There are many different types of small business marketing and all the options can feel overwhelming quickly. Before you decide on a marketing plan, it’s helpful to conduct some research about the different possibilities, which choices are recommended for your business category and how much each one costs. Websites, social media, email, blogs and print are some of the available options and making strategic choices helps lead to the best outcomes.
Email Marketing
Yes, email has been around for a long time. But it’s still one of the most effective forms of marketing available and it comes with a low price tag. This marketing strategy usually consists of sending out mass emails to prospective, current and former customers, with content that may include business updates, promotions and special product information.
Email marketing is a flexible solution since every part of the message can be customized to fit your business and what you want to share. Personalized emails can be sent to specific groups of customers, with targeted information that has been created to appeal to their exact needs. There are several ways to collect email addresses, including website sign-ups, running a contest or offering incentives and discounts.
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Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is all the rage and for good reason. Utilizing platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Twitter (X) and Facebook (Meta) allows businesses to reach potential customers across the globe, collecting new followers and buyers constantly. This style of marketing isn’t going away anytime soon, so pay attention to what is trending, even when it feels overwhelming.
If you’re just getting started with social media marketing, choose one outlet to begin with and do some research into how to best harness its power. This may include posting daily, creating reels, investing in paid ads, partnering with an influencer or building up the number of followers. No matter what you decide to do, engagement will be key. Customers want to know that the businesses they buy from care about their needs, want to hear their opinions and will respond to questions or concerns quickly.
Content Marketing
Content marketing is a strategy that small businesses can employ to create and nurture customer relationships. Its purpose is to provide relevant, informational, educational and entertaining content that will draw people in and make them want to learn more about your brand. The key to successful content marketing is to use it strategically and make it beneficial to your target audience. It should never be heavy-handed or forceful but, instead, helpful and interesting.
The ultimate goal of content marketing is to establish your presence as an authority about whatever product or service you provide. This is done by capturing and retaining customer’s attention, which is incredibly difficult to do in our fast-paced world. When done correctly, content marketing can capture every point of the buyer’s journey, from the moment they start browsing casually until they make the decision to purchase from your business.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Marketing
This marketing strategy uses the process of SEO to help your business website or shared content rank higher on search engines like Google. When performing a keyword search for a product or service, users tend to focus on only the first several results that pop up. So, if your business sells high-quality kites, you will get the most traffic if your website is one of the top results that people see when they search for “best kites.”
SEO marketing comes into play when a small business opts to implement calculated methods that will help maximize its search engine rankings. This is done by including several different tactics simultaneously to gain the most momentum possible. The fundamental SEO marketing strategy uses keywords, internal links, image optimization and competitive analysis.
Mobile Marketing
It goes without saying that everyone has their eyes on their phone almost constantly. Mobile marketing is an excellent way to capture this attentive audience, often without them realizing that they are being marketed to. By using available tools like location tracking and search history, businesses are able to customize their marketing campaigns to mobile users.
Placing ads on social media or embedding them in websites means reaching more potential buyers every day, no matter where they are. As a general rule, mobile marketing is much cheaper than traditional advertising and isn’t overly complicated to set up. You’ll need to start by making sure that every aspect of your own small business website is completely mobile-friendly, from browsing to purchasing. Once that is set, you can begin experimenting with other options, such as location-based ads, sending customers short message service (SMS) messages and in-app promotions.
Traditional Marketing
While it’s nowhere near as popular as it once was, traditional marketing can still be a crucial part of your small business marketing strategy. Traditional marketing encompasses any marketing efforts that aren’t online and, depending on what you are selling and who your target audience is, it can be a solid option.
Traditional marketing can include magazine or newspaper advertisements, billboards, direct mail and radio or television ads. Even in our electronic world, these marketing avenues are still relevant and effective. The biggest downside, however, typically is the cost since traditional marketing almost always comes with a higher price tag than digital efforts.
