Unsure of where to start with marketing your small business? We’ve hooked you up with 5 essential marketing tips for small businesses.
As small businesses need to focus on establishing themselves in their respective industries, marketing your small business could be the key to your success.
Go Digital
If you haven’t already, you need to take your small business online. A recent study, which was conducted over a three-year period, found that digital and print platforms deliver the best return on investment when it comes to marketing.
This starts with either a GOOD website, social media pages, or both.
Small businesses benefit from having an online presence in numerous ways, with exposure being the first benefit you get.
By having a website, you can be found by prospective clients and customers online. On your small business’s website, you can provide useful information on the products or services your small business provides. Also, having a website gives small businesses the online backing that they’re a real company, legitimising trust from the consumer.
Small businesses should also take advantage of social media, as this further extends their online presence. Through social media channels, small businesses can connect with a huge audience of potential customers and clients through pushing marketing messages, product and services information, promotions, company information, useful information, etc.
Know Your Audience
Having a marketing strategy is key for small businesses on a budget, to get the best bang for their buck. Small businesses need to ensure that their marketing strategy is EFFECTIVE in reaching their goals.
One of the first things to decide when strategising your marketing plan, is to WHO you’re marketing to.
Once you’ve established a target audience, you’ll be able to create and promote marketing messages to the customers and clients you’d like to attract or who you know would be interested in using your services or buying your products.
Outsource Marketing
Small businesses need to be focused on core business goals. So, outsourcing the marketing for small businesses could be key to having a successful marketing strategy, without losing focus on the main elements of the business.
Outsourcing marketing has the following (but not limited to) benefits:
- Dedicated people with the required knowledge and expertise will handle your marketing, which includes creation, management, tracking, reporting, etc.;
- No extra training, or salary expenses need to be provided for;
- You can stay focused on running your business, while your marketing is taken care of for you.
Successful Media Solutions is a one-stop marketing agency catering to all your marketing needs. We cover the full range of marketing services with experience in print, online, video, out of home, radio, television and PR. We are one of the few marketing agencies in South Africa able to pull together these diverse platforms into an integrated marketing campaign.
Networking
Once small businesses have established an online presence through a good website, or social media presence or both, it’s important to expand that network.
One of the best ways to expand your reach as a small business, is to attend industry or product-related events like indabas, galas, showcasing, social events, etc.
And, don’t forget to take your business cards with, so that your new network knows how to get hold of you or know where to go to find out more about your small business.
BONUS Tip: Make sure your website, social media handles, and other contact information is on your business cards. This will ensure that your networking leads to potential clients or customers.
Review Results
To ensure that your marketing plan is reaching the goals you’ve set out to achieve, you need to be tracking your marketing efforts, which are called campaigns.
There are various ways and numerous tools available for small businesses to track their marketing campaigns. Like, for instance, Facebook’s Business Manager, which allows you to track and manage how your small business’s social media marketing messages are fairing.
Once you have the results from your tracked marketing campaigns, you’re in the best position ever, as you’re easily able to see what is working and what needs to be changed and updated in terms of your marketing campaigns.
There you have our five, simple tips to help you market your small business. Do you need help with your business’s marketing? Get in touch HERE.