Starting a business is hard, but maintaining it can be even harder. Especially when you are in an industry that is constantly changing; something that worked yesterday won't necessarily work today. Relying only on word of mouth or the occasional advertisement is not enough to keep your business afloat. Lucky for you though, there are many different ways to advertise your business - all it takes is some creativity and strategy!
If you don't have a marketing team, don't worry! Here are a few tactics to help you get started with your marketing efforts. Of course, the first step is to always understand your target audience and provide quality customer service for an excellent customer experience.
1) Develop a presence on social media
Social media has become the cornerstone of modern advertising campaigns. Social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest; each have millions of users worldwide. Not taking advantage of these sites means giving up a huge portion of potential customers who spend their time scrolling through pictures on Instagram or reviewing posts on Facebook. Businesses both big and small have reaped the benefits of a social media presence, so prioritize creating a fan page for your company to increase brand exposure. Some best practices for social media marketing are to keep your content entertaining, educational, or engaging with a focus on the viewer and not necessarily on your new product or service.
2) Utilize email marketing
Although direct mail used to be a favorite for advertising, email has been one of the most effective ways to reach an audience even with all the new changes in technology. While many businesses rely very heavily on social media for advertisement, some companies are missing out by neglecting their emails lists. Email marketing allows you to contact customers personally with relevant information about sales or special deals they may be interested in; both increasing loyalty towards your brand and increasing revenue! If you don't already have an email list, now is the time to create one! Check out some email marketing software that can help you manage your email lists and keep your communication consistent and timely.
3) Start a blog
A blog, or weblog, is the best way to establish yourself as an authority in your industry. The more educational information you can provide your readers, the higher up on Google search you will be - which means even more traffic to your website! Educating your audience about different products and services is also very important. It not only helps potential buyers make informed decisions but it also allows for customer feedback. A customer that feels more educated because of your efforts increases the chance of customer loyalty. However, blogging can prove to be frustrating if you don't do your research in search engine optimization (SEO). Understanding keywords and how they rank is an important step in blog writing so make sure to include this if you're looking to increase website traffic. If you don't already have a blog for your company, start one today! You can check out The Best WordPress Hosting Providers to help get you started.
4) Develop a mobile app
Mobile apps have become an integral part of our daily lives and it is only becoming more so as time goes on. This makes them the perfect advertising tool, as they can be used to advertise other products and services which you offer or other businesses in your industry at the tap of a finger. Because this is such a common practice today, people will definitely be interested in seeing what your app has to offer! If you already have one, advertise that fact everywhere; on your social media pages, packaging for your product/service, website - literally anywhere! If you don't have an app there are agencies and resources that can help you design, develop and execute the perfect app for your business.
5) Advertise through your website
Another way to advertise is through your very own business website. If you don't have one already, it's time to create a professional page for your company featuring all of the necessary information about who you are and what you do. This should be clear and concise as possible so potential customers know exactly what they're getting when they visit you. Once you've set up a reliable doorway for them to enter, make sure that that doorway doesn't go unnoticed; an excellent way to increase sales is by placing ads on various parts of your site which link out to other products/services available to them (which they may find useful). If you're writing a blog, this blog should be on your website as another way to increase traffic to your page. Owning and managing a website for your brand is vital in today's world and should be a part of your marketing mix no matter how small or large your company is.
6) Advertise as a Google My Business Page
Another excellent form of online marketing is Google My Business. If you haven't heard of Google My Business, we think it's time that you did. Google My Business is a platform on which businesses can advertise their own unique local page with little to no work! All it takes is an active Google account, linking your website to your Google My Business profile, and then filling out some information about your business (hours of operation, contact info, etc.). Google My Business listings show up in searches for relevant search terms, making them highly beneficial for companies dealing with local customers; especially ones who are looking for immediate assistance such as needing directions to your location, needing store hours, or wanting to call ahead. Google My Business is extremely effective for SEO as it makes search engines happy and establishes trust between your google profile and your website.
7) Spread the word through print media
One effective traditional and offline marketing strategy is print media such as flyers or pamphlets. It may seem outdated but there are consumers who find these to be helpful tools when searching for certain services. If someone has lost their pet, they would most likely turn to the internet for solutions before they would pick up a flyer - but if they are trying to find out how much it is to spay/neuter their dog, flyers become invaluable. Flyers are a great way to advertise a specific promotion you're running, a product you just released, or a deal going on at your location! If you don't want to personally print off hundreds of flyers every other day, try using flyer printing software. This can help organize large amounts of data into one simple sheet which can be printed as many times as necessary - no need for an office full of interns or a team of graphic designers.
Businesses need to advertise themselves in order to be successful however if you're a small business, you probably don't have the ability to hire a full marketing department that performs market research and creates the best digital strategy for your brand. Even if you are a larger organization, your marketing campaign will always need evaluations and the introduction of new ideas in an effort to continually grow your brand awareness. But no matter the size of your company, these 7 marketing tactics can help any business to be successful and moving forward. If you're still unsure where to start or you have a new product you're trying to launch, call us! We'll be able to successfully qualify what types of marketing will work for you and take the necessary steps to find the best solution for you and your target audience. We have been in the business of promoting and marketing for over twenty years with a few awards to prove it and we'd love to help!
