If you flip through top marketing blogs and outlets, you’ll get many perspectives on the most important area (or areas) to focus on. Some believe you should solely focus on social while others believe you need to invest in loyalty programs. The truth? They’re all important.
The most important area you need to focus on is relative to your business, your target market, and your products or services. “It depends” is never an answer you want to hear. However, the key to a solid marketing strategy is to tailor it to your goals rather than following a generic set of instructions.
Small business marketing in particular gets tricky since you don’t always have the budget or workforce to pull off fancy campaigns like big businesses. Luckily, great marketing is achievable if you’re strategic about focusing your efforts. Below are some questions to answer to help you get started on your small business marketing strategy.
To make your small business marketing strategy feel less overwhelming, there are 13 steps you can follow to help you achieve growth. These steps include:
- Identifying your audience to learn who to target and what they want from a brand. Doing so can help you figure out what issues they want to be solved, what motivates them to buy, and what platforms they prefer to make purchases on.
- Defining why you’re different to help you stand out from competitors
- Creating an online presence to help drive awareness and build a following — be sure to also encourage your customers to share feedback and reviews so you can learn and grow
- Building a marketing plan to help you stay organized and plan your budget. You can use a SWOT analysis to guide you through the process
- Making a website to help build a presence and sell if you’re in eCommerce. If you can, consider hiring a website developer or website designer to help you.
- Optimizing for SEO to make sure you’re visible and seen by those searching what you offer
- Set up social media accounts to create a platform for your followers and those who love your brand. Many customers will look up your social media profiles before purchasing. Make sure you also build out your content calendar and set aside time to brainstorm content.
- Claiming listings online to verify your business and prove its legitimacy. It also helps you show up in any “near me” searches that customers may use
- Looking into email marketing to expand your reach to your audience and potentially attract new ones. Make sure you have a professional business email address before you begin.
- Considering advertising efforts in conjunction with your marketing efforts, such as PPC advertising.
- Building a rewards and customer loyalty program to keep people coming back and to show your appreciation. You can also utilize coupon and discount codes.
- Getting involved with your community to help foster a connection with those around you. To get more involved, you can consider donating to local charities or holding different contests or promotions at other local businesses.
- Asking for help from friends, family, other agencies, business owners, entrepreneurs, and resources online
For more information, check out the infographic below.
Please include attribution to Solo Global with this graphic.