The most challenging part of starting a small business is getting people to realize that it even exists. After all, you can’t sell a product or service if potential consumers aren’t aware of it. This is why marketing is so important.
The question is: as a small business owner, how do you effectively market your startup? The answer is: by utilizing the following marketing tactics.
Here are 7 effective marketing strategies for your small business startup.
1. Create a Website
A key part of advertising for any startup is to create a website. A business’s website acts as its online identity. It’s doesn’t only provide a platform for communication, but it alerts search engines of a business’s existence.
In this day and age, a business website isn’t just an option, it’s a necessity. Customers and clients expect it to exist. If it doesn’t, they’ll likely question your business’s legitimacy, and might look elsewhere.
2. Start a Blog
Creating a website for your business is just a small piece of the puzzle. In order for your business’s website to thrive in the eyes of online users and search engines, it needs a blog. Putting a blog on your website with relevant content will help to establish your business as an authority in your field and alerts search engines of the nature of your business.
By placing relevant keywords throughout your blog posts, you allow search engines to gain an understanding of what exactly your business does. Once search engines understand the nature of your business, they can broadcast your services to those who are looking for them.
Let’s say, for example, that you own a plumbing business. By using keywords such as “plumbing services” and “plumber” in your blog posts, you alert search engines of the fact that you are, indeed, a plumber. Now, when a search engine user types in something like “plumber near me,” your website will show up in the search engine’s results.
3. Prioritize Social Media
These days, if you’re not using social media to market your business, you’re making a huge mistake. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are free to use and are capable of connecting your business to thousands of people.
As a business owner, you should be frequenting social media each and every day. Use it to communicate with customers, update current sales and promotions, and post information relevant to your business.
Using social media on a consistent basis helps build credibility and trust with your customer base. The more potential customers see of your business, the more likely they are to do business with you.
4. Utilize Guerrilla Marketing
Unlike large, established businesses, your startup doesn’t have the money to organize elaborate marketing campaigns. Because of this, you have to instead utilize marketing tactics that are cost-effective.
One of the cheapest and most effective marketing strategies for small businesses is guerrilla marketing. This is a form of marketing in which you use creativity to make up for a lack of marketing funds.
There are all sorts of guerrilla marketing techniques you can use. Some of the more popular techniques involve writing on sidewalks with chalk, placing stickers on the sides of buildings, and giving away free samples in a busy part of town.
5. Arrange Contests
A good way to get your business’s name out there is by arranging contests for your customers. Use your own products or services as rewards. By rewarding the winners of these contests with prizes, you can typically draw in a decent amount of new customers.
One of the best ways to do this is by having random drawings. Tell your customers that, in order to enter the drawing, they must share a specific post on social media. After enough customers have entered, draw a name and award the prize.
Make sure to give some publicity to the individual who won. If you can, get a picture with said individual. By doing so, you show your customer base that your business is more than just a faceless entity. You show that your business has a legitimate and identifiable identity.
6. Use Email Marketing
More than five billion people worldwide use email. Therefore, as a business owner, you should be using email on a regular basis to reach out to current and past customers.
Keeping in touch with past customers through email keeps you in their minds so they’ll continue doing business with you. Failing to keep in touch with past customers through email quite often results in the loss of those customers’ business.
Email marketing is pretty simple. There’s a bevy of programs available to help you simplify your email marketing efforts. These allow you to send a large number of emails in just a few minutes.
7. Never Stop Networking
While there are many small business marketing strategies available, the fact is if you want to reach a wide audience, you have to put in a lot of hard work. In other words, you need to network relentlessly.
Talk about your business to as many people as possible. The person you’re talking to could turn out to be a helpful contact, a faithful partner, or even a steadfast customer.
Everybody on the planet is connected in one way or another. Not everyone you meet is going to have an interest in your business. But, almost everyone you meet will know someone who will have an interest in your business.
Need Help Putting These Effective Marketing Strategies Into Action?
Are you trying to get your startup off the ground? Do you think these effective marketing strategies can help you? If so, and if you need help putting them into action, I can help.
