As a new or small business, marketing can seem like a whole new world that’s constantly changing and you’re in need of a map for guidance. Small business marketing is something we’re always trying to improve upon from a creative and strategic standpoint ourselves. We’re hopeful that our insights on social and through our blog are helpful to those looking for answers but here are a few items to focus on if you’d like a high level list to start you out on your journey:
Organization
This can not be stressed enough. The more streamlined your approach the better the results. Start with assembling a to-do list of some basic points:
- Elevator pitch: What does your business do? Include products sold or services offered that will grab your potential audience’s attention.
- The competition: Look to competitors as a source of inspiration. What are they doing right and what can you offer that’s better?
- Goals: What do you want to realistically achieve from marketing your business and what steps are needed to get there.
- Research and refine: At the end of each month or quarter don’t be afraid to step back and evaluate what is and isn’t working from your efforts. Throwing money at marketing without a strategy in place always ends badly.
Get a Website
Well sure we’d say that right? We’ve developed a few websites. In all seriousness if nothing else your website should stand as an informational base that adds credibility to your small business. You’ll want to ensure that it:
- Is simple and clear.
- Is mobile-friendly (over 50% of B2B online is done through a mobile device).
- Has Google Analytics is in place to track your efforts.
- Is optimized for search engines. We’ve assembled a helpful guide for a healthy website here.
Social Media
Small business marketing on social media is huge. Facebook is still the more popular channel in many cases and you can setup a Facebook Business page to get started. Additionally, consider utilizing a Facebook Pixel when advertising on Facebook. This will allow you to target customers that have visited your website which in many cases has a solid ROI.
Get on Google
We mentioned last week in a post to help boost your SEO that setting up a Google My Business page is a big benefit in search. Given that users are searching more and more on their phones this will give your business a more established presence when potential customers are Googling and you come up.
Testimonials
Ever shop for a tv, phone or maybe just a pair of shoes online? What’s one thing you find yourself looking for? Reviews! Having customer testimonials backup your awesome products or services is a major factor in growing your credibility online. Don’t be afraid of asking a customer to drop by your Facebook page or Google Business page to leave a review on their experience. You may find it leads to more traffic and conversions.
Network
Don’t be afraid of getting out there in the non-digital world and meeting with people. Remember that elevator pitch you assembled? This is the perfect opportunity to get out in the world and try it out. There’s no need to think of it as a opportunity to close sales or anything like that. Just a method to refine how you describe who you are and what your brand is. Word of mouth referrals are very hard to top so consider making some connections with networks in your area.
These are just a few small business marketing avenues to explore. Hopefully our more in depth posts can help you along the way or feel free to reach out if we can help!