In today’s article, I will reveal 10 marketing strategies used by small businesses to conquer markets and win customers.
As they say, starting a business without marketing is like throwing a stone into the dark and praying it hit something.
Well, it may or may not, which is a bad thing for entrepreneurs like you.
You can’t pay bills may nots.
You cannot grow through gambling.
The surefire way to grow is to get yourself out there and test drive your marketing skills.
And that is where today’s guide comes in.
I will pull the curtain to reveal some of the best-kept secrets fellow entrepreneurs used to start from zero and grow huge businesses.
If that is something you’d be interested in, stick to the end.
But before we get started, let me let you in on a little secret.
The magic to marketing a small business today
I hate to burst your bubble, but there is no secret sauce to marketing a business.
See, the goal of marketing is to let your target market understand the value your business is offering them.
And to do that, you need to answer the following questions;
- What demographics make up your customer base?
- Where do they live?
- Where do they hang out online?
- How do they research products in your industry?
- Who do they listen to when making decisions relative to your product?
Surprisingly, answers to these questions will point you in the right direction of the best marketing strategy to adopt for your business.
In other words, SEO is not the key to success in your business.
Neither is using social media marketing.
Or Google ads.
The real gem is hidden within your walls.
You know your audience.
You understand your business.
These marketing strategies will just expand the scope and give you ideas to work with.
With that said, let’s look at the marketing strategies for small businesses.
#1 – Use Facebook ads
Over a million small businesses leverage Facebook to put their products and services in the right audience.
In fact, Facebook boasts over 2 billion monthly active users.
That means there is no doubt your target audience is on Facebook.
And the only surefire way to reach them is through ads.
Facebook ads allow you to laser target people who are most likely like what you are offering.
For example;
If you are dealing with women’s shoes, you can use tell Facebook to show your ads only to women within a certain age bracket.
Additionally, you can make this even sweeter by making sure that only those interested in a specific brand see your ads.
By doing so, you are increasing the relevance of your ads to your target audience, thus increasing the chances of them making a purchase.
One more thing;
Facebook allows you to create ads based on your objectives.
For example;
If you are a new brand in the market, your main objective may not to make a sale.
But rather to let the potential customers know that you exist.
So, on Facebook, you can use the awareness objective to achieve this.
The same goes for increasing conversions in your online store.
You can use the conversion objective and Facebook will show ads to people who are more likely to click and convert.
In short, the potential here is limitless.
Better part?
Facebook ads cost less than you’d spend on billboards or TV commercials.
#2 – Get on Google My Business
This is another initiative of the tech giant, Google.
Google My Business is a free tool that allows you to promote your small business profile and business website on Google Search and Maps.
All you have to do is create an account, which is free.
With your Google My Business account, you can see and connect with your customers, post updates to your Business Profile, and see how customers are interacting with your business on Google.
Here is what a Google My Business account will benefit your business;
- Helps your business stand out on Google. By adding information like images, location, and contact details, your business takes more space on search, thus grabbing more attention.
- Gives you an upper hand on local SEO, especially if you are a local business. For example; Salons can benefit more whenever a client visits Google to do some research on local salon businesses.
- Allows your previous customers to leave reviews. This will help increase conversions (if positive) and you learn where to improve (if negative).
To get started, head over to https://www.google.com/business/ and create an account.
Bonus;
Google My Business account allows you to have multiple listings.
This works in your favor if you have different brands or multiple locations.
#3 – Use Google Ads
Have you ever seen something like this while searching on Google?
This is an example of a business leveraging search engine marketing to generate targeted leads.
Imagine if I was in the market for a website builder, there is a high chance I’d click on that ad and convert, right?
Well, that’s true.
Studies have found that the top results on Google get more clicks than the rest.
Why do you think everyone with a website is running around trying the latest SEO hacks?
There are two ways you can rank high on search engine result pages (SERP).
- Use SEO tactics to rank organically. This is free, takes time and a lot of effort.
- Pay Google to show your website on top of others. This option costs money, but is fast.
Here is how you can use this marketing strategy for your small business;
First, think about the terms your target customer use when looking for products in your niche on Google.
For example;
If you own a barbershop here in Middletown, you can target a keyword like “barbershop in Middletown Delaware”.
This way, every time someone searches those exact words, your website shows up as the #1 result.
To do that, go to the Google Adwords account and create a campaign targeting that keyword.
The good thing about this marketing strategy is that you only pay whenever someone clicks on your ad.
As such, you don’t waste your budget and only pay when you get results.
But there is a problem.
What happens if you do not have a website?
This marketing strategy for small businesses won’t work unless you have a website or at least a landing page to send the traffic.
You are in luck because you don’t need money or design skills to create a website.
More on that in the next strategy.
#4 – Create a website
Do you know how many people go online to do some digging before making a purchase decision?
Almost all of them.
In fact, 93% of consumers say that online reviews influenced their purchase decisions.
To take advantage of this, you need to create a website and showcase reviews of your past clients.
Where will you get a website?
We understand that small businesses operate on a tight budget.
For this reason, they may not have thousands of dollars laying around to spend on hiring expensive web designers.
That is why OLITT was created.
OLITT is a website builder that allows you to create a website for free.
All you have to do is pick a website template and start editing using an easy-to-use drag and drop editor.
Here is an article showing how you can do that now.
Why OLITT?
- You can add a custom domain for free
- Get free web hosting forever
- 200+ designer-made templates that are mobile-friendly
- Comes with a global CDN network with over 42 PoPs
- Free DNS management system
- A ton of integration to increase the functionality of your website
These and much more, get started here.
#5 – Create content
Just right off the bat, content can either be videos, audio, or articles.
Content marketing is one of the best marketing strategies for small businesses.
In fact, it has the potential to drive huge ROI years after its creation.
All you have to do is make sure the content you are producing is;
- Quality and actionable
- Relevant to the reader
- Optimized for SEO
- Optimized for readers
More importantly, you need to have a plan.
This makes you consistent.
Here is how you can leverage content marketing to drive results in your business.
First, figure out the steps your target customer takes before making a purchase.
And then create content for each stage.
The aim of this content is to push the target customer down the buying process.
For example;
To identify potential customers, you can write an article identifying problems faced by your target market.
Make sure these are the same problems your product or service can solve.
By doing so, you are making those who weren’t aware of the problem take note.
At the same time, you are positioning your business as a potential ally.
Once they are aware, create a video showcasing some of the solutions you’ve created to tackle the problem.
And to convert them, have one of your existing clients record a video testimony.
See the point?
What to do next
There are hundreds of other marketing strategies for small businesses out there.
As we mentioned earlier, first seek to understand your business and customers.
Then pick strategies that will help you reach them wherever they are.