Small Business Marketing: Where Do You Start?

If you are struggling with various aspects of your business, don’t sweat… you are Not alone! Throughout this blog post, we will delve into the two biggest struggles many small business have, as well as different ways to combat such barriers.

Who Is Your Ideal Customer?

First and foremost, as I’m sure most of you can agree upon, one of the biggest challenges small business face is attracting new customers. And while every business is different and targets diverse customer groups, there are several key ways to stand out amongst competition. Now before you can know how to attract customers more efficiently, you must be able to distinctly define who your avatar, or ideal customer is. Your avatar is essentially a picture of the perfect customer for your business… Who is currently searching for you on the Internet? Who specifically needs the product or service you have to offer? It is crucial to be as detailed as possible when defining your avatar, because the more precise you are, the more effectively that ideal person can be targeted.

Once you have a clear sketch of your avatar, it is imperative that you create a message unique to your company; one that will make you stand out against competition. For example, at Enlightened Marketing, LLC, we pride ourselves on being much more than your run-of-the-mill marketing company. While we do strive to have all of our clients succeed, generate leads, and increase profits, our main concern is getting to know them on a personal level: their interests, passions, and family. This is why as a company we do not require long-term contracts. We have the pleasure of deciding who we want to work with based on who we feel some kind of connection to… A unique aspect many other companies do not share.

Once you have your avatar and a unique message your company will emulate, you may ask yourself, where do I begin? How do I go about marketing my business with a limited budget and resources? These are questions many people are stumped with. While just as effective, marketing for a small business can be very different than for a giant corporation. While conglomerates like Walmart or Budweiser have what seem to be unlimited funds to spend on advertising each year, small business is evidently much more focused. Spending thousands or even millions on commercials, billboards, and print advertising is not an option, and ultimately this can work to your advantage. While those may be effective means of marketing, as a small business you should focus more on creating connections and relationships with customers, rather than simply trying to attract as many people as possible.

The Small Business Marketing Solution

And how exactly do you do that? Online! The online marketplace is a highly competitive atmosphere, however if executed correctly, you will be able to stand out. For starters, be sure that you establish your company on the six main social media sites: Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube. This will increase your company’s visibility and help generate leads for your business. You should also engage in SEO (Search Engine Optimization), which is essentially ranking your content on search engines like Google. This is essential because that is where most of your audience spends their time: searching Google for an answer to a problem… and why not have that answer be you! Lastly, it is imperative to show your audience that you are credible, as people will only do business with someone who they trust and consider knowledgeable. One way to build that trust is through videos. While pictures and engaging posts are effective, videos provide as aspect incomparable to anything other than physical human contact: they allow your audience to hear how you say what you say. So be sure to post videos consistently.