When you are a small business owner, the success of your business depends on attracting customers who are looking for your goods and services. As a small business owner, you may not have a large marketing budget, but you need to connect your business to the right prospects.
There are quite a few marketing methods that can help you successfully market your business and not all of them require a lot of money. How do you create a killer business marketing strategy in spite of having a limited marketing budget?
Know Your Target Audience
The first step of any marketing plan is to know your target audience. It helps to have a mental picture of your prospect. Think about where they live, their age and their economic status.
What’s their pain point and what keeps them up at night? You won’t be able to be all things to all people. Your business will only appeal to a specific group of people, and it’s your job to know as much as you can about them.
Establish Your Brand Identity
Owning a business means distinguishing your business from other businesses that offer similar products or services. What makes your business unique and how can you communicate what makes you different?
Establish your brand identity in a recognizable way. This may include a logo, recognizable colors or a slogan. Your logo should be on your business cards and on all forms of advertising to build brand recognition and awareness.
Create an Online Presence
It today’s world, a large number of your prospects use only one method of trying to find what they’re looking for, and that’s by searching online. You must have an online presence.
Your website should be designed carefully with your prospects in mind, helping them to navigate easily and find what they’re looking for. Consistently creating and developing valuable content on your website or a blog helps attract prospects and helps you to establish yourself as an authority in your industry.
Use SEO Optimization
Search engine optimization is a method of attracting prospects by using strategic placement of keywords in your online content. Keywords and keyword phrases are the terms your potential clients enter into a search engine when they’re looking for a certain service or product.
While your content needs to be written for people, not for search engines, quality content doesn’t do your business any good if your website or blog can’t be found. SEO is an important tool in helping you to rank highly in search engines.
Email Marketing
Those who visit your website or blog should be encouraged to keep coming back. The best way to do this is to capture their email address by offering a free gift such as a whitepaper or newsletter in exchange.
Your email list is a valuable tool that allows you to periodically contact people who are interested in what you have to offer. The emails you send should always provide valuable content rather than continually asking them to make a purchase.
Guest Blogging
Your content marketing efforts should also include guest blogging on other sites in your industry who have an established audience. Providing content in front of people who are already doing business in your industry is a great way to attract prospects to your website, and it’s another way of establishing a reputation as an expert in your niche.
Engage with Your Audience
The internet has provided an amazing tool that makes it surprisingly easy to connect with potential customers. You have the opportunity to engage with members of your audience on a daily basis to find out what they feel is missing in the marketplace and what they’re still trying to find.
This includes responding to blog comments and becoming part of the conversation on social media. Encourage prospects to let you know what their needs and wants are by taking surveys. Listen to what questions people are asking and answer them whenever you can.
Google My Business
Google My Business is a tool that can help your business gain credibility. Using this method, you can create a free business profile which helps you to communicate the benefits of doing business with you and connect with prospects in your local area.
Facebook Advertising
Facebook allows you to reach out to millions of prospects. Advertising on Facebook is a relatively inexpensive way to reach out to a specific group of people and to reach a large number of prospects in a short amount of time.
YouTube
Don’t overlook the power of attracting prospects through video. People of all ages and backgrounds love watching videos online. A short video that’s interesting and informative can help to improve brand awareness and stimulate interest in your company. How-to videos, interviews with experts in your niche and animated videos are all possible methods of marketing your business using videos on YouTube.
Face to Face Networking
While online marketing efforts can bring in a large number of prospects, a killer small business marketing strategy should also include investing time in networking with people in your area through face to face opportunities. People like to do business with those they know and trust, so it can be a very effective marketing strategy to expand your network of contacts.
Attend meetings of your local chamber of commerce, regional business associations and any other events you can find. At networking events, introduce yourself to others and offer genuine interest in the other participants. Be prepared to tell people the benefits of doing business with you.
Pay Per Click
One way to grow your audience that should be included in your marketing strategy is pay per click advertising. Google Adwords can be an extremely powerful marketing tool when it’s used correctly.
If you need help with your PPC marketing strategy or any other aspects of your small business marketing efforts, Softline Solutions is here to help. Get in touch with us for expert guidance in business marketing strategies.
