In 2019, when it comes to small business marketing, the first thing that you need to remember is that you’re likely going to be operating with a shoestring budget. Smaller businesses aren’t going to have the ad dollars that major conglomerates do, so you’ll need to be selective about how you choose to spend your money. You’re trying to promote your brand in the way that makes the most sense based on your business model. While no two business models are going to be precisely the same, certain ideas make sense regardless of what it is you’re selling or promoting.
Be Selective with Your Social Media
It should be a foregone conclusion at this point that you’re using social media for your promotional efforts. However, problems come when you spread yourself too thin. You’re probably going to want to use Facebook because of how many people still use it daily, but what about Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Snapchat, and the many other platforms that are out there? How can you know which of those your customer base prefers?
The best way to figure that out is to ask them. You can have a questionnaire on your website for your visitors to fill out that will reveal a lot to you about their social media habits. Make sure to incentivize it, though. Offer a prize or a discount on one of your products if they answer the questions. Otherwise, they’re not likely to actively engage with it.
Email Marketing Builds Customer Relationships
Some small businesses shy away from email marketing because they feel like if they pester their would-be customers too much, then they will sour on the brand. However, according to the Email Addiction Report, 83% of customers prefer that you keep in touch with them that way. If you’re a trusted brand, then you can send word of promotions and new products as they come out.
The trick is knowing how often you should be sending out those emails. More than twice a week is probably going to be too much, but some people get irritated if you try to engage with them through email even that often.
Once a week seems to make the most sense for small businesses. Every week you should construct an email message that promotes the products about which you’re the most excited.
Make sure that the content of the email is as enticing as you can make it. Opt for simple, understated graphics rather than needlessly flashy ones, and pay attention to your color scheme and font. They should always be on-brand so that the customer begins to recognize the brand identity that you are trying to establish.
If you feel like you’re not able to set up a questionnaire on your website or set up an email marketing campaign that’s going to be the best use of your time and money, hire an SEO company to do it. It’s better to spend a part of your ad budget knowing that a professional job is being done rather than taking the chance that your efforts in these areas are sub-par.