How do you get the word out about your business? As a smaller enterprise, you may not have the massive budgets of big corporations. However, you can still do some pretty amazing things, if you know how to make the best use of the budget you have. Guided by the right insights and knowledge of marketing practices, you can prioritize the marketing efforts that are going to get you the best outcomes. It’s all about spending strategically, and we’re going to show you how to market a small business effectively with a few essentials.
How to Market a Small Business on a Budget
You don’t need a million dollar budget to grow your brand organically. There are inexpensive ways, and a few tips and tricks, to increase awareness, engagement, and ultimately, sales:
A Professional Website
Websites are no longer nice little extras, they are essential marketing tools, especially if you want to sell online. Not only can they serve as hubs for all your marketing activities, 97% of consumers now use online media when researching products or services in their local area. If you don’t have a presence online, you are seriously missing out.
A website doesn’t have to be expensive. What matters is that it looks professional, and it should be simple to navigate. Vital information should be easy to obtain, and it must clearly explain your unique service proposition.
This is one area where you want to make an investment. It might cost a bit up front, but it’s worth it. With a website, you can reach larger markets and more customers. According to Nielsen, 92% of consumers say they trust word-of-mouth (WOM) above all other forms of advertising. A website generates excellent WOM, and it’s less expensive. With online ads, you pay every time an ad is served. A website is a one-time investment that keeps giving back.
If you already have a website, now might be the time to review it and ask: Is it polished and professional or could it be spruced up? Is it outdated or is there old information? Even small changes will improve your search engine ranking, which means more eyes on your website.
Content That’s Share-Worthy
Content marketing generates 3x as many leads as outbound marketing and costs 62% less.
Content builds excitement and curiosity around your brand. It can involve social media posts, blogs, newsletters, emails, or your website pages. But it can’t simply be “fluff”. Content needs to be relevant, engaging, and informative. To get the best results, we recommend researching your audience, then create buyer personas. Release the content they would like and release it regularly. Content needs to be refreshed to keep customers interested.
Consider adding videos to your content plan. According to PR in Canada, 64% of consumers are more likely to buy a product after watching a video about it, and online videos are shared on social media 1200% more than just posts with text.In case you’re not a writer, you can hire someone to create your content for you. It might seem like an unnecessary spend but consider the productive hours you could be spending on your business goals, rather than a blog. Save time, and therefore money, by hiring Original Ginger for your content marketing. We can develop content for your social channels, blogs, or website.
How You Handle Customer Feedback
If you’re asking how to market a small business, you can’t sell the positives without addressing the negatives, and by this, we mean customer feedback. Even the best businesses have off days. What matters is that you take all feedback seriously. Good or bad, you need to let your customers know that you are listening, and that their opinions matter to you. After all, 64% find customer experience more important than price. What will stand out is how you address negative feedback, especially online reviews. Studies show, 73% of consumers think written reviews are more important than star ratings. That means a bad review could turn away many potential customers. The important thing is to not get defensive. Respond right away, and customers will see that you care about their experience. If customers update their reviews to say their issues have been resolved, it could be excellent PR.
A Marketing Mentor
Most importantly, it’s important to know when to ask for help. Marketing can be a complex subject and often takes years of practice to get right.
If you’ve tried a few marketing activities yourself, and you’re just not getting the results you want – stop. You’ll just waste money and time that could be used to consult a marketing professional who has the specialized and in-depth knowledge to guide you and help you tackle your most pressing business problems.
Marketing consultants can short-track you to success because they have spent years in the industry, and they know what works. They can act as marketing mentors and can guide you toward the best tools, the best uses of your budget (depending on your goals) and they also keep you accountable, so you follow through with marketing plans and strategies.
Trust us, a good mentor is worth every penny. They can teach you what you need to know to make your business stand out. Plus, they have valuable tips that only experts know, which leads to better, and faster, results!
Not sure you need a marketing consultant? Here’s 5 signs you’re ready to work with one. Already know you’re ready to work with one, find out more about our digital marketing coaching.
Conclusion
When you’re first learning how to market a small business, there’s so much to know and so much to think about. It is challenging to know exactly where to invest your time and money.
If you just feel stuck and need guidance on how to move your business forward, try giving the experts at Original Ginger a call. We can give you answers about how to market a small business, and the help every small business owner deserves.
Contact us for a consultation today. We’re ready to listen…
