Articles

Small business marketing on a budget

by Ronald Wolf Business Consultant

When it comes to developing a business, regardless of the quality of products or service you offer, marketing is one of the essential aspects. Creating a smart strategy will increase your brand awareness and attract the target audience. The times are unfortunate, and the whole world is fighting against the pandemic case of COVID-19, an issue which has indirectly influenced even this area. Many businesses are closed, and if your business is small, you are probably wondering if it’s going to survive the kick. Invest this time in learning about creative marketing strategies, and as everyone is spending time online, promote your brand in the virtual world!

Networking

This approach is crucial in the world of entrepreneurship, and it will cost you mostly your time. You ought to socialize with relevant people in the field and the community you are based in, in order to really get to know the market. We recommend you to join the local networking groups and meet the people who are behind other brands, that is, your competition. You can benefit a lot from gaining this perspective, and you shouldn’t act as a spy once you’re in. Rather the opposite, you should simply be friendly and promote your business.

The thing with networking is, everyone is aware that the competitions’ success is their loss, but it’s just the way the world operates. But those are all people with different connections which might be useful along the way, so treat them as valuable resources. They surely won’t share their SWOT analysis with you, but they might be able to help with some advice or a legal issue they’ve already been through. And remember, even the largest companies had once started as small businesses. Just make sure you have enough business cards, and make an amazing first impression! Who knows, you might end up collaborating, or even partnering up with someone from these meetings, as you know, great minds think alike. 

Engagement in community

You need to engage in all kinds of promotional activities in the community you are based in, even if most of your profits come from online purchases. Earning someone’s loyalty is not an easy task, but when it comes to businesses, loyalty is key. Having the support of your community is only an option if you engage in local activities and offer some interesting discounts, samples or coupons for the consumers. Make sure that every trade fair or similar event is noted in your calendar, and while your business is still growing, this should be obligatory.

Furthermore, pay attention to any event that might attract a crowd, especially the locals. You can print out some interesting bumper stickers and make badges with your logo, everyone likes getting free stuff. You could have people sign up for your newsletter, and then get a gift bag with these promotional materials. It is extremely important that you can be easily found on social networks before doing your first presentation, as people will look it up! Also, you never know who will approach you, maybe you’ll get to talk to some possible investors in your business. Be prepared for this (at all times!) and practice your pitch to be direct, coherent, realistic and to the point. 

Online presence

Digital marketing is slowly taking the lead over traditional channels of promotion over the past decade. If you have ambitions for your business to grow on a larger level, you’ll need to increase your online visibility, and as soon as possible invest in solutions offered by the digital marketing agencies. You can start from daily publishing content on your website blog, then sharing it on popular social networks and through your weekly newsletter. 

Content should vary from relevant, such as prices and discounts for the week, to interesting and amusing, such as behind the scenes, how to, maybe even funny how not to videos. This will largely depend on your target group. 2020 seems to be all about the stories, so don’t forget to post stories on Instagram and Facebook, and any other social networks which are popular with your target group. Create a hashtag so other people can mention you, ask for feedback and recommendations. Also, we recommend creating a competition of making short videos of people using your product. Come up with great prizes, and they will be your only cost for a successful campaign!

The time has never been more appropriate to invest in a long-term plan for the promotion of your business in the virtual world. You can find many quality companies who can provide services like paid ads, PPC or SEO in Brisbane, and consultations are usually free of charge. They can help you design a strategy unique to your needs, and tailored specifically for your target group. This is no doubt the present and the future of all marketing, so try not to ignore the fact, regardless of your budget, because it’s still an investment. 

Those ads will be shown only to target group you choose, only in the right area or Googling certain products/services, and this is the era of smart devices. People tend to trust the first page of Google more than a recommendation from a close friend, so this is definitely a way to go. While you’re asking about these, make an inquiry about an app for your business, as it can launch it to a whole another level!

Conclusion

The market and the relevant rules are changing on a daily basis, and we know it can be hard to track all these and keep up to date. As you are aware, only the large corporations with whole departments and teams of people in marketing can follow all the trends. But that doesn’t mean your small business can’t compete with them. You are fighting for your dream, so your approach is more genuine, and believe us, your customers will appreciate the smallest efforts. Promotion is easier when you are promoting something you believe in, so one step at a time, but always keep going!



Sponsor Ads


About Ronald Wolf Freshman   Business Consultant

13 connections, 0 recommendations, 38 honor points.
Joined APSense since, January 10th, 2018, From Perth, Australia.

Created on Mar 31st 2020 02:33. Viewed 350 times.

Comments

No comment, be the first to comment.
Please sign in before you comment.