Starting and maintaining a successful business can be hard— in fact, the majority of small businesses don’t stay open past the first five years. Most business owners know this when opening their small business and still decide to open it anyway. So how can they know that they’ll be successful?
Fortunately in today’s highly digital world, there are ways to market and advertise your Small business to the biggest possible audience, meaning that you’ll have a better chance of success. Here are four ways to promote your Small business and better your chances of becoming a successful entrepreneur.
1: Start a Business Website and Blog
You may think that if your Small business only operates locally or if your customer base is made up primarily of the older generations then you don’t have a need for a business website. The truth is that all types of businesses will benefit from having a website, no matter what type of business it is. Even if you don’t sell products online, your website will be used as a tool for potential customers to learn about your company and what you offer. Also, there are people in your local community who do use the internet, and eventually, the younger generations will become the older generations— and they’ll probably still be using technology.
Having a blog to go along with your website gives you a chance to offer even more information to your customers. Your blog topics should be a way to educate your customers on the benefits of your products and the best way to use them. A blog also gives you a chance to use one of the best e-marketing/digital marketing strategies— SEO (search engine optimization)— to your advantage, allowing your website to rank higher in search engines.
2: Get Active on Social Media
Another digital aspect of your Small business should be the use of social media. There are billions of people using social media every day, and any one of these people can be a new customer. Again, you can benefit from social media even if you’re a local business. Chances are that you’ll have customers that use Facebook, since it’s the largest social media platform in the world.
Other social media platforms to look into include:
- LinkedIn (doubles as both a job search site and social media platform) to network and connect with potential customers, as well as employees.
- YouTube is great for video marketing and tutorials. It’s also the second most popular search engine after Google.
- Instagram is the third most popular social media platform, and it’s great for posting both photos and short videos.
3: Don’t Forget Your Local Community
Although online marketing yields the best results for those looking to build a better business profile, it’s important to not forget your local community as well. After all, there are businesses that only operate locally and are very successful. Your local community can play a large role in the success and growth of your small business, and both online and offline marketing strategies can help. Some examples of offline marketing include:
- Ads on TV, radio, and in newspapers
- Forming a partnership with another business with the same clientele
- Attending/hosting local networking events
- Directly mailing those in your community
Local community support is especially important in the beginning stages of opening a business. With support from leaflet distribution services in the UK and your local community, you can grow your business and reach larger audiences. These services can provide valuable information about your business to potential customers. Additionally, they can help your business establish a positive reputation in the local community.
4: Look into Promotional Items
Customers love receiving free and discounted items, and what better way to promote your brand than to offer promotional items as a free gift with a purchase of any of your other products, or offer them completely free in an online giveaway or at a local event. Some of the most common promotional items that companies offer include:
- Baseball caps
- T-shirts and hoodies
- Coffee mugs and tumblers
- Tote bags and duffle bags
- Cooler Bags
Baseball caps are popular everyday accessories used for sun protection and fashion, which ensures frequent use. Both T-shirts and hoodies are wardrobe staples worn regularly by people of all ages. High-quality mugs and tumblers are durable and can last for years, providing long-term brand promotion.
On the other hand, tote, duffle, and cooler bags are highly functional and often used for picnics, outdoor activities, groceries, and work lunches. Check out cool designs of cooler bags at cooler-bag.com.au. The frequent use of these promotional items increases the brand’s visibility.
You can even offer promotional items that complement the products you sell. For example, if you sell protein powders, you can also sell/giveaway blender bottles for your customers to mix their protein powder.
Don’t forget to promote your brand on the items you do sell. Your logo should be on all of your products that can bear logos. When it comes to clothing boutique businesses, your logo can be displayed on a custom clothing label from wunderlabel.com, and you can also sell promotional T-shirts that bear your logo on the front.
The key is to promote your business anywhere you can. Online promotion will bring you the best results, but you’ll still get good results promoting your business in your local community.
