The marketing success of a small business depends on its ability to reach the right customers at the right time with the right message. How can you market your small business in a way that captures the most attention?
Here are 5 small business marketing tips to help your company hit the ground running.
Community outreach
The U.S. Small Business Administration suggests joining community organizations and serving on city boards or committees to better connect with the customers your business is serving or could potentially serve. You can host your own networking events or sponsor community events such as charity drives. If you enjoy public speaking, you can volunteer at schools and other organizations or speak on professional panels. Personalized interaction makes a good impression, and your local community is a great place to grow your roots and gain exposure to a friendly audience.
Engage online
Having a website to provide basic information about your company is important; you can drive traffic to your website by engaging with potential customers online. Social media, Q&A sites and forums encourage interaction and allow you to personalize your brand, connecting with your audience and driving potential future sales. Resources like Hootsuite allow you to manage your business’s social media accounts more efficiently, bringing all accounts under one integrated management platform. In addition, sponsored ads and promoted posts on websites like Facebook and Twitter can help you reach a wider audience.
Networking
Attending conferences, panels and meet-and-greets is a great way to get your business name out. These events will enable you to give your pitch in person, building your referral network and putting your business card in the hands of people who can now put a friendly face on your business’s name.
Offer promotions
People are more likely to spend money on a product or service once they are sure that it is useful or worthwhile. Don’t be afraid to give things away free or for a significant discount. Online coupon codes and giveaways through social media are a significant part of customer engagement, and you can also provide special promotions for partners to distribute to their own customers. Discounts can be an incentive for new customers to try out your product, and once they’ve had their first positive experience, they’re more likely to become repeat customers.
Start a newsletter
To keep your business fresh in the mind of your customers, start an online newsletter to email them periodically. The newsletter can introduce new products or services and updates to your business, and it can discuss trends and news that affect your field. You can even include testimonials and reviews from customers. Email marketing is an effective way of keeping customers in the loop, increasing the likelihood that they will engage with your business in the future.
Deep pockets aren’t necessary for successful small business marketing. A conventional term loan can go a long way in funding your marketing efforts to increase your profits. Fundation offers fixed-rate online small business loans, providing your small business with the flexibility to focus on your marketing initiatives.
