In the current economy it is important for all small business owners to manage dwindling budgets while keeping their marketing efforts as effective as ever. Here are top 10 marketing tips for a small business we found online absolutely free:
- Advertise like a small business. Big corporations invest millions of pounds to see long-term results. As a small business you need results now so making sure each advertising effort contains an offer, discount or call-to-action that can be capitalized on immediately should be your priority.
- Use social media for low-cost marketing that pays off. Building successful profiles on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn doesn’t cost you anything but can potentially catapult a small business to success.
- Thank new subscribers. Acknowledging how important each new ‘follow’ and ‘Like’ is for you with a ‘thank you’ can entice new clients. People love to buy from approachable businesses so coming up with special offers to reward your social media fans can be a good idea.
- Be flexible. If Pinterest is hottest at the moment, invest some time into making an impact on that platform. Learn to be versatile.
- Study the marketing efforts of competitors and do something out-of-the-box. If your competitors are only using Internet marketing, go for the old school direct marketing. A strategically timed postcard with a coupon can bring in new clients.
- Customize your approach. Customers love to buy from businesses that are ‘just like me’ – use this to win them over. If you are using email marketing personalize each email with a picture of you at work (if you are a family business do include family members and work settings) and a customized message that always includes your appreciation of each individual customer.
- Encourage positive word-of-mouth. Distrust for bombastic media campaigns is strong and people believe their friends’ recommendations much more than empty promises. Find ways to reward existing customers who recommend your product or service.
- Set up joint promotions. If you know another small business that can team up with you, it is a good idea to promote that business in exchange for their publicizing your products and services.
- Diversify your marketing efforts. You know your potential clients well so target platforms where they are most likely to find your ad – online, in the paper or on the radio. Don’t despair if your budget isn’t enough for telemarketing – it’s better to place smaller ads in the paper or start an affordable SMS campaign than stick with a single approach.
- Be consistent. Don’t give up and keep working – tomorrow you may go viral!
You can find more marketing tips online absolutely free but it’s worth spending on premium content for cutting edge advice.
