So, you want to know how to market your small business to reach more customers and increase sales. And you want to do it on a modest budget.
You’re not alone.
Maybe you have yet to market your business because you’re overwhelmed by all the options.
Maybe you experimented with tried-and-true methods. Or you tried the latest and greatest in marketing tactics. But you saw little to no results.
You’ve come to the right place. This guide is an understandable and easy to implement small business marketing guide.
Are you ready to learn about marketing strategy, how to choose the best ideas for your business, and how to implement those ideas?
Let’s dive in.
Step 1: Build Trust With Your Customers by Knowing Who They Are
Everyone wants to be known. The more a customer feels known, the deeper the connection, and the stronger the trust. People buy products from brands they trust.
The best way to know your customers is to identify your target market and create a buyer persona.
Your target market is a group of people with specific characteristics that make up the demographics of your ideal customer. Some of the key characteristics of a target market’s demographic include:
The buyer persona takes knowing your target market to the next level. It gives your ideal customer a face.
HubSpot defines a buyer persona as:
What characteristics make up a buyer persona?
When you know your ideal customer, you build more trust and find it easier to market your services and products.
You can do this by writing a unique selling proposition (USP).
A USP communicates the reason customers buy from you and not your competitors.
Use the following questions to write a 1-2 sentence USP:
An elevator pitch is a brief, persuasive statement about the purpose and value of your business. It shouldn’t be any longer than the time it takes to ride in an elevator with someone (20-30 seconds). Pique curiosity and create interest in the listener by writing a pitch that gets you excited. Your excitement will be infectious.
Inbound marketing captivates potential customers by providing valuable content which attracts, engages, and delights.
Attract your target market with interesting content. Engage them in discussion through avenues like email and social media. Delight them with your expertise.
Zig Ziglar said, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” This is just as true with marketing. Don’t spend time and money on marketing until you’ve set bold, concrete, and measurable goals.
Some potential marketing goals include increasing:
Start small and build on that foundation. Choose 1 or 2 marketing ideas to implement. Then evaluate your efforts each month. Stick with what works. Tweak or set aside what isn’t getting the desired results.
Small businesses don’t have endless resources to spend on marketing. Be strategic with your budget. Cut out what doesn’t work and spend your money where you see success.
What are some small business marketing budget expenses?
Now that you understand more about marketing strategy, it’s time to get practical.
What are the best ideas for small business marketing?
I’m glad you asked.
These ideas don’t cost outrageous sums of money. In fact, ideas 1-4 are completely free. Ideas 5-9 will cost you money, but they won’t break the bank.
As you read through these ideas, ask which options are best for reaching your ideal customer.
The best marketing is a happy customer who shares their experience. A happy customer results from a quality product and excellent customer service.
What are some small business marketing tips to create happy customers?
An internet presence is essential for small businesses.
Here are some free ways to cultivate a professional online presence:
An example of a Google business profile
You don’t need money to market on social media. You do need to choose your social media channels and strategically engage with influencers and potential customers.
It’s tempting to hop on every platform and begin posting. Don’t do it. Be strategic and go where your target market is.
What are some social media options for small businesses?
After choosing the best channels, it’s time to market by attracting, engaging, and delighting.
Some ways to engage with others include:
Put yourself out there and network with others. Connect with people in your niche. Listen and learn, but don’t be afraid to talk about your business. This is the perfect opportunity to share your elevator speech or USP.
Networking possibilities include:
Targeted ads, created specifically for your ideal customer, are a great way to reach new customers.
What are some of the best options for ads?
An example of a Facebook Ad
Spend a few dollars and take your online presence to the next level.
Some ways to do this include:
Email marketing is powerful and effective. It's one of the top channels for marketing and it’s a great way to nurture potential and existing customers.
What are some best email practices:
Happy customers are excellent brand ambassadors. Free giveaways make happy customers. Everyone loves free stuff.
How can you delight your customers?
Don’t feel embarrassed if you need a little help. There are small business marketing services to help with your marketing efforts.
Some ways to enlist qualified help include:
Developing a strategy and choosing a few marketing ideas is not enough. It's important to be strategic. Follow these 3 tips and you will reap benefits from your marketing efforts.
Many small businesses fall into the shiny object syndrome. They try to do too much and see little to no results. Other small businesses avoid marketing altogether due to overwhelm at all the options. The answer is to start small and scale your marketing plan based on results. What gets you the results should be where you spend your time and money.
Start with 1 or 2 marketing ideas and expand as you go.
2. Commit to a Regular Review of Marketing Results
It's been said that you can't manage what you can't measure. This is no less true for marketing. Don’t waste time or money on what you don’t measure. Commit to a regular review of your marketing results. When starting a new channel, it's important to review monthly.
Some results to review may include:
Don’t fall into the trap of doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Adjust your plan and budget based on your marketing results. Spend your time and money on what works.
It's time to put your new marketing skills into practice.
You've learned what it takes to market a small business effectively.
So, what now?
Over the next few days, set aside time to develop your small business marketing strategy. If you do this, you will have done more than most small business owners.
But don't stop there.
Choose 1 or 2 marketing ideas and begin your experiment.
Try them out for a month and then review your results. Readjust as necessary and conduct another month-long marketing experiment.
And so on. And so on.
If you stick with this, your marketing frustrations will be a thing of the past. You’ll no longer feel discouraged and overwhelmed because you will see incremental marketing success.
Small business marketing is how small businesses attract and nurture existing and potential customers.
Online marketing is the best avenue, as it offers cost-effective ways for a small business to tap into a larger number of potential customers.
Local small businesses will benefit from online marketing. However, there are local marketing ideas to help small businesses impact their community.
Some ways to market a local small business include: