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Small Business Marketing Strategies That Actually Work
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Day Social Media Plan [template]
So you’ve learned how to start your business, now it’s time to market it. Marketing your small business is spreading an incredible product that you have to sell. No promotions means very little chance of making money online anytime soon.
But your client’s attention shifts from one pillar to another. Big brands with thousands of dollars in marketing budgets are increasing their advertising spend. Let’s not even change the algorithms of social media channels to make it harder for small businesses to reach the audience they have created.
It’s not all doom and gloom. You can stand out in the busiest places. It just needs a little more creativity.
To get you started, this guide features 17 creative marketing ideas we’ve seen from independent brands that you can replicate completely free (or at a very low cost).
Use Active Selling To Augment Your Marketing Strategy
To say that social media platforms are oversaturated is an understatement. By 2022, about 92% of businesses will use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to reach their target audience.
Add to that the fact that Facebook only shows posts to 5.2% of a page’s followers and you can see why social media is such a difficult way to market small businesses.
Diversify your social media marketing strategy by launching a contest. It’s scientifically proven that people like free things. So give something away for free — like a grocery set or a tour of your head office — in exchange for social media engagement. Get your followers to like, comment, share, and tag friends on prank posts to increase your reach.
For example, Loca Foods ran an Instagram contest to give away sauces and desserts. Participants must like the post, follow their Instagram profile, and tag a friend. Subscribers can earn bonus posts if they share the post in their stories:
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Of course, attractive social media contests give away expensive products. However, the marketing dollars you spend on a giveaway don’t have to be exorbitant. You can make the prize as cheap or as expensive as you want.
Another smart way to use social media to promote your small business is to use user generated content (UGC). 79% of shoppers say it has a big impact on their buying decisions, likely because it’s more effective than branded content. Less prejudice. They will see that the people in it like the product.
Encourage existing customers to share photos, videos, and reviews of their use of your products. Scan your brand name or hashtags regularly to see social media posts that people share without asking.
The goal is to build a library of high-quality user-generated content to convince social media followers to buy, like in this example from Andy Swim. His former client made a TikTok video that Andy Swim reposted on Instagram.
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Continuing the theme of social media, video marketing dominates many platforms. Just look at the success of TikTok. His one-minute videos have become so popular that, traditionally, the photo-sharing app Instagram has launched its own version, Reels.
Dope Dog is a small business using this free marketing idea. Founder Erin Mastopietro said: “We had Instagram Live sessions with experts in our field, during which viewers could ask questions, and we also had a short interview.
“This way we reach an expert audience and deliver value to our subscribers.”
Social networks are driven by trends. Think about it: TikTok gets credit for making songs go viral; when dance trends emerge, artists get record traffic. Everyone is posting videos of themselves dancing to the same song.
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How do you identify popular topics before your small business social media content gets mixed up with other popular content? Find them in front of the crowd:
For example, this tweet from Partake Foods echoes Spotify Unwrapped, an annual review of the music platform that users have been listening to for a year. Only in this case, Partake Foods changes the most popular products to the best:
If your budget is zero, here’s a great marketing idea: partner with other small businesses whose target market is the same as yours (assuming the products you sell don’t compete with theirs).
Let’s say you have an online store that sells handmade pottery. Collaborate with another small business owner who sells handmade vases to create joint marketing campaigns that build on each other’s audience, such as:
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The beauty of affiliate marketing is not only that you support other small business owners, but you get free access to existing audiences, unlike influencer marketing, many of which charge you to post sponsored posts.
When shoppers visit a new e-commerce store, a lot of things go through their minds. The most important question is: how do I know it’s the right product for me?
Save yourself the trouble of comparing new products to stupid recommendations. It won’t take hours of product development. Just go beyond the “you’ve seen this so you might be interested” category that grabs people’s attention.
With smart copywriting to increase sales, new companies can “upsell and cross-sell in a more interesting way,” Kayley added.
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Existing customers are your best friends. These are the ones who saw your existing digital marketing strategy and bought immediately. Use them as a starting point when developing new marketing ideas.
Use apps like the NPS Post-Purchase Survey to send customer feedback surveys to everyone who makes purchases from your online store. Ask them what they like about your product, how they heard about you, and what triggers made them buy.
For example, Package Free places customer testimonials prominently on their product pages. Anyone who is in doubt whether to trust a retailer or not will immediately be put at ease, and this certainly boosts conversion rates on e-commerce sites:
Being named the “best” product in your industry is a surefire way to build trust and grab attention. Stephen Light, Chief Marketing Officer and co-owner of Nolah Mattress, explains: “Awards provide companies with solid credibility, which is one of the keys to successful marketing; you want your audience to know that you are the best.
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“Whatever your niche, with a little digging, you can find countless awards and accolades.”
No matter what awards you receive, Steven says, “It’s a cost-effective way to increase your reputation and visibility that can make a big difference for very little investment. By displaying them proudly on your website, you can increase conversions.”
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that all marketing strategies must be online. Of course, building an online presence is critical. But stay away from your computer and meet potential customers by attending local offline events such as:
Check with your local council, many of them have lists of small business support activities in the area. Sites such as Meetup and Eventbrite also collect information about business events in your city.
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Can’t find? Post your own. Find an open venue for the event (such as a public library), bring your inventory, and hand out flyers to build brand awareness. Don’t forget to use the free business card maker to create your own business card and take it with you. Anyone who is interested in your product but not yet ready to buy it can get it later when they visit your site.
Do you have a bunch of slow selling products? Sell them as part of a mystery box, which is what Caylee Moore does for her jewelry business: “Stuff it with slow items and promote them with surprises at affordable prices.”
Zac’s Sweet Shop is another online store offering mystery boxes. Not only do shoppers have the opportunity to try different products at low prices, the brand also has a way to divert slow or expiring products inside each mysterious box.
Sometimes the most effective internet marketing ideas are the simplest. It just takes longer to reach them. But lay the groundwork early, and you’ll set yourself up for success later.
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This is especially true for search engine optimization (SEO), which is the process of optimizing your online store. You will appear in search results when people are actively looking for information or entertainment, or to solve a problem.
Combine SEO with a content marketing strategy to start your small business. Write a blog post that targets a low traffic keyword and directly matches your product. Go after those with the least competition and set yourself up for success.
“The secret is in posting great content. Posting great content means a lot of different things, but for me, I think it means posting content that is relevant to your audience, that people actually want to read, and understanding how you can monetize that content. » Trevor Crotts, founder of BuddyRest 12. Selling themed gift cards
Gift cards improve cash flow. You can get funds up front without paying an immediate fee to manufacture or deliver the product to your customers.
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For example, Starbucks sells gift cards all year round. But retailers are paying close attention to what’s going on and creating custom gift card designs based on trending themes. Taylor Swift’s new song lyrics revealed
