8 Essential Marketing Strategies for Small Business
Running a small business requires a certain economy of scale, especially if you want to grow the business. Marketing is essential to business growth, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. Here are some marketing strategies to help you economize your small business marketing.
1. Know your audience.
Marketing your business is all about the customers. Even before you make your first sale, you need to understand who your ideal customer is and what they need from you. Write out a detailed description of your customer persona and refer to it often while building your marketing strategy to keep your efforts focused and avoid wasted efforts.
2. Harness the value of automation.
Marketing doesn’t have to take up all your time. You can create a strategy and then build in some automations. Everything from social media posting to email campaigns can be set up once and run continuously. Look for repetitive tasks in your marketing routine and add automation.
3. Position yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
You don’t have to be a forty-year veteran in your field to become a thought leader. Find ways to let the world know what you know about the business you’re in. Write blogs about industry trends, share your unique approach to customer problems or highlight the skills of members of your team.
4. Build your brand.
Yes, there is a difference between running a business and building a brand. Branding is some of the foundational work that will make your marketing strategy successful. Once you have a brand identity that suits your business, you can expand your reach and strengthen your customer base.
5. Nurture your website.
A website is an essential tool for digital marketing, but you can’t just set it and forget it. Your website needs to keep up with changing keywords and SEO algorithms. The content should grow and evolve with your business.
6. Capitalize on earned media opportunities.
Some of the best publicity you can get for your business is free, partly because it comes with more credibility than a paid advertisement. Any time your business makes news by hiring a new employee, completing a project, or participating in a community event, you have a chance to get free publicity. Don’t miss out on these opportunities to get your business mentioned in the media.
7. Embrace your business’ social side.
Social media might not seem like a serious way to market your business, but it works and can be much more cost-effective than other forms of marketing. Social media marketing is a great way to develop relationships with customers and create brand awareness. You can use social media to share information about your products and services and to create a community among your customers and potential customers.
8. Capture referrals.
If you have one satisfied customer, you could easily double your success with a referral. Referrals require less time and money to convert than brand new customers. Use your current customer base, even if it is small, grow your business. Happy customers are the best ambassadors for your brand, and they know other people who are just like them.
These marketing essentials for small businesses will help you build a framework for your marketing strategy. Framework Branding can help you develop and execute a strategy that will scale with your business.
