Want to expand your small business but lack a sizable budget? Don’t worry. There are plenty of effective tactics used by larger establishments you could apply to your own marketing endeavors. A lot of it comes down to employing the right tools and strategies. 

For instance, customized displays can go a long way in getting people to take notice and engage with your brand. Whether it’s advertising flags flying high outside your brick-and-mortar store or branded elements incorporated into your products, these small touches add appeal and can strengthen your business’s standing. Consider personalizing a display flag, banner, or giveaway item for your next event.

Social media is another valuable tool you should utilize. Proven to be effective in fueling customer engagement, the various social media platforms offer businesses direct access to their target audience. With so many people frequenting these sites throughout the day, the potential to increase brand visibility is practically limitless. Many of the platforms also include design and built-in data analytics tools to increase your working knowledge of your customers and help you boost the results. However, be sure to maintain a consistent brand image across the platforms and opt for high-quality content to ensure the customer experience is as positive as possible.

Speaking of content, optimizing your website — assuming you have one, since it is a must nowadays — is a great way to acquire customers and gain their trust. Lackluster design and slow speeds could potentially drive customers away and into business with your competitors. Avoid these perils by taking steps to increase site speeds, optimize for peak mobile-friendliness and deliver unique content that’s been carefully crafted to appeal to the audience while following current SEO best practices. Doing so helps increase organic site traffic and, therefore, boost conversions.

While each of these strategies can significantly improve your marketing efforts, there’s another underutilized tool that small businesses can leverage to optimize their strategies: Artificial Intelligence (AI). The realm of AI brings a suite of tools that can work wonders for businesses with tight budgets, offering efficiency, personalization, and data-driven insights akin to what large corporations have. From automating customer interactions to predicting trends, these tools can be a game-changer for your business.

Marketing strategies like these are just the beginning of what you could do to get more loyal customers and grow your business. To learn more about integrating corporate-level marketing strategies, please see the accompanying resource.

Author bio: Laurie Olsen is President of A Stars & Stripes Flag Corporation. As the custom flag industry has changed dramatically during that time, the company has evolved with these changes and continues to offer high-quality products for a great price.

Graphic created by A Stars and Stripes Flag Corporation