Small businesses have a variety of marketing tools available to them, but sometimes it can be overwhelming as there are just so many. The ones that you
choose, however, depend on your business and the amount of time you have to devote to marketing, but they also depend on the type of product that you
have. Here are a few strategies you can use to market your business and deliver the results you need.
Social Media
Social media is where many small businesses start, and there are quite a few ways you can market on social media. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and
Instagram are generally key to your marketing strategy on social media, but it very much depends on what sort of business you have and what your
target market is as to whether this will work.
If, for example, you manufacture stylish garments that are suited to teens and twenty-somethings, you might find that Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook
are the key ways to go. Marketing involves building up likes on Facebook and building up loves on Instagram. These two feed into your website so
that when people want to buy items, they simply click on a link and buy it.
However, a social media marketing strategy may not be suitable for a company that manufactures nuts and bolts. In this case, a blogging strategy might
work a little better.
Blogging
A blogging strategy can reap rewards, as it builds content online that people can search for. If you can reach out to a wide audience and show off
your knowledge and professionalism, you can create blogs that target your ideal audience and then drive people to your website. Regular blogging
over the course of several years builds up a readership and can provide interesting articles for people to share.
Media Attention
This can combine elements of the above, but in most cases, media attention means publicizing your company through a variety of initiatives. You might
become linked with a charity or a local good cause to attract people to your business and also provide advertising through the power of the media.
In addition, it provides a feel-good factor, as people know that by supporting you, they also supported that charity.
However, publicity stunts can backfire, particularly if they are not well received. Similarly, they tend to be short lived because the effect of the
stunt quickly fades. For that reason, a media strategy can be good in providing interest and widespread publicity initially, but it needs something
more substantial to sustain it.
Training and Advice
Training and advice provided as a free service can draw people to your website, particularly if you have a good reputation already. You might offer
training days on your products, for example, so that people can see how they work. Link that in with your social media account or a website, and
you might also get some local publicity, depending on what the product is.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is a time-honored strategy, and virtually everyone has an email address. You do have to be careful not to violate the various laws
that apply to email marketing, but most of the requirements are met if you allow people to subscribe to an email newsletter. Remind consumers of
your presence with regular articles and updates, and ensure that you stay in their minds when they next need your services.