When you opened your small business, your primary focus was likely how to get your first customers through the door. Maybe you used classic advertising methods such as print ads, coupon mailers, or even outdoor advertising.
Or, you may have felt that since you provide an excellent product or service, customers would find their way to you. Either way, when someone is interested in your business the first thing they will do is to research you online.
Here are a few ideas to help you market your small business online – from online to traditional channels.
Public Relations
Media relations, often known as public relations, is simply getting stories about you and your company published in magazines and on their websites.
Perhaps you won a new contract, introduced a new product or service, hired new employees, or had a great year. It may be that something unusual has happened in your firm or you’ve accomplished an important milestone, such as an anniversary. Another method to obtain coverage is to offer advice or have strong opinions about an issue and be willing to express them freely.
Social Media
If used correctly, social media can play an important part in marketing your brand, and the potential to connect and engage with such a large audience should not be passed up.
Social media is an excellent tool to connect with individuals who are already familiar with your company and expose it to new customers.
Before creating a social media marketing campaign, think about your company’s goals and marketing strategy. Do you want to reach a larger audience, increase website traffic, or enhance sales?
It’s also critical to know who your target audience is, what platforms they’re likely to utilize, and what kind of material they’ll find useful and engaging.
Digital Marketing
Targeting particular audiences, implementing data-driven strategies, and producing demonstrable results are just a few of the advantages of marketing your company through digital advertising.
PPC (Pay-Per-Click), display, and paid social are the three primary digital advertising channels. They are all compatible with mobile and desktop devices.
Digital advertising might be a minefield, but it is entirely open and accountable – you will be able to see where your spending has gone and which components of your campaign were the most effective down to the penny.
Advertising in Local Papers
Your advertisement must be both large and bold to be effective in magazines and newspapers. If your advertisement fails to stop people in their tracks and make them take notice, you will have wasted your money on purchasing the space. The title, text, and photos you use are all important.
Use top-quality images and send the large file, whether you take them yourself or use free stock images make sure the photographer is credited. Rather than focusing on what you want to say, consider what your target customers want or need to hear from you. Enter their minds and create a message that will resonate with them.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO has established itself as one of the most important methods for marketing your company online. Most businesses now require a well-optimized website, which is where SEO comes into play. If you’re new to SEO, our beginner’s guide will walk you through the basic steps you can take to improve your strategy.
To appear in search engines like Google for relevant search terms or ‘keywords,’ your web pages must be optimized in three areas: technical, on-page, and off-page.
Technical SEO guarantees that Google understands and has easy access to all of the pages you want to rank. A technically competent website is only one part of effective SEO.
Email Promotion
The ability to communicate clearly and timely to your target audience is critical to creating outstanding sales. As part of your regular marketing activity, email marketing is excellent for driving short-term urgency and adding incremental revenue.
You can use emails strategically to advertise a limited-time promotion, an end-of-season sale, or a new service.
Email marketing is defined as:
- Cost-effective
- Measurable
- Immediate
- Scalable
- Efficient
Once you have your customer list, you can target your content to the appropriate audiences – engagement rates for consumers who have already used your services or purchased from you will most likely be high.
Instead of focusing on the details of your product or service, emphasize the advantages. For example, if your company manufactures underfloor heating, plumbers will want to know that it’s simple to install and will make them a nice profit, but homeowners will want to know how it feels when they tread on it amid a miserably cold night.
