Simple Ideas For How To Market A Small Business
Small businesses used to thrive on their standing in the community and word of mouth advertising. These are still very useful and there’s nothing that can replace them, but they are no longer enough if you want your small business to succeed.
You need to have a marketing campaign that is equal to those of big businesses, at least in terms of organization and planning. As soon as you start working on your business plan, you need to bear in mind how important your marketing efforts are going to be.
Live Streaming
Pivoting to video is the trend that’s taking over all media organizations including the news, and marketing is going to have to follow suit. This is a very simple tool for keeping your viewers engaged because it seems to be unedited and unscripted (and sometimes it actually is.)
It’s also one of the cheapest marketing options out there, especially because it allows you to rely on the videos submitted by your users and customers. That way, you’re getting free promotion and showcasing your product as it’s being used at the same time.
More Personalized Campaigns
The data your customers leave online can help you make your marketing campaign much more personalized. Broad campaigns that are made to capture as wide an audience as possible aren’t as effective as they used to be. The users want to see that a brand cares about them personally and that it values their loyalty.
These campaigns don’t necessarily need to be more expensive. Since most of the shopping is done online, marketing efforts could be automated. The creative work still needs to be done by people, but all the infrastructure-related work can be arranged inexpensively.
Influencers
The campaign needs to be adapted to the channel it’s using. This requires additional work and makes the companies really focus on what the strengths of their business and their product are. When you decide to use social media as the main focus of your campaign, you need to create a message that’s suited to them.
For the majority of social media, that means choosing the right influencers to support and promote your business. Their influence doesn’t have to expand beyond social media and the industry, but it needs to be felt where it matters.
Offline Tactics
It often feels like online branding is all there is and that your business will do fine if it focuses only on social media and blogs. This is not the case for the vast majority of companies. You still need to try hard and get to the customers that don’t spend most of their time online.
For those working in the corporate world, promotional products are the easiest way of doing this. These products need to be something your clients can actually use, like promotional USB drives or notebooks and office supplies. Just make sure to place your logo and relevant info where everyone using the product can see it.
B2B Marketing
It’s important for a small business to diversify its sources of income. That way, it can avoid risks and have something to fall back on, even if there are a few rough months in terms of sales. One of the ways to avoid this is to sell some of your products directly to businesses in your industry. Selling in bulk could provide you with an additional income and a plan B.
This also means that some of your marketing efforts need to be focused on the businesses themselves and placed in industry-related publications that have a small readership, but wield great influence.
Mobile Apps
Mobile apps are one of the most convenient ways of marketing your company. They are always available to users and they provide the company with a lot of useful data to work with while making the campaign better. They could also be used to promote content of all kinds and in every medium.
Investing in this form of advertising could be a great move for a small business because it shows that you’re trying to stay on top of trends and make the most of new technology.
New Content
Producing new content in the form of blogs and videos was always one of the most important ways of staying in touch with the audience. Now, there’s a kind of content that helps with this more than any other. It’s educational and tutorial-type videos and blogs that are going to be huge in the years to come.
This content has such an appeal because it provides a value to your readers that they don’t need to pay for and that comes with supporting the brand. It’s a useful tool for both promoting the brand and working on customer loyalty.
Marketing a small business requires a plan and a long-term vision. It’s something you need to work on with diligence and all of your professional skills.
Author Bio:
Diana Smith is a full time mom of two beautiful girls interested in topics related to finances and latest business technologies. In her free time she enjoys exercising and preparing healthy meals for her family. Follow Diana her on Twitter and Google+.
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