By Lauren Fenthum<--- To View/Save this infographic
Click HereBeing smart with your marketing ensures the success of your business by encouraging new customers to invest, whilst retaining old customers. For many economies, small business is the backbone, this means anyone from that of the corporate world to that of a bakery needs a no-nonsense marketing strategy to secure a greater share of the market.
Every business is different, so there is no one-size fits all when it comes to marketing strategies. However, building a clear and concise plan and applying the time and correct resources is a common secret to the success of marketing. First, get to know how to market. Knowing what not to do is just as important when coming to marketing. Get to know your customers and stay in touch with them after sales. Not only does this put you ahead of the competition but you also get to understand how your customer responds to your marketing. Getting the attention of new customers is vital, know who your target market is, this puts people in the position to have quality enquiries and more likely to invest in your business when the correct target audience is reached. Remember that marketing is not advertising. Advertising and websites aren’t the only places to attract customers, find out where your potential customers are most likely to be reached, and eliminate others- to avoid unnecessary costs. Set sales, goals and targets. Marketing is all about numbers, know what your goals are in terms of revenue, expenses, profit and of course, new sales.
Good ways to enhance your marketing strategies can be seen through digital and social media marketing. Because everything is digital, it is more likely that somebody would come across your business through online sources. With regards to digital marketing, make sure you have a live website with good content and your basic information. Create PPC campaigns and make use of Google AdWords, this will enhance search engine optimization and allow customers to find your website quickly. Through the use of a CRM system and an email marketing platform, you can introduce email marketing, allowing for customers who have viewed and subscribed to your website to be reached and kept up to date about your services and products.
Find out where your target customers spend most of their time on social media and create a presence there. Social media marketing can be a valuable and useful tool for clients, but it is just as important for your business. Through social media, you are able to track the progress of likes and shares and see how much attention your company is getting and from whom. It is important to track the sales generated from social media, as this is a direct touch point with clients.
As you can see, marketing for small businesses does not need to break the bank in order for it to be successful. There are so many options for small businesses to use in order to stay relevant and on top of their marketing. Marketing can be challenging for any business, big or small. It is imperative to have a clear and well- structured plan, track goals and targets, and constantly look at what your customer wants and how they want to be reached. A good marketing strategy gains much-wanted attention and increases company success rates.
