When you’re starting a small business the idea of marketing can seem overwhelming. It can seem like there’s an awful lot to do just to get your name out there, and it can be tough to know where to start.
The best approach is to take one step at a time, measure your success, and then add in more strategies once you are comfortable with the first one. Marketing will feel overwhelming and difficult at first, but once you get used to it and get a feel for what works for you, it actually becomes quite enjoyable!
Jump Ahead To:
Blogging
Blogging is a powerful tool for small businesses to make connections with their audience. It’s a way to show your audience that you are an expert in your field, which will make them more likely to want to work with you, and it also keeps you at the forefront of their minds. Blogging can even help you win new customers, if you do it right.
Some points to bear in mind:
- Consistency. You don’t need to post every day, but you do need to post consistently. It can be a good idea to write a few blog posts and then schedule them in so that they are posted with the same length of time between them. Consistency shows your audience that you can be relied upon.
- Keyword research. This is where you can win some new customers. Carry out keyword research to work out what people in your target audience are searching for, and then make sure that your blog posts address these searches. This will mean that you come up when people make a related search in a search engine.
- Add value. Keep your customers loyal by using your blog to answer the questions that they want you to answer. By providing them with value, they will keep coming back.
- Be concise. People generally have short attention spans! Keep your blog posts as short and to the point as possible, so that people don’t glaze over or give up.
Social media
Social media allows you to directly interact with your customers, and it’s important not to waste the opportunity. Rather than just posting, be sure to interact with people in the comments section and demonstrate that you are listening to what they are saying. This will help to build your reputation.
Direct mail
The best feature about the mail is that people can’t just hit delete, they have to physically deal with it!
Using direct mail advertising to provide potential customers with offers such as coupons and money-off vouchers can be a great way to connect with people who you might not be able to otherwise reach, particularly if you are targeting a demographic who don’t get online much.
Backlinks
A backlink is when another website mentions yours. It’s valuable in two ways:
- It gets your name in front of the audience for that website and shows that they have a certain level of trust in you. This immediately makes you a better prospect in the eyes of potential customers.
- Backlinks help to build the authority of your website, which will help you to rank more highly in search engine results.
