Is your small business challenged by:

• Not enough visibility?
• No clear direction?
• Lack of resources?
• Small marketing budget?
• Never enough time?

Businesses invest time and money into online and offline marketing with the goal of building a solid road of qualified leads that covert into sales.

Marketing is not one-size-fits-all … what works for one business may not work for another due to variables such as:

• Business niche.
• Business size.
• Business resources.
• Business focus (online, brick and mortar, local, global).

Fundamental marketing strategies are applicable to every business. What’s important is knowing how to adapt them to the appropriate scale, so they work for your individual business.

Keep It Simple Marketing Strategies

1)   Remain Focused on Objectives and Goals

• Many business owners try to do everything at once, which rarely works.

• Determine what you can start with to make the most impact.

• Set a short-term achievement goal based upon your resources and ability to implement.

• Once your first goal is realized, build upon that with subsequent performance goals.

2)   Understand Your Audience

• Many businesses fail to recognize that ‘everyone’ is not their customer.

• Small and local businesses have leverage because of their specialty niches, and are able to focus on a select group of buyers.

• Learn to appeal and connect with what will motivate a sale and drive your niche to a purchase decision.

3)   Recognize the Power of Existing Customers

• Existing customers can be the back-bone of a business.

• Marketing doesn’t stop once a purchase is made.

• Identify and establish opportunities for cross-selling, up-selling and echo purchasing.

4)   Use Free Promo Tools

Utilize free promo tools whenever possible to offset the cost of other business-related expenses.

Events and Fundraisers
EventBrite (free if holding a free event) and Facebook Events.

Email Marketing
Use email marketing to nurture purchase decisions as well as establish a communication line with new and existing customers. Create personalized, professional and segmented email campaigns with a free 60-day trial of Constant Contact.  

5)   Word-of-Mouth

Cultivate each new, existing and perspective buyer to be your best advertisement. Interact with each as someone who can ultimately have an impact on your bottom line.

Provide a memorable interaction so they’ll be inclined to tell their friends and family about they’re experience, post online positive reviews, and rave about you, your business and your products/service on social media.

6)   Marketing Partners

• Team up with non-direct competitor businesses with complimentary customer-base needs.

• Work together on co-branded campaigns.

• Promote each other on your website, in email campaigns, and on social media.

Starting small, setting realistic goals, and experimenting can be your key to starting an effective marketing strategy journey.

Staying on task will set your business up to attract new customers, maintain existing buyers and ultimately growing your business.

 

More to Explore:

Google Marketing Tools for Business Owners

Tips to Increase Online Sales

Tips for Better Local Search Results 

   Return