Get Your Name Out There: Marketing Tips for Small Businesses
It’s crucial for small businesses to find effective methods for reaching people who are in need of their products and services. There are now more marketing platforms and techniques than ever before. If you want to reach a wider audience, you have to be willing to try a variety of strategies until you find something that works. The following are some of the best ways to brand yourself and obtain more customers.
Email Marketing
Email marketing has been around for almost as long as the internet itself. The advantage of email marketing is that you can contact your list whenever you want. It does take some effort to build up your mailing list, but in the long run, this is one of the most powerful ways to grow a business. To get people to join your list, you have to offer them some incentive. This can be a free gift or an informative newsletter.
Promote Local Events
Small businesses can become better known by promoting or taking part in live events in their communities. This is especially powerful if you have a business with a physical location, where it’s helpful for customers to get to know you. Sponsoring events such as 5K races for charity or taking part in events such as conventions and trade shows gives you a chance to network and introduce yourself to people.
Direct Mail
Direct mail is often overlooked in the digital age. While there are plenty of effective ways to advertise online, you should not forget that direct mail is still a powerful way to reach a targeted audience. With the help of companies like Ballantine, you can send postcards, brochures, coupons and other content to people who are on targeted mailing lists. You may want to work with a reliable company that provides direct mail services.
Be Active on Social Media
Social media has enjoyed phenomenal growth over the last few years. This fact makes it essential for businesses to maintain a presence on these platforms. You don’t have to join every social media site; you should, however, be active on at least a couple of them. A Facebook page and Twitter account are useful to almost every business. Image-based sites such as Pinterest and Instagram are useful if you’re selling physical products. You should monitor these pages regularly and add new content to them frequently so people have a reason to visit.
There are a multitude of ways to promote a small business. The above tips are the bare minimum of what you should be doing to grow your business. You should create a customized marketing plan that’s based on your own needs, budget and customer base. It helps if you’re willing to experiment with many approaches. Change your strategy when necessary, drop what doesn’t work and scale up methods that produce results.
About the author: A recent college graduate from University of San Francisco, Anica loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. She was raised in a big family, so she’s used to putting things to a vote. Also, cartwheels are her specialty. You can connect with Anica here.
