If you run a newly established small business, one of the best ways to help it succeed is by getting the word out. Growth is directly proportional to your marketing efforts.
It is easy to do so in this digital age as it’s no secret that most people find out about businesses online. Information shared online should sync up with the information shared offline.
Some metrics to measure growth include the number of new customers. Find out how you can drive those numbers up and grow your business by reading the tips below.
Know Your Prospects
Generalizing things will hardly get you anywhere. It’s highly unlikely that every single person on this planet wants to buy from you. That’s why you need to narrow down and focus on highly targeted prospects.
Depending on the niche you cover, you need to understand what character traits your prospects might have. Then, invest some time in understanding such traits, and your prospects as a result.
Also, seek an understanding on what drives them to make a purchase. That way, you get to tailor your messages perfectly. Cultivate relationships with existing customers over time to better understand what drives them to take action.
Get a VoIP Number
You might have figured out by now that communication is key in growth. Getting yourself a Phone System for business helps you communicate efficiently and affordably.
VoIP numbers are like traditional phone lines, but they’re cheaper to run. They are also easy to operate as they offer wireless and offer faster connections. Setting them up is also quite straightforward.
Of essence to this conversation is their capability to handle multiple calls. Businesses also have the option to set custom ‘on hold’ messages. Advanced setups also have a menu option that allows customers to narrow down on what they would like handled.
Clarity of Choice
Emphasizing your value proposition helps prospects understand what is on offer. However, too much clutter and noise can achieve the opposite effect.
To reduce noise, you need to have a clear voice. A voice that comes from a clear understanding of your area of expertise.
With regards to marketing, there are plenty of ways to go about it. Take care not to get lost in that noise too. Research widely and stick to a strategy that holds promise.
Start Small
Every endeavor one undertakes should start with baby steps. Marketing is no exception, for purposes of affordability. Taking on short-term goals helps provide faster returns and keeps you motivated.
As you scale up, you get to learn on the process, and improve accordingly. Avoid taking on fancy techniques that have succeeded for others. They may cost you and leave you skeptical.
The idea is to work with what you can and only scale when you feel totally comfortable. Luckily you do not need to spend much. For instance, information is freely available on the internet.
Leverage on Tools
When it comes to marketing there are plenty of tools you can use. Some require your input while others are fully automated. Always test using trials and go for paid versions only when you see some initial results.
Here are some tools and techniques you can consider using for marketing purposes:
- Online ads services
- CRM to manage your pipelines
- Data collection tools to better understand prospect behavior
- Impressing on existing customers to encourage word-of-mouth marketing
- Running a responsive website
- Having social media pages that carry a uniform message
- Launching email marketing campaigns
- Running an informative blog with links to relevant articles and pages
- Having a newsletter for your customers
Most of these tools are easy to set up with no charges. Another important tool that is free of charge is an online bookmark manager that helps you save all important pages at one place so you can later access them without having to search for them again and again.
The basic features offered are good enough to drive conversions. But of course, you can always upgrade where better returns on investment are imminent.
Work on Your Brand Identity
Strong branding not only has a professional appeal but it attracts plenty of prospects. Research shows that people are more attracted to well-established brands.
You do not necessarily need a lifelong branding journey; you need to appear established. It takes things as simple as your logo, taglines, and product packaging.
Branding is one sector you cannot sacrifice quality. If you have to pay slightly higher, go for that professional logo designer. Pull all stops to ensure branding is at its best and something you will be proud of.
Work on Your SEO
Building a website, as mentioned above is a great tip. However, you have to optimize your content for best returns. Here comes Search Engine Optimization (SEO), a crucial tool.
Ever searched for your business online and found you are not on the first page?
That means you are not ranked on whatever search engine you just used. So, how does a business get ranked?
Simple: Research on keywords within your niche and incorporate those in your content. Avoid placing them haphazardly as that could appear as spamming and soil your efforts.
To rank on search engines, you need to incorporate keywords naturally. Should you find it hard to do, don’t worry. There are plenty of freelancers skilled in this and offer services at affordable rates.
Incorporate Visuals
While useful content helps prospects as it draws them in, videos and pictures can be equally good. There is something unique about pictures. They say quite a tonne, without taking too much space.
Smartphone cameras increase in quality often and are generally affordable. Thus, you need little to produce a quality marketing video. With plenty of platforms online, you can push your content for viewing by thousands.
As your brand grows, you can bring professional freelancers on board. They do their work within timelines. Since they are not in-house they also bring on board lots of fresh ideas.
Offer Discounts
A customer that pays at a discounted price will most likely make a repeat purchase at full price. Push such offers through newsletters, and other online platforms.
You will marvel at how good at technique this is. Customers share such deals, and sales increase as a result. They are also more likely to bookmark you for future consideration.
Team Up With Other Businesses
If there are other similar small businesses in your locality that are not in direct competition with you, team up. Promoting each other on respective online platforms drives more traffic for all.
Should you plan a joint event or campaign you get to save immensely on costs. While at it, encourage customer feedback and use it to build better approaches.
Conclusion
Running a business is a journey that comes with challenges. Some tips listed above take time to set up and implement. Yet, results will show after consistent effort.
Sometimes the tips may not work as expected. Many factors determine success rates, and implementation varies. That is no reason not to keep trying or changing your approach,
It is a learning process and new things come up by the day. So, keep yourself informed and look out for what competitors might be doing. Actually, that is a great place to start!
Apart from this if you are interested to know about Best Ways to Earn As a Business then visit our business category.
