A Guest Post by Diana Smith
Developing your small business into a profitable and successful one will take time. You cannot succeed if you do not have a plan to work with, moreover, without setting a budget it will be hard to grow and evolve. Nevertheless, as a business, you will need a good marketing strategy, but, it will be a double-edged sword, because you will also need money to put together a decent campaign.
Devise a Referral Program
If you give a chance for your customers to reel in others, you might help them find an audience which will be interested in your business, simply by offering a discount in return. Earning loyalty and respect from your customers should be a primary goal. Fortunately, you will not have to spend a lot of money on such a campaign, and it will help in bringing in more clients.
Mark Your Social Media Presence
To put your brand out there, and to have as many people view your business, you will have to work on creating a good social media image. However, you should rush into it unless you have a clear plan on how to do it. Make sure that you have a target audience you can rely on, and who will be able to follow your presence. Then again, try to avoid going against the trend, and follow what is currently happening in the world, as it could give you insight into how to set up your next marketing campaign.
Be Careful With Spam
While it might seem that e-mail marketing is off the table, it is still a viable and very likable form of marketing. Though, you have to be careful not to come off as a business trying too much, because it could irate your customers, and they could evade your business. Furthermore, your goal is to inform your customers about certain information inside your business, and what is new. Sending one or two e-mails a month is your best option to stay safe, and to gain more customers.
Create Viable Content
Posting content online means that you know what you are doing and that you are not just mashing up data and links to attract the wrong audience. Make sure that you have a dedicated team who will be able to come up with content that is likable and unique, otherwise, you cannot expect people to come to your business. Remember that good SEO will be in order, or you will not come up on the top in search engine results.
Team up With Other Businesses
It is very important that you show your customers that you are a trustworthy business they can work with, especially if you want to attract other businesses. Teaming up, and creating a joint venture will help in pushing through rough times. The collaboration can also yield great results that will benefit both parties.
Guerrilla Marketing
You have to take extra care when planning on guerrilla marketing, as you might break a rule if you are not cautious. Make sure that you plan out your moves in advance, and that you ensure legality. Having a different approach can save you money and time, because new-age marketing campaigns can attract more attention. Bear in mind to keep it simple and effective, or your customers might get the wrong message.
Hold Promotional Events
Unless you put your business out there, you will not have a good opportunity to promote yourself, and people might not hear about you. However, if you use promo events, it will be possible to show your partners and customers new ideas you have been working on. With personalised water bottles to give out or custom t-shirts, you can ensure that other people outside your target audience can also get to know your business.
Be A Great Place to Work
It does not take much to show the world how great your company is to work at. It can all start with an awesome careers page on your site. This may seem odd but a careers pages that rocks is the perfect way to brand your business as one that cares about hiring great people. Great people = great products = happy customers.
Your budget should not be a reason to inhibit your methods of steering your business towards success. You just need to carefully assess your situation, and choose a financially stable way of handling your marketing needs. Promoting your business is a must, and unless you spend a little on it, you cannot expect people to come your way. Remember that your customers will be the best referral you could ask for, which is why you should make sure they are happy.
Also published on Medium.
