No matter what type of marketing you’re trying to perform, there are some key phrases you need to know before you get started. B2B and B2C, for instance, refer to businesses that market products or services to other companies (B2B) or businesses that market products and services directly to consumers (B2C). Direct-sell marketing, like the Home Shopping Network, markets directly to customers with no intermediary to work through.
In the day of the door-to-door salesman, the direct-to-consumer market was huge, with e-commerce sales skyrocketing, especially since COVID-19, marketing has become a boon to small businesses. In 2021, internet sales were up 50.5% over 2019 and 14.2% over 2020 when the pandemic started. The trend isn’t going to slow anytime soon as people have gotten used to shopping online. And while society may be returning to more ‘normal’ spending habits, online sales are still on the uptick.
Thankfully, there are some great ways for small businesses to capitalize on that uptick, and that’s through solid, tried-and-true marketing strategies. If you’re starting, that task can seem daunting to tackle. That’s where these marketing tips come in. They are some of the best options to invest in and can work wonders for getting the word out to consumers about your small business.
Email Marketing
Email – we use it every day, and it’s an easy, automatable, and proven way to get messages out to your potential customers. Creating an email signup list and making great content can do wonders for any small business looking to engage with its customer base or build that base with new consumers.
Madison Tong, CEO of My Supplement Store, says that email marketing is her top strategy for finding new customers. Excellent customer service keeps them coming back. “Overall, you want to focus on the customers and what they see and want/need.”
Here’s an easy strategy to get started. Research several email content providers and find one to build into your website. When consumers click on your site, especially if they’ve been referred from elsewhere, they’ll get a prompt to join your email list. Then, create or hire a content creator to create fantastic content highlighting your best-loved products. Sales are an excellent opener for email campaigns, as everyone loves to save a little green.
Facebook Ads
Implementing a Facebook Ads campaign may require hiring a social media manager specializing in running ads on Facebook. Get it right, and you can explore lucrative ways to reach a customer base that fits your product like a T.
You can run A/B tests to see which ads your customer base identifies with more. These sorts of comparisons not only let customers know what your company is about; they also give you valuable feedback on what your customers like in an ad. Put those elements together, and you’ll have ads targeting the perfect customer who is more likely to purchase your products or services.
Social Media Influencers
Getting well-known influencers to endorse your product takes time, but it can be worth the investment if you can make a deal. Their massive follower base is likely to try your product simply because that influencer likes what you’re selling, or at least they make a good show of it.
Tom Miller, Marketing Director at FitnessVolt, agrees. “My advice for small businesses looking to expand their customer base is to team up with some bigwigs in the industry. Market your items and develop credibility by partnering with influencers whose audiences overlap with yours. Unspoken in endorsing a product or service by an influencer is their faith in that product and its creator.”
As Tom points out, the best result will be an influencer whose fanbase overlaps with customers who fit your product or service. You’ll find consumers willing to try out what you’re selling and likely to become loyal patrons.
Customer Referral/Loyalty Rewards
This tactic is undoubtedly well-used and can not only get new customers but may also bring you returning customers eager to get a healthy discount on a new product. As word-of-mouth is one of the most trusted marketing strategies, customer referrals remain a solid avenue for garnering new patrons.
CEO and Co-Founder of Horizons, Atoine Boquen, swears that offering customers a nice referral bonus is an easy way to expand your potential customer base. “Choose a business concept that lets customers market for you. Telling a client they’ll get a discount voucher if they refer a potential customer is a smart marketing tactic for small businesses. You give a 10% discount for every customer referral. Your firm will gain clients without spending much on promotion.”
That 10% isn’t a lot to invest, considering you’re getting 90% of the customer’s purchases. That can go a long way toward that new customer base and your bottom line.
Drip Campaign
A drip campaign is a predetermined set of automated emails your company sends to new or potential customers based on an actionable step they take. Say they click on your website link from an affiliate and sign up for your email list. This action will trigger that drip campaign.
Helen Ferris, the founder of Imagine Maids, explains further. “They might get emails during the next week introducing them to your instructors, outlining your course offerings, and promoting a cost-free first class. When leads actively seek your product or service, drip programs keep them interested and are simple to set up.”
This style of email marketing can take a lot of the guesswork out of email marketing for a new startup just getting off the ground, providing essential ‘first contact’ information for all those potential customers.
SEO Website Layout
Creating an interactive and user-friendly website can be a great marketing tool for new and existing customers. There is nothing quite as frustrating as clicking on a website only to spend precious minutes slogging through useless information searching for what you’re trying to find.
As Michael Hess, E-commerce strategy lead at Code Signing Store, points out, “In addition, search engine optimization (SEO) efforts will need to be made for your site to achieve a higher ranking in SERPs. The best way to do this is to include keywords within the content and in the titles of your blog entries.”
By investing in your website optimization and layout, you’ll maximize a new customer’s experience and draw them in to return again and again when they’re in need of your products or services.
Consistent Online Presence
Jonathan Merry, Director at Bankless Times, makes a lot of sense. “Make your brand’s image consistent. This contains a slogan, a defined description of your products, a logo, a color scheme, and a collection of fonts. I think this procedure will assist you with integrated marketing efforts, where the objective is to have a uniform look and message across all your marketing channels.”
By creating a consistent presence online, new and existing customers can quickly notice your brand and website for quick, easy purchases. And if you run a retail store, they’ll easily recognize your brand when they’re out for a day of shopping.
No matter how long you’ve been in business, nailing a great marketing strategy is a huge step toward your brand or company’s continued success. These tips will help you do just that.