When it comes to selecting marketing solutions for your small business, it can be difficult to know where to start. It can be especially daunting when you have no marketing experience whatsoever - you just want the right customer to see your value, so you can get to doing what you’re great at. So how do you accomplish that?
Follow these five tips and you’ll be on your way to developing a marketing campaign for your small business with objectives, strategies and tactics that will bring results or visit BrandBoutique-FL.com for a free consultation.
Tip #1 - Match your advertising and marketing goals to the needs of your business
All good marketing starts with a good plan, and every good plan should have a clearly defined set of goals. Your marketing goals should match the needs of your business. One way to determine these goals would be to look at where your business is within its life cycle. Is your business brand new? Then your goals should be focused on building awareness of your product or service. Are you an established business but looking for growth? Then your strategy might focus on promoting offers to past customers to get repeat business.
Once you’ve determined the needs of your business and how those needs can be met through marketing, you’ll be better able to start determining strategy and tactics to promote your business effectively.
Tip #2 - Be mindful of your audience
The success of your business depends on how well you solve a problem for your customer, so it’s important to know your customers inside and out. This knowledge of your customer is the difference between having a marketing strategy that provides results or one that results in failure.
Knowing your customer means you’ll know:
Where to reach them, which will influence the mediums/platforms you select
When to reach them, which will influence when you schedule your ads
What language they respond to, which will influence the messages you use in your ad copy
What grabs their attention, which will influence the ad creatives, images, video, etc. you develop
Tip #3 - Reach your customers where they are
The “build it and they will come” strategy doesn’t work in marketing. You’ll need to reach your customers where they already are. Knowledge of your target audience will be utmost in helping you select the right media mix. Some platforms, such as Facebook, have a broader audience, while others, print news for example, appeal to a much narrower audience. Because of this, it’s important to examine each medium specifically for whether its demographic matches that of your target persona.
If you are targeting millennials, for instance, you might use digital radio and in-app advertising. However, if you’re trying to reach seniors, you might consider a different mix of media such as print ads in newspapers and niche publications. Most advertising platforms will offer audience insights or media kits so you can determine whether their reach intersects with your target, but some independent research (Google) can also help.
Tip #4 - Compare costs and budget
The pricing models for all advertising platforms aren’t created equal. Some may charge per click (CPC) while others may offer one set price for placement based on an estimated reach. When it comes to allocating your budget, it’s important to avoid making cost comparisons using different pricing models. One good way to avoid comparing apples to oranges is to break the price of each medium under consideration down to CPMs using estimates derived from a media kit or simulations based on your targeting. One you have a common cost structure, you will be better able to determine how and where to spend your budget.
Still, your cost comparisons shouldn’t end after setting your initial budget, since the most important factor is the cost to acquire business. For instance, a Facebook campaign targeting your potential customers could cost $1.25 per click, but it takes 100 clicks before you convert a customer, while a print ad might cost $500 but result in 10 calls from customers. Using the cost per acquisition approach, the print ad would be the better spend for your business despite its seemingly higher initial cost. It will take some practice and commitment to track and measure campaign costs and results, but it will be worth it.
Tip #5 - Take advantage of all your FREE options
As a small business owner, you’re probably already stretching your resources to their maximum, but, regardless of the size of your budget, there is always room for a marketing tactic that is completely free. All the options listed might not be the right fit for your business or your customer, but you can easily go through the list and take advantage of the options that are.
Claim your business listing through Google, Bing, Yahoo, and any general or niche review sites, such as Yelp.
Organically build a presence on a social platform to engage with your target audience.
Engage social influencers who match your target persona to increase the reach of your organic messages.
Optimize your website for search by using relevant keywords and copy in your content.
Utilize email to send messages to potential and existing clients and customers who’ve already engaged with your business.
Leverage your content by editing and sharing for a variety of platforms such as blogs, social media, Youtube and Flickr.
Offer deals on products or free services such as webinars or in-person consultations.
Network.
About the Author
Teneil Lawrence is the founder of South Florida based Brand Boutique - a marketing and graphic design agency dedicated to small businesses. Visit www.BrandBoutique-FL.com for more information.
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