Whether your business is large or small, you all have the same aim in mind. To sell your products and services to the right people at the right price. For this reason, it makes no sense to overlook techniques that larger companies used to promote since you’re goal is exactly the same. Here are a few methods that you might have overlooked, but are fantastic for promoting your small business.
Freebies
As a small, bootstrapped business who’s struggling getting off the ground, giving away freebies probably seems extremely counter intuitive. After all, you want to make money not give it away! However, there’s no word that’s more powerful in marketing than ‘free’ and done correctly it can really help generate hype and interest around your brand.
You could host a giveaway on social media with a generous prize– anything from a gift card to your store to something unrelated but which people will be interested in- a car or a holiday perhaps depending on your budget. In order to gain entries, request that people follow you on social media and enter their email address. This is invaluable- a large following means more people that will see your future marketing materials. A strong email list again improves the chances that people will see the materials that you’re sending out.
On top of this, a strong social media presence and following makes your company look more established and trustworthy, meaning people are more likely to place an order with you if they’re unsure.. Other ways to give away freebies on a smaller scale is by have marketing merch produced. If you go with things like mugs, pens and keyrings, these can be shipped with orders without it adding to the cost, or given away at events and trade shows. Every time the person uses the item, it’s a reminder of your business. The more they’re exposed to your brand, the more trustworthy you will be to them.
Marketing Software
Yes, there is such a thing as marketing software! We usually associate marketing with being a very ‘human’ element to our business- people creating content, thinking up a marketing campaign and liaising with bloggers in the case of blogger outreach. However, as with any area of business, there’s very effective software out there which can really speed up your processes. Content marketing software can translate the raw data telling you what works and what doesn’t, meaning you know where your budget is best spent.
Leaflet, Flyer And Business Card Distribution
It’s easy to overlook ‘older’ methods of marketing, but actually, things like flyers and billboards can be really useful. If for example you’re a small, local business (such as a bakery or cafe that only sells to the local community and not online) it makes no sense to promote all over the internet. Instead, you want to post and publish materials that people who live nearby are going to actually see.
Think carefully about your target audience and base things on that. For example, if you sell textbooks or school supplies then you could leave your business cards and flyers in and around student accommodation and colleges. If you sell luxury items, you could focus your flyering on the wealthier areas of town since these are the people most likely to buy from you. It doesn’t make sense to send out thousands of flyers aimlessly, so consider what type of people are buying your products and base it on this.