As a small business, marketing often takes a back seat. You will be spending most of your time delivering your goods and services to customers, taking care of the account and employees. There is not much time or budget to think about marketing, often thought of as expensive and time-intensive.
Depending on the marketing you do, this can be true, such as traditional advertising, which can be extremely expensive for just a print ad or radio spot. As a small business, there are options available to you that do not take too much time and are cost-effective. Here are some ideas to consider that will not break the bank.
1. Create a Google My Business account
If you have a physical location such as a shop or office, this is one of the quickest ways to help your customers and get more business. Google allows anyone with an address to create a profile on Google Business, which, when filled out will show your business when it is searched for on Google.
If you have ever noticed a company appear on the right side of Google when you search for it with details, directions, and reviews on it, this comes from their Google My Business page. All you need to do is follow the steps, add in your company information and opening hours, and send a postcard with a code on it to validate that you are legitimate.
2. Post on social media
Having a social media presence is a necessity for business owners in 2024. Your social media strategy does not need to be earth-shattering but is a useful place to communicate and engage with customers and reach new potential customers. Start by understanding which platform is best for you, be it Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, depending on who you are trying to get in front of.
If your market is younger and you sell a product then Instagram will likely be your best bet. If you are a business-to-business (B2B) company targeting professionals, your time will be better spent on LinkedIn. Try to post at least a few times per week with helpful information that customers will want to know, as well as more personal posts that are not focused on selling.#
3. Spend some cash on social ads
If you are noticing that a social platform is performing exceptionally well or that a post is getting a lot of engagement, you may want to consider spending some money to get it in front of more people. Social media platforms have powerful audience targeting options, meaning that you can select a particular audience that will likely be interested in your service or product.
Taking a post that is already performing well is an excellent way to estimate if you will get a good return on investment when you boost it to a broader audience than those that follow you already.
4. Try some local SEO
SEO is the process of optimizing your website to be more likely to rank higher in Google when a particular keyword is searched for. If you have a website, it is recommended that you add some keywords to the content, title, and headers in a natural way, which will tell Google what the page is about and make it more likely to rank when someone searches for it. Publishing blogs answering commonly asked questions about your business is also an excellent way to get more traffic to your website, adding your company to local and sector directories.
5. Apply for awards
Most industries have awards that you can enter for free, which can vary from local to national. Applying for an award can take some time, but the effort is worth it as if you can win, you will get some free publicity and then list the award on your website.
Being able to say that you are an award winner will boost credibility and lead to more people being willing to try your product or service. If there are no awards in your industry, you could even host your awards, boost your brand awareness and help you make connections in the industry.
6. Refresh your print assets
As a small business with print assets like business cards, flyers, and wall decals are a simple and effective way to get your company name out there. Most of your customers will likely be in the immediate vicinity, so dropping off flyers door to door and having brochures that people can pick up will mean that you are going directly to the people that will be interested in you.
Wall decals are a great way to make the inside of your office or shop look professional, and they can be added to the outside to help people see your business as they pass by. Great wall decals professionals you can find at https://www.craftsmenind.com/wall-decals-graphics.
7. Host a class or event
A fantastic way to drum up awareness of your business is by hosting an event or class and then focusing your marketing on it. Try printing out flyers and post them on bulletin boards around your community, where generic flyers will generally not be allowed, but educational content is fine.
Providing value is one of the best ways to get people in the door, so consider hosting the event or class for free or for a minimal fee. If you cannot host your event try attending events that other people and businesses put on and take the time to network and get to know people, you will never know who you may meet.
8. Run a webinar
Like an event but run online, webinars are a fantastic way to get people interested in what you have to say. Webinars have become even more helpful in countries and regions where in-person events have not been popular, and you can host them yourself or find a partner to run your webinar with.
You will need to put together an informational presentation that customers will be interested in, and in return, you will get the email addresses of anyone that attends. If you can provide enough value, you may find that you get multiple customers converting quickly.
