10 Marketing Tips for Small Business

Today, I will show you low-budget marketing tips proven to be successful for any small business.

Commonly, the marketing budget for small businesses is very tight, which makes it difficult to promote your business. Fortunately for you, there are numerous strategies that require only little to no investment. Marketing is a key driver to business growth, hence is crucial for your small business. But where do you – as a small business owner – put time aside for that? Luckily, you don’t have to! We understand that it often is impossible for small business owners to do research to identify effective marketing strategies. That’s why we put together 10 low-budget marketing tips that you can start implementing tomorrow. Let’s do this.

1. Set Up a Google My Business Account

Creating a Google My Business account is 100% free and easy to do. Particularly for local small businesses, this has become one of the most effective free marketing strategies. Why? Because with Google My Business, your business will appear on Google Maps as well in the right-hand sided panel providing quick information about yourself. With more than 5.5 billion ‘near me’ searches every single day, this is a great way to improve your visibility on Google.

2. Be Active on Social Media

Having an engaging, curating social media presence helps you build brand awareness and engagement. Besides that, it lets you express your brand in a more personal way, building trust with your audience. Consider what social media platforms your customers are most likely to use and pick accordingly. That way, you can connect with the right people and create a relevant online community. Ideas for what you can post about:

• Educate about your brand in a fun and simple way
• Share inspirational and motivational content related to your business
• Promote your blog post and drive traffic to your website
• Offer tips and tricks related to your business
• Carry out polls and ask for feedback

Whichever social media platforms you decide to go with, ensure you have consistency in terms of branding, tone of voice, and the message you want to convey. Consistency is key to strong brand reputation and trust!

3. Use #hashtags and @mentions

When you actively post on social media, make use of hashtags and mentionings! Using popular hashtags allows you to widen the reach of your post. Find out what hashtags are trending right now and get #hashing. Another trick is to mention loyal customers, followers, or even other businesses in your local area that you share the same values with. For example, if you’re a local café, it would be an idea to mention the next-door florist. That way you can expand the reach of your target audience while showing that you support local businesses.

4. Be Recognisable

Again, consistency is key. Just like when you keep your social media consistent, you should maintain all of your marketing communications and materials cohesive. Preserving a consistent brand look and message allows customers to better understand and distinguish your brand from competitors. Building brand recognition also means increased brand reputation. And increased brand reputation will help grow customer loyalty, which drives sales and profitability. So, be courageous! Be different. But overall, be consistent. Need help with your branding? We can help you create you a memorable brand!

5. Advertise on Facebook

Here’s another inexpensive way to market your business: Facebook advertising. More than two million small to medium sized businesses use the platform to promote their products and services to literally any target audience they like. To get the most out of Facebook advertising you want to use advanced targeting. Define a specific audience based on sex, age, location, interests, and many more factors. This will ensure that your ad gets shown to relevant people who are most likely to purchase from you.

6. Create Google Ads

With over 40,000 search entries on Google per second, how are you getting in front of that many eyes?

The answer: Google Ads. It’s true, you can possibly get in front of that many eyes with this marketing strategy. It does come with a cost though and the competition is high. But if you do it right, it can be very, very effective. Keep in mind that Google Ads work with a bidding system. Meaning that Google gives your ad a quality score depending on the click-through-rate, relevance and landing page your ad directs traffic to. The higher the score, the lower the bid cost for your ad to be displayed. Want the best Google Ads with lowest costs? Let’s get together!

7. Do Content Marketing

First of all, what is content marketing? Content marketing is a process that involves the creation and distribution of relevant content. Its main aim is to attract a specific audience and motivate customers to take action. This type of marketing strategy is unpaid and focuses on long-term rather than quick results. You will find that at the beginning rewards will be low, but just be patient. Long-term, organic growth in followers, viewers, leads and customers can alone be the driver of success for your small business. Content marketing includes blog posts, videos, podcasts, and other media such as social media. If done right, you can build brand awareness, be foremost in customer’s minds and become expert in your field. IF DONE RIGHT. Content marketing requires profound knowledge in content creation, copywriting, SEO, and relevant topics. So make sure you do your homework before you implement this marketing tip.

8. Start a Blog

If you enjoy writing or are a decent writer, nothing stands in your way to start your first blog post today! Sharing expertise, tips, and even experiences with your audience in a weekly or monthly time manner lets you build relationships with your readers. After a while, readers will start thinking about you as the expert in your field. Which of course, you are! Blogging is a great way to drive traffic to your website, increase engagement, promote your business, and improve your overall SEO. Only requiring time and some good storytelling, this marketing strategy offers incredible benefits for a small cost. Make sure you stick with simple words and avoid overusing jargon. You want it to be easy to read! Also, include relevant keywords throughout your blog to better reach your target readers.

9. Share Educational Videos

Video currently is the number one medium to successfully access customers. Combine that with helpful tips and insights, and you have unleashed a whole new way of growing your customer base! People love freebies, but even more they love free helpful content. The best part is, you don’t have to be a pro to put together a quality video! Keeping it simple and real actually works in your favour. Think about How-To videos, tips and tricks, product demos, or even behind the scenes footage. This will allow you to better connect with your audience while strengthening your customer relationships.

Source: YouTube

10. Commence a Customer Referral Program

Did you know that 75% of customers view word-of-mouth as their primary motivation when making a purchase? And even more trust their friends and peers who recommend a product or service. For example, you could offer a discount off their next purchase, two week free service, or a 2 for 1 product sale. This is an amazing method of acquiring new customers while appreciating your existing ones. Here are another 5 incredible ways to keep your existing customers happy!

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