December 28, 2018
Digital MarketingTechnologyWebsite
Small businesses tend to be more involved in their communities and often create an image for themselves this way. They can become recognized as a company that likes to give back and support their fellow citizens. This kind of engagement in the community can have a lot of great benefits for small businesses, especially if they take advantage of social media. A lot of smaller businesses can engage with their customers in a way that large companies and corporations are unable to. Being able to involve your customers and potential customers can help create conversions which can lead to more sales. As a small business it’s easier to use social media in this way and work towards building a community. Larger companies don’t usually have the time for this kind of marketing, so this is a tactic most beneficial to smaller companies that have the time to cultivate these relationships.
Finding creative ways to market yourself on different platforms is an important step to be noticed by potential customers. Create video tutorials, tweet out interesting tidbits, create infographics for instagram, and blog about things your customers would be interested in. By providing them with fresh interesting topics that are related to their interests you can build yourself a following and end up with high engagement. Having different forms of media also gives you more opportunity to appeal to different audiences and reach a broader range of people versus just focusing on one. Which will also help in boosting the SEO ranking of your website since Google likes content.
A lot of companies make the mistake of marketing outside of their demographic, which can end up costing a lot of money. By finding your niche and targeting your audience, you can have marketing that is not only more effective but will save your business money in the long run. Big companies do a lot of blanket marketing, which means spending a ton of money to get as many people to see their ads as possible. For small businesses this is the opposite of what you want to do since you don’t have the near unlimited marketing funds big companies tend to have.
Working with other small businesses in the area can be another way to reach more people. Some businesses will offer discounts if customers support other small businesses or throw events together to gain more exposure. Being a part of a local fair, festival, or similar event is a good way to get exposure and show off some of the things your company does. By working with other companies, you can also offer discounts for people who shop at both of your businesses, offering them through Twitter or Facebook.
Small businesses have the reputation of being cozier than chains or large businesses. When you imagine a mom and pop shop you probably picture getting greeted by friendly staff who are happy to help you find whatever you’re looking for. Similarly, people expect more attentive service from small businesses. They don’t want an automated voice on the line when they’re trying to get ahold of you, and they don’t want to wait a week to get an email reply. So as a small business you should take the time to make sure you are providing that special touch that most big companies are unable to provide in order to inspire customer loyalty.
Several large companies and influencers love to shout out small brands/smaller businesses to give them a helpful boost every now and then. Take advantage of free marketing to a large audience by participating in the contest’s influencers will throw for shout outs. Usually all you must do is follow them, tag them in a post, and comment on theirs to be entered for the contest. Big companies also look for small brands to shout out every now and then, so you should keep an eye out for it and apply when they do.