Top 10 Marketing Tips for Small Businesses

Get on Social Media

Social media is a powerful marketing tool , especially if you are on a budget—it’s free. Successful marketing in the online world is built on authority, credibility and trust. Love social media or hate it, it is a great way to cultivate all three. It will give you an opportunity to expand your reach, connect with existing and potential customers and get your products and services in front of as many businesses as possible.

List Your Business in Free Online Directories

When it comes to gathering information, most people are hopping on the computer first thing. Getting your business listed in free internet directories is a great way to be seen by the people you want to sell to. Examples include Google, Yahoo, Yelp, Merchant Circle, Yellowpages.com and Local.com

Submit Articles to Trade Publications

Contributing to publications in your field will get your business in front of very targeted eyes. It also helps establish credibility and authority. Providing useful content is always a valuable way to win business.

Track Offline Marketing Efforts More Effectively

Tracking your marketing efforts is key to finding what works best, what is not working, where to concentrate your efforts and where to tweak things. If you place fliers in high traffic areas or advertise in different magazines and other publications, get a different phone number, website address and/or coupon code for special offers  for the different areas to determine where you are getting the best responses.

Work with Other Businesses For Cross Promotion

If there are other businesses in your area that offer products complimentary to yours, see if you can arrange for cross-promotion to get more customers with less effort. You might consider offering a special discount to customers who buy products from both of you. Advertise each other’s businesses. Place flyers for each other’s businesses in shopping bags.

Start a Blog

In keeping with the ideas of valuable content and creating trust and authority, start a blog. There are plenty of free platforms if you do not want to pay to maintain a site and you can get started right away. Blogging allows you to provide existing and potential customers with useful information relevant to your business niche. Like social media, it also gives you an opportunity to directly engage with your market.

Entice Customers to Come Back Again with Special Offers

Anytime you gain a new customer, contact them personally, whether through email or letter (the latter might be a nicer touch in this increasingly disconnected world) offering them the opportunity to come back and receive a special discount upon presenting the note. Make sure you place an expiration date to create a sense of urgency.

Hold Seminars/Information Sessions

If your business contains elements where you could benefit from educating customers on how to do something or improve something, seminars or information sessions are a great way to get some time with your target market and potentially some media coverage. If you run a home improvement store for example, you could maybe hold a session discussing cheap ways to fix things around the house.

Use Newsletters to Stay in Touch with Existing Customers

Newsletters are a great way to touch base with existing customers, provide them valuable information and market your products or services. You can send them through the mail or send them electronically through your website.

Make Your Direct Mail Pop

Direct mailing can be a very effective strategy when done properly and consistently. Finding ways to make your mailings stand out will aid your efforts greatly. Place stickers or handwritten notes on your mailings. It will catch the recepient’s eye and intrigue them to see what you are offering.

Kelli Cooper is a freelance writer who enjoys helping people find greater success in their personal and professional lives. Check out DVDCopycat if you are in the need of a CD duplication service company.

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