As a small business owner, it is important to perfect your product or service and understand your target audience in order to maximize your small business marketing.
When you understand the value of your product or service and what truly differentiates you from the competition, then you are ready to gain the attention of your customers and build your success and vision into your marketing plan.
Below are five fundamental strategies that can boost your small business marketing to reach customers and prospects all year long.
1. Build an SEO-friendly website
One of the most important things a small business can own is a place where people can learn about your story, business and buy your products or services. A well-designed website allows you to update and hone your messaging frequently to project the right voice to your audience at the right time.
Obtaining organic traffic to your website should be your first priority before you start investing in other marketing tactics. According to Safari Digital, 61 percent of marketers believe that SEO is the key to online success. So designing and maintaining a website that gets noticed by search engines is a critical first step.
2. Invest in analytics
Having data to back up your marketing strategy gives you confidence and saves you time as a business owner by knowing where to focus your efforts. Tools like Google Analytics and HotJar give you the ability to review the interactions and performance of your landing pages while social media analytics can provide high level information on which content is performing best with customers.
3. Share your story on social media
Being authentic and sharing your story has become a vital total for small business marketing. It helps you differentiate yourself from competitors and can help someone choose you over their typical brand name experience. Social media makes it easy to share content that your customers will love while not having to push for sales consistently. A good rule of thumb is to share 80 percent of content that’s useful to your audience while the other 20 percent of content shared should be directly promoting your product.
4. Apply for local awards
Applying for local awards is a free and easy way to promote your business. Most of the time, winning means the organization will provide you with an online badge to use on your website. Your business will also likely receiving third-party validation within your community. These awards help boost your credibility, and as a result, increase your sales.
5. Routinely check your business listings
For local businesses, having an online Google Business Profile has become a top priority of a free and effective marketing strategy. This profile allows you to show up on Google Maps, the local section of Google Search.
Pro Tip: Manage your customer reviews
As the owner of your business profile, you are able to turn on reviews, which allows customers to review your offering. This is a great way to hear feedback and interact with your customers. Developing a loyal customer base is vital to building your reputation. Also, be sure to reply to every review, especially the negative ones.
If you’re looking to improve one of your small business marketing strategies or are looking to take the next step in expanding your business footprint, Contact SWBR to get started.
