMB profile is easy and only takes a few minutes. Once you’ve created your profile, be sure to keep it up to date with any changes to your business information. You can also use GMB to post updates and respond to customer reviews.
2. Do Some Local SEO
As a small business, it’s important to focus on your local SEO (search engine optimization). This means making sure your website is optimized for Google searches by people in your area.
Additionally, local SEO helps you improve your ranking in maps and directory listings, making it even easier for customers to find your business.
Make sure your website is optimized for local keywords. Include your city and state in your titles and tags, and make sure your NAP (name, address, phone number) is prominently displayed on your site.
Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing. This will help ensure that your business information is accurate and up-to-date across the web.
Build citations on local directories and review sites. This helps search engines understand more about your business and its location.
Encourage customer reviews. Customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, so this is a great way to build trust with potential customers in your area.
Stay active on social media. Posting regular updates about your products and services helps keep your business top of mind for potential customers in your area.
3. Post And Engage On Social Media
If you’re not already using social media to promote your business, there’s no time like the present to get started.
Here are some tips on how to use social media to market your business:
Share news and updates about your business. If you have a new product or service, or if you’re running a special promotion, be sure to let your followers know.
Build relationships with potential and current customers. Respond to comments and questions to show that you care about your customers and their experience with your business.
Create valuable content. Share blog posts, infographics, images, and other types of content that will help your followers learn more about your business and what you have to offer.
Drive traffic to your website. Make sure your website is optimized for SEO and that your links are included in your social media posts.
Stay on top of the minds. The more often you post, the more likely your followers are to remember you when they need a product or service that you offer.
4. Participate In Local Markets And Vendor Fairs
You can find many opportunities to participate in local markets and vendor fairs related to your business. These provide great opportunities to network with other small business owners, as well as get your product or service in front of a new audience.
There are a few key steps to marketing your business at a local vendor fair.
First, it's important to have a well-designed display that catches the eye of passersby. Make sure to include your company logo and contact information so that potential customers can easily find you online or in person.
Second, it's helpful to prepare a concise elevator pitch that succinctly explains what your business does and why customers should choose you over the competition.
Finally, be sure to have promotional materials on hand so that interested customers can take something home with them.
5. Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is a type of social media marketing that uses endorsements and product mentions from influencers—people who have a large following on social media—to promote your brand.
The first step is to identify the influencers who would be a good fit for your brand. Look for influencers who have a large following in your target market and who align with your brand values.
Once you've identified a few potential influencers, reach out to them and offer them free products or discounts in exchange for mentions on their social media accounts.
6. Paid Advertising
Paid advertising is a great way to get your business name out there and to reach potential customers. There are many different platforms you can use for paid advertising, including Google AdWords, Facebook Ads, and LinkedIn Ads. You can also use traditional methods such as print or television ads.
When choosing a paid advertising platform, it’s important to consider your target audience and where they are most likely to see your ad. For example, if you’re targeting businesses, LinkedIn Ads may be a good option. If you’re targeting consumers, Google AdWords. Facebook or YouTube may be better options.
It’s also important to consider your budget when choosing a paid advertising platform. Some platforms, such as Google AdWords, allow you to set a daily budget so you don’t overspend. Others, such as Facebook Ads, require you to bid on each ad spot.
7. Collaborate With Other Brands In The Industry
Form industry partnerships to cross-promote your business. Find businesses in complementary industries that serve the same target market as you do.
First, it's important to identify compatible businesses with complementary products or services.
Once you've found a few potential partners, reach out and pitch your idea for a cross-promotional campaign.
If they're on board, work together to develop a plan that will benefit both brands. Be sure to set clear goals and expectations for the campaign, and agree on how you'll measure success.
Finally, execute the plan and promote collaboration across all channels.
For example, if you own a pet-sitting business, partner with a dog groomer, pet store, or veterinarian. You can promote each other’s businesses to your customers, and offer discounts or other incentives to customers who use both businesses.
8. Plan Email Marketing
If you’re a small business owner, you might be wondering how email marketing can benefit your business. The answer is simple: when done right, it can be highly lucrative for your business.
So, how do you go about planning a successful email marketing campaign? First, you need to identify your goals. What do you want to achieve with your campaign? Do you want to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, or boost sales? Once you know what you want to accomplish, you can start putting together a plan of attack.
Next, it’s time to start building your list. There are a number of ways to do this, but one of the most effective is through lead magnets. A lead magnet is an incentive that you offer in exchange for someone’s email address. For example, if you run a blog about parenting, you could offer a free ebook on potty training in exchange for subscribers’ email addresses.
Finally, you need to create compelling content that will resonate with your target audience. What kind of messaging will resonate with them? What calls to action will encourage them to take the next step?
Keep in mind that your goal is to create an engaging and valuable experience for your subscribers – not to hard sell them on your product or service.
9. Guerilla Marketing
Guerilla marketing is an unorthodox approach to marketing that focuses on low-cost, high-impact strategies. The goal of guerilla marketing is to create a buzz around a product or service and get people talking.
Guerilla marketing can be used for a variety of purposes, from generating leads to promoting a new product launch. It is especially effective for small businesses that don’t have the budgets of larger companies.
There are a number of different guerilla marketing techniques that can be used, but some of the most common include:
Using street teams to hand out flyers or samples
Setting up pop-up shops or kiosks in high-traffic areas
Organizing flash mobs or other publicity stunts
Using social media to generate word-of-mouth buzz
Guerilla marketing is all about being creative and thinking outside the box. If you can come up with an unconventional way to get people talking about your product or service, you’re on the right track.
Source: hubspot
10. Start a Blog
Blogging is a fantastic way to reach out to your target market, establish yourself and your company as industry experts, and boost your website’s SEO. But where do you start? Creating a blog doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. With a little planning and these tips, you can have your first blog post up in no time.
Select a platform: There are a number of different blogging platforms to choose from, such as WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, and more. Do some research to find the one that best suits your needs.
Choose a theme: Once you’ve selected a platform, it’s time to give your blog some personality with a theme. Pick something that reflects your brand and style.
Write compelling content: This is the most important part! Make sure your content is well-written and informative. No one wants to read a boring blog post.
Promote your blog: Once you’ve written some great content, it’s time to get the word out there! Share your posts on social media, email them to clients and prospects, and promote them on your website.
If you are a small business in Maitland and not sure where and how to start? We can help you create a marketing plan and execute successful campaigns. Contact us.
Important Landmarks
Orlando Sanford International Airport (15 miles from the center of Maitland)