Starting a new small business is exciting and can be very rewarding. You will be creating a brand new product or service and marketing it to your target audience.
Marketing a small business is different than marketing a big business. You will be handling most, if not all, of the work alone. This can be an advantage, as you have full control over everything you do!
With your own small business, you will have to learn some marketing skills. The best way to start is by learning about basic marketing strategies. Then, you can apply them to your business.
There are many ways to market your small business so do not feel overwhelmed. This article will go into detail about basic marketing strategies that work for all businesses.
Creating a website for your small business is the first step to marketing yourself. Ideally, your website should showcase your business name, what you do, some services or products you offer, and how people can connect with you.
You can create a website using free platforms like Blogger or WordPress or use a paid platform like Squarespace or Wix. Depending on the platform you choose, it may take some time to learn the ins and outs of creating a website.
Have someone knowledgeable check your website for accuracy and design before publishing it. Once published, promote your site by putting it on all of your other social media profiles and by sending out a press release announcing its launch.
Websites are an important part of modern life and are very useful for small businesses.
Now that you have created your business, it’s time to start marketing your small business. One of the first steps is to get some promotional materials made.
These can be business cards, brochures, postcards, and other types of advertisements. Having these printed will cost you money, but they are an essential part of marketing yourself and your business.
Business cards are a must-have for any professional worker. They allow people to connect with you and find out more information about you and your work.
They are very handy and easily transferred between friends, colleagues, and contacts. People can put them in their wallets or purses for easy access when contacting you.
Postcards are great for marketing events or places. If you run a venue or event service, having postcards made with your information on them will spread the word about your business.
Creating a promotional package for your business will help you market and advertise your business. Create a business card, brochure, and social media profile to include in the package.
Business cards are very useful. Include your name, role in the business, website link, and any social media links in case someone would like to follow you or contact you. Give these to people you meet that you would like to be potential customers or clients.
A brochure can be made in power point or word format. Include some information about the company, what services or products are offered, cost, and contact information. You can also add pictures of your work here as well.
Creating social media profiles is a great way to spread the word about your business. Make all of your profiles uniform with the same information so that people can find you easily.
Finding places to strategically leave your business cards or brochures is important. It is important because it gives people an opportunity to find and take your material.
Placing your literature in popular businesses can be helpful. For example, if you are a landscaping company, placing fliers in local garden stores or on their bulletin boards may get some traction for you.
Putting them in public places like cafes or public libraries can generate some traffic as well. People are likely to check out a new place or business if they see an advertisement somewhere easy to find.
Distributing your products or services free of charge may help gain some attention, but not long-term engagement. You will want to continue promoting your business so that people continue using your services, and don’t forget about all of the other businesses offering similar things.
Giving away items for free may get people’s attention, but it is not very strategic. The best way to do this is by pricing your item fairly and cheaply, yet still producing a good return on investment (ROI).
Social media is a fantastic place to advertise for small businesses. Not only is it cost-effective, but it is also relevant as most people use social media to interact with friends and family and discover new apps and services.
The major platforms you can advertise on are: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Each has its own style of ad design and targeting which can be very useful for a small business.
Facebook has the best online advertising system according to many small business owners so that may be the best place to start. It is fairly expensive, but you get a lot of views and clicks for your money.
Twitter ads are also very effective if you have a specific target audience or goal. For example, if you wanted to reach potential customers in your area, then an ad targeted only to that audience would be most effective.
Once you have a website built, the next step is to let people know that it exists. This is where social media comes into play.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are free marketing tools that allow you to spread the word about your website. You can add link previews to your profiles and posts so people can access your site as well.
Using social media also makes it easy to market your business by using images and videos. Create some appealing graphics or short videos about your business or services and share them on the platforms to get exposure.
Of all the social media platforms, Instagram may be the most effective for small businesses. A study found that almost half of all online purchases are made via links found on Instagram. People use the app to find out more information about products and find trustworthy sellers, which leads to sales through referrals.
A second, and arguably more important, way to market your small business is by encouraging customer feedback.
Customer feedback comes in several forms. The most obvious form is when a customer leaves a review on your business’s website, Google My Business page, or the major platform review sites like Yelp! and Foursquare.
However, you can also ask customers for testimonials that you can use in advertising and marketing materials. You can also ask them what they liked about your business and what could be improved to increase the chances of a positive review.
Making it easy for customers to give feedback is another way to encourage them to do so. Having clear signs or links to give feedback on your website, email addresses, or phone numbers that customers can use to contact you are all ways to do this.
Finally, finding ways to improve customer satisfaction is key in getting more positive reviews. Doing little things like giving out free samples or coupons can help increase returns and loyalty.
Partnering with other small businesses can help you market your business while also helping them market their business.
Do some research on other businesses in your area and reach out to them to see if you could promote each other’s businesses. For example, if you are a cake maker, offer free cakes for customers at coffee shops or bakeries.
Offer to put up their signs in your window or door at your business location as well. This way, more people will know about both businesses and come in to purchase their products and services.
People love supporting local businesses so this is a great way to get more foot traffic into your place and theirs.
