Small businesses today have more places and ways than ever to market themselves. Deciding on a marketing method, especially when starting out with a small budget can be challenging. While social media marketing is free, it is time-consuming. Traditional advertising, on the other hand, can be expensive.
So how to market your small business online? Which channels are best to use? Dozens of successful small business owners and marketing pros share the following list of strategies for startups and small businesses.
Use Social Media
If your small business isn’t present on social media, it is time to be. Mike Volpe, CMO of HubSpot says that social media produces double the marketing leads of telemarketing, trade shows, and direct mail.
It is best to choose one social media platform that your prospects, customers, and industry leaders engage with the most and start building a stable presence there. Once you have set up an account, start connecting with your audience by joining discussions, sharing original content, etc. Keep your efforts frequent and relevant to your audience.
Post to Instagram and Pinterest
If you are selling an interesting and highly-visual product, you should be regularly posting photos on Instagram and Pinterest. Posting is free on both platforms.
Eric Elkins is SEO at WideFoc.us and according to him you can drive traffic to your website via Pinterest and there is no better platform to build audiences than Instagram.
Mindy McCarthy is the owner of MinMac and her favorite place to sell handmade jewelry is Instagram. This platform is the queen of virtual markets. Customers can scroll through your product collection and purchase directly.
Try PPC Advertising
The best way to market your small business online is to target the right audience at the right time. Small businesses need to be as targeted with their resources as possible. PPC or Pay-Per-Click ads are the best way to do so and David Waterman, the account director or The Search Agency agrees.
Pay-Per-Click ads can be a cost-effective way to explore the market and dip your toe into the digital world. Some marketing companies offer automated bidding solutions that allow a novice to gain exposure.
Post a Press Release
According to Abby Hammer, product manager at Vocus, press releases help small businesses strengthen their content across local and global channels, allowing them to achieve the same exposure as larger businesses.
By including press releases in your marketing strategy, your business can get the content directly in front of the audience and connect with bloggers and journalists.
Blog
If you are wondering how to market your small business online, just do what Red Branch Media did. They created a blog and provided their clients with educative content. Having a blog can also positively impact your SEO score.
By blogging two-three times a week, you can increase your website’s ability to be located on search engines. The more you blog, the more visitors your website will get from search engines because you are adding unique content to your website. Business owners should also consider guest blogging.
Susan Payton, CEO of Egg Marketing & Communications says that guest blogging is one of the best marketing tools. By contributing to your blog with relevant content, you can expand your reach and prove your expertise.
Create a Facebook Page
Facebook is one of the most important marketing tools for small businesses to use and Toru Hoffman, a social media strategist at Potratz agree with us.
People today spend one out of seven minutes on Facebook and other social media platforms, providing a big opportunity for small businesses to build relationships with followers by interacting with them through comments, likes, etc. The more a user interacts with a page, the more likely their friends are to notice it, increasing awareness.
You can also consider Facebook advertising. Facebook ads appear in the news feed and it is almost impossible to miss. These ads are especially effective with local customers.
Use Email Marketing
Market your small business like a pro using Ron Cates’ tip (director at Constant Contact) – Integrate your email marketing campaigns with other campaigns for maximum impact. For example, if you are organizing an Instagram contest, double the number of people participating by informing your email subscribers. If you are offering a time-limited or special deal, send a reminder via email.
Cates says that the impact of email is incredible. You must try it!
By including these proven strategies as part of your marketing campaign, you will be able to get your small business out there, in front of customers and connect with them on a more professional level. Interactions result in impressions and impressions result in sales.