If you have a small business, it is highly likely that you struggle with marketing. Marketing is important for your small business, because people won’t hear about your business unless you market it effectively. But at the same time, you have particularly strong limits on budget and time. You need to get things done quickly, but time is almost non-existent for you.
In this post we will look at a few ways in which you can market your small business effectively, without breaking the bank or taking up too much of your own time. This will give you more time to get out there and run your business.
One of the best things in the world when it comes to marketing is word of mouth. And the old ways still ring true. By this we mean ensuring that you get happy customers to write a short letter or email about the amazing experience they had with you. If it’s a letter, you could send it out as part of a marketing campaign through the post. If it’s an email, you can do the same thing or put it up on your website. Either way, it’s a powerful method to show your potential customers just how much effort and customer care you bring to your approach.
Joint venture
Another great way to get your business marketed is to try and join up with another small business in the same town. This isn’t as difficult as it sounds, and simply means that you find a business that complements yours and suggest a kind of partnership. If you can help them find customers, they will help you find customers in return. It also means that it doesn’t feel so lonely running a business. If you share advice with each other and generally feel like you’re aligned with another business in a similar market to you, it’s a good experience. This works really well for plenty of small businesses, which soon find that joining up with someone else means more leads and a better experience overall. You will know when this is working when you have both your business names on your lanyards.
Don’t underestimate the power of the business card either. Business cards are not expensive to organise, and many online printers, for example, do it for you. Every time you meet someone who could be a potential customer they deserve to have your business card given to them. Having a good business card that is effective and attractive can really make a difference when it comes to small business marketing. Get a nice one designed professionally, and order a few business cards every month. That way you won’t be out of stock. And give it to anyone who needs to know about you and your business.
A working site
Then ensure that you have a website that works. This website has to be effective, because the very first thing that the customer will do when they go online and find out about your business is go straight to your website. It has to be a high-quality website that adds a lot of value to your customer. Offer plenty of advice, and an approach whereby you encourage engagement. This is a big topic, but if you feel that your website is not as it should be, it probably isn’t. Work on it, and keep asking yourself the questions: what do my customers like to read about and learn and am I delivering that through my website?
Small business marketing needn’t be a chore. Instead, it can be a whole lot of fun, and just simply requires that you are able to use what you already have to its best effect. Some people call it leveraging your assets; others just call it using your good stuff to sell more. Whatever you call it, it isn’t expensive, and it works.