Owning a business can be a daunting prospect, especially when it comes to ensuring that your venture gets noticed. You don’t need a huge marketing budget – nor a marketing team – to make an impact. In this blog, I share some simple & effective strategies to market your small business (mostly for free!). So, whether you’re a seasoned business owner or someone who’s just on the road to owning their own business, these 11 methods will help you elevate your marketing game & connect with your target audience.
You see, launching a stellar business idea is merely the beginning of your entrepreneurial journey. As a small business owner, you’re not just the captain of your ship but also the crew, navigator, and even the onboard therapist. And then, there’s the world of marketing.
While you might have a firm grasp on your business’s operations, marketing can often feel like uncharted territory. Yet, no matter how you feel about it, effective marketing is crucial. Without it, how the hell are potential customers meant to know what you do? How are the people with the problems that your business helps to solve meant to discover you?
And it’s not all about social media blitzes. In fact, your social posts should constitute just 20% of your entire marketing strategy.
Only 20%, I hear you cry.
Are you wondering where the remaining 80% fits in?
Here’s a list of 11 simple and cost-effective strategies to holistically market your small business and enrich your promotional plan.
Google Business Account.
The first simple marketing strategy is to get yourself a Google Business Account.
This free tool allows you to customise how your business appears in a Google search. It’s the little box that appears at the side within Google Maps. As well as the usual contact details and location, you can add your business hours, and list products & images of you & your business to showcase yourself from just a Google search. Customers can ask questions & your answers are shown publicly. Reviews & ratings left by customers are also displayed which can demonstrate your authority & build trust with buyers. (Latest stats show that 99.9% of online searches check reviews and 93% of buying decisions are made after checking a company review)
Best of all, it’s FREE. If you haven’t yet set yours up yet, click HERE for more info.
Social Media
As mentioned in the introduction of this blog, posting on your social media platforms should account for 20% of your content marketing plan. But which platform is the right one for you?
And what if people get mightily cheesed off by seeing all your posts?
Well, the truth is that the only one who sees 100% of what you post is YOU.
With the way that the algorithms are these days, only around 16% of your audience sees your posts. So, if your audience is 100 people, you have to share the same post a fair few times before you hit the 100% eyeball quota. That said, it is sensible to only be posting where your Ideal Client hangs out. Otherwise, you’re sharing great posts with the wrong people – no one will take any bloody notice & you’ll quickly get disheartened.
Think about the demographic of who your target audience is – age is normally a good indicator of which platform they’re most likely to hang out on.
Create an Email List
Email marketing is still by far the most profitable way to speak directly to your audience. It is your business asset that you own – no one can take it off you (unlike your social media profile, should you offend the algo Gods). I’ve written a fair few blogs on the subject and bang on about why you need an email list in your business.
Many email services are free if you’re under a certain number of addresses. (Mailerlite = 1,000 subscribers for free & you can send up to 12,000 emails/month on their free plan).
Don’t know where to start? I have a FREE GUIDE on How to Start an Email List from Scratch to help you.
Create a Lead Magnet
People are savvy these days – they know that their email address has value, and they’re wily about whom they share it with (I know I’ve been on an unsubscribe spree more than once to spammy sales emails!)
So, to get people into your world and onto your email list, it’s a great idea to create a lead magnet. A lead magnet can be anything where you share information about solving a particular problem.
For example, small business owners often come to me without an email list – I created a guide on how to make one from scratch.
Hey presto, I’ve solved a problem for them and they’re now in my world.
Of course, they’re free to grab the guide and leave. This is part & parcel of creating something for free – you will always have people just seeking the freebies.
But within that group of people downloading your lead magnet will be your ideal client, tucked away, like little shiny nuggets. Those are the people that will open your emails & who will click on your ‘buy now’ button because they know that you know your shit.
Ideas for a lead magnet include:
- Templates
- Checklist
- Chestsheet
- Guidebook/eBook
- Videos
- Podcast
- Webinar
- Product Samples
Great Content
This is where a lot of small business owners fall down. There is a difference between sharing something for sharing’s sake and creating content that stops the thumb scrolling. Not only do you need the right words, but an image that goes with it.
There are so many tools out these days to help you create stunning images that are so easy to use, that even a tech-douche Gen-Xer like me can use them.
If you can make it readable, funny, witty, entertaining – any/all of those, whilst still showcasing what you’re doing, you’re onto a winner.
People also tend to overthink these things. They want to talk about everything they do in each post – thus confusing both themselves and the poor sod trying to decipher it.
Remember that each post needs ONE problem for you to discuss with ONE solution.
Keep it simple, clear & concise.
Start a Blog
A whopping 77% of internet users regularly read blogs.
This remarkable statistic emphasises the influence of blogs in the digital realm. Moreover, many individuals discover businesses through search queries that lead them directly to a company’s website via the blog content. Hence, it’s evident that blogging is a pivotal component of any effective marketing strategy.
Once you’ve written a blog, you can then use the content across your social platforms, send it out to your email list, and pretty much show off just how much knowledge you’ve included in your blog.
They’re also free and simple to start.
As for topics? Think about the types of questions you’re asked every day in your business, and tailor the blog around answering those questions.
Word of Mouth/Referral – the original free marketing!
Having a reputation doesn’t just come into play for brick-and-mortar businesses; these days, with the online world being so prevalent, having an online persona also builds into your brand.
If you can do your job well, and you give a fab service to your clients, then people will start telling others about you.
Having a referral system, whereby your existing clients send more people your way, is another way of building your business and growing an income. If you include a little kickback to those who refer people to you, then it’s a win-win situation. (I don’t mean paying them; sometimes a gesture like flowers or cookies from another local business is equally valuable and shows support for fellow small businesses).
Networking
Okay, this one isn’t always free.
And it isn’t for everyone. Believe me, I’ve been to networking events where the dick-swinging has been of epic proportions. I almost gave up. But hearing how valuable networking can be for business, I just knew I had to keep trying to find the right group for me that didn’t leave me feeling as if I’d dipped naked into slime.
I’m happy to report that I’ve managed to find several local networking groups that are very supportive & the information & tips that have been shared have helped me no end. It also means that I can connect to other businesses that I might not have come across online.
Guest Speaker
Sharing your knowledge and demonstrating your expertise is a wonderful way to educate others and solidify your authority on a subject.
Participating in podcasts, blogs, and training events to showcase your expertise. By making a strong impression, people will likely talk about you and spread the word about what you offer. All of this raises your profile and builds brand awareness.
Testimonials
Research indicates that 95% of consumers decide to purchase a product after reading its reviews. Having testimonials can bolster confidence in your potential customers, showcasing those previous buyers who have had a satisfactory experience with your business.
It’s always beneficial to request testimonials. Once received, you can incorporate them into your promotional content. Remember to integrate a request for testimonials into your email outreach strategy after the sale.
Oh, and make sure you post that testimonial everywhere – website, blog, social platforms, email list… you get the idea.
Website
Okay, this one also probably comes with a cost.
No, a website isn’t an essential marketing tool needed for some small businesses to be able to trade. That said, having one does mean that more people can access what you do and what services you offer. You can be represented in more places, such as directories. And, if you have products to sell, you can have an online shop that can reach a wider audience.
It also means that you can optimise the content of your website for SEO and keywords & keyphrases that are relevant to what you do – for example, email marketing copywriter in Shropshire; ladies’ shoe shop in Oswestry.
Having a website means that you can also start with a blog… list your lead magnet … link through to your social media feed…
There you have it.
11 Easy & (Mostly) Free Simple Marketing Strategies for Your Small Business Unlocked!
Stuck on any of the above-mentioned tactics?
Let me assist you in transforming casual visitors into loyal customers with compelling content. From email marketing, and engaging blogs, to persuasive sales pages — I’ve got you covered.
Reach out today to discover how I can elevate your marketing game.
