28 Marketing Ideas For Small Businesses

所以你有一个奇妙的经营理念are excited about and are keen to get started and promote your new venture.

There are many innovative marketing tactics you can use to promote your small business, both through digital marketing and offline marketing. In this piece, we will discuss some of the most tried and tested ideas from both realms that have helped small business owners to get new customers.

28 Small business marketing ideas

1. Flyers

Flyers can help catch the attention of potential customers and advertise your events and services. They are an extremely effective tool to help you obtain new customers. Indeed, a survey published by theDirect Marketing Association (DMA)showed that 89% of people remember receiving a flyer or a leaflet, and 48% were inspired to enquire for more information about a product after receiving a flyer. So when it is designed correctly, flyers can be a fantastic way to generate new leads.

Choose designs that are bold, eye-catching, and legible. Of course, you will want to ensure that your flyer contains all of the key information and data that your audience will need to connect with your business. If you are stuck for ideas on how to create a folder, considerenlisting the help of a designerthat can do all the legwork for you.

2. Business Cards

A business card is often the first physical impression that people may have of your business. According to research published byStatistic Brain Research Institute, 72% of people judge businesses based on the quality of their business cards. A further 39% said they would not do business with a person that had a cheap-looking business card. Unless you are an experienced designer, it may be difficultto create a business cardthat will impress prospective customers. So you may want to enlist thehelp of a specialistthat can help you create the perfect business card for your venture.

Find a business card designer for hire

3. Google Business Profile

Registering with Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) can help you get higher visibility on Google. Google Business Profile is a tool that allows you to get a business profile listing in the search results, whenever someone searches for businesses in your area that offer the services you provide.

It then leaves consumers free to leave reviews, add a listing or add photos. Sign up toGoogle Business Profile and create a free accountto get started.

4. Build a Website

A website is the front page of your business. Even if you are a brick-and-mortar company, people will often Google your business to find out more information about you. In fact,research suggeststhat 84% of today’s consumers believe that having a website makes your business seems more credible. You can easilyhire web developers网络可以帮助你with every aspect of your website.

5. SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO)is essential if you want people to find your business online. When people search for a product or service on Google, they use certain keywords such as ‘coffee shops in Florida’ or ‘affordable marketplaces.’

In order to get your business in front of those people on Google, you will need to rank for those same keywords. Various tools out there can help you identify popular keywords to promote your business, such as Ahrefs and SEM Rush. But there’s more to SEO than simply regurgitating keywords. If you need help kick starting your SEO strategy, you can look forfreelance SEO servicesand find a service that fits your needs and budget.

6. Content Writing & Blogging

Creating professional content is a great way to help prospective buyers learn more about your services and your industry.It also helps you to improve your SEObecause Google prioritizes websites that have plenty of helpful content and blogs that help to answer common questions. It also helps to engage visitors if you cover topics that interest them. And if you don’t have time to dedicate to content writing, then there are plenty of freelance writers that offer writing servicesfor a reasonable price.

7. Social media marketing

Having a social media presence is essential for businesses. More thanhalf the world uses social media, so businesses that do no not utilize social media marketing are likely to be missing out on a significant portion of the market.

无论您使用平台,更新你的social pages with interesting blogs, videos and content should be a core part of your strategy. It is important to participate in online groups and conversations in order to connect with your target audience.

You can also use social media apps to get insights about your prospective customers by using the audience insights tools that are available on pretty much all of the big social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Tik Tok and SnapChat.

8. Partner With Influencers

Consumers are naturally skeptical of businesses, and instead are more likely to buy from experts they trust. Indeed,49% of people were inspiredto make a purchase after listening to influencers, while82% trust social mediato guide purchasing decisions. So you should definitely considerintegrating influencer marketingwithin your strategy. Some influencers will accept a free gift or free trial of your products and services in exchange for promoting your audience to their networks, while others will request a cash payment.

9. PPC

Pay-per-click can help your business get to a much wider audience by displaying your website higher up in the local search results.Creating PPC adsinvolves setting up aGoogle ads manager account, researching keywords, and creating short text ads. You then bid a set amount of money on those ads to compete for a top spot on the Google search results. Be sure to use local keywords (with the name of the location in them) so that you can target local customers.

10. Affiliate

Another way to promote your business is throughaffiliate advertising,in which you pay a third party to generate leads for you. There are manyaffiliate programsthat allow you to do just that. The benefit of these programs is you can get started for a relatively low cost and you only pay once specific criteria have been met, such as generating leads.

11. Social Media Contests & Giveaways

Nothing generates a buzz on social media quite like contests and giveaways. The best way to pique the interest of your target audience is to provide value. Offering a prize as part of a giveaway can motivate them to take actions like signing up for a service or making a comment.

12. Email Marketing

Why not deliver your marketing messages straight to the inbox of your target audience? With over4.6 billion users using email, building an email listand utilizingemail marketingallows you to connect with prospective customers all over the world. It doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated either. You can get started for free using platforms like MailChimp, Sendinblue, and Omnisend which allow you to create personalized messages using drag-and-drop templates.

13. Start Webinars

Or why not start a webinar, which allows your prospects to get a deeper insight into how you can help them solve their problems? It’s as easy as selecting trending questions and topics that your customers are interested in and then dedicating a webinar to help customers solve them. Websites likeDemioandEverWebinarcan help you to set up your webinar and connect with your audiences.

14. Telemarketing

Sometimes the best way to get the word out about your business is to just pick up the phone. Research says that82% of people accept meetingswhen salespeople reach out. However, not many people look forward to making sales calls, so if you don’t relish the idea of cold-calling prospects, why not enlist an experiencedvirtual assistantthat can take on the legwork for you?

15. Referral Program

Sometimes the best way to get in front of new customers is by encouraging happy customers to make referrals. One way that you can persuade happy customers to spread the word is by offering a small discount or coupon in return.

16. YouTube Videos

Video is one of the most popular forms of media. In fact, it is so effective as a marketing tool that84% of businessessaid that video marketing helped them to generate leads, while 78% of customers said they were persuaded to buy something after watching a video.

You can createvideo commercialsfor your social media accounts and create product videos for your ecommerce site.

Need some help with your video production?Use Fiverr video editing servicesby freelance editors.

17. Facebook Ads

Facebook ads can be a very effective way to get the word out about your business. The most effective strategy is to develop targeted campaigns aimed at the local market. You can do this by selecting audiences in the geographical locations you want to target in the Facebook Audience Research Tool. That same tool can be used to define the demographics and traits of your target audience. To get started with Facebook ads, start by setting up aFacebook Meta account.

18. Event Marketing

Holding promotional events is a great way to get the word out about your business. Events can be online or in-person. Research shows that95% of businessessaid that holding events helped them to successfully promote their business. Events can be anything from conferences, webinars, networking events, or pop-up shops. To make your event a success you will need to have a list of speakers, vendors, and relevant attendees. An easy way to get started is by using software such asEvents.comandEventbrite.

19. Sampling or Street Teams

Seeing is believing and when you hire a street team to hit the streets and promote your product, there is a98% chance你的与会者将对你的宣传r company. To make this approach successful, keep a spreadsheet of scheduled tasks, recruit a small team of excited fans or employees, and plan your event. One way to recruit people for the task is to ask friends and family, offer incentives to social media followers or happy customers, or recruit employees.

20. Online Directories or Review Sites

Another way to get the word out about your business is to post a listing in online directories, such as Yelp, Google My Business, Facebook Pages, or review sites. Be sure to include the services you offer, contact details, and a link to your website so that people can find you easily.

21. Car Magnets or Decals

Car magnets or decorative stickers (known as decals) are a great way to advertise your business passively. For this to be effective, you should use a unique and original design that captures the attention of your target audience. Make sure you post your contact details too so that users can find you easily.

22. Presentations

Sales presentations are another highly engaging way to get people interested in your company. Reach out to local schools, clubs, colleges, or businesses to enquire about any partnership opportunities. Remember, that any presentation requires preparation and it also needs to look professional. It is a good idea to hire a professional designer that can help you to create an impactful design.

23. Community Tradeshows & Festivals

Many people visit a trade show to learn about new and exciting products and services. So if you are hoping to corner the local market, having a presence at a local trade show can certainly help improve brand awareness. You can do this by partnering with local community leaders, tradeshows, festival organizers, or business organizations and setting up a booth at their events to capture the local market. If possible, create a unique banner that you can display prominently at the event.

24. T-shirts

T-shirts are a great way to promote your brand. A catchy logo or attention-grabbing picture will naturally inspire curiosity, and you never know, you could start off a fashion trend! T-shirts are a form of direct marketing and they do not have to be expensive either. Even if you printed just 20 t-shirts and encouraged your employees to wear them, or gave them away as part of a lead magnet, that will more than likely get people talking about your brand.

25. Lead Magnets

Lead magnets can tempt potential customers by offering a freebie in return. They are usually given in exchange for a prospect taking an action, such as providing their contact details or answering a survey. Asurvey by GetResponseshowed that 50% of businesses that use lead magnets reported higher conversion rates. Creating one doesn’t have to be expensive either. It could be anything from giving away a free eBook, video, or cheat sheet.

26. Sales Decks

A sales deck is a pitch that showcases your product benefits and value proposition. These can be created very easily on platforms such as Piktochart and Canva. Creating a well-designed sales deck can make your business look more professional and helps potential customers or investors learn more about your company. Consider hiring a designer to help put together impressive sales decks.

27. Leverage AI

As AI systems continue to advance and grow in technical capabilities, a growing number of businesses and organizations have been adopting them in the past couple of years. Findings published in theAI Indexshow that the proportion of companies adopting AI in the previous year grew more than double compared to 2017.

Small businesses, in particular, can use AI to automate or streamline manual tasks and business processes, analyze large volumes of data and gain critical insights, and bolster content marketing efforts. Furthermore,small businesses can use AIto generate and optimize content, such as social media posts and blog copy.

Moreover, AI can be a valuable addition to your business as it can analyze large volumes of data to help you understand your customers, automate repetitive tasks to boost employee productivity and equip you to provide better customer service through tools like chatbots and self-service portals.

28. Use AI Tools

AnUnbounce reportshows that more than 30% of SMBs are already using AI tools, and more than 60% of those that aren’t currently using AI are expressing their interest in adopting such tools to their marketing stack.AI tools,particularly ChatGPT, can help businesses enhance their marketing efforts. Small businesses can use ChatGPTin several ways, such as using it to create copy for marketing materials, brainstorm content ideas, perform keyword analysis, generate content like product descriptions, calls-to-action, social media posts, and video scripts. It can also be used to build chatbots, create targeted email campaigns, and deliver personalized recommendations.

Small business marketing tips

It is important to get some basics out of the way first. These include financial management, branding, social media accounts, and easy contact options.

So let’s discuss the basics in greater detail:

Prepare a marketing Plan

A wise man once said that failing to plan is planning to fail, and this is especially true when it comes to marketing.

If your intention is to elevate your brand and reach a wider audience, then having a marketing plan is essential.

To write a good marketing plan, it is necessary to clarify your strategies. It should outline what your brand represents and how you intend to promote it. It should also set out your marketing approach over the next 1-3 years and contains detailed promotional tactics, assumptions, and market research.

Start with an executive summary of what is in your marketing plan and break it up into sections, such as advertising, financial budgets, and research.

Know your market

Everything that you do in business should be informed by market research. Market research includes targeted audience analysis, industry research, competitor analysis, and SEO research.

事先分析所有这些可以帮助ensure that you promote your business in a way that is laser targeted to the audience that you are trying to connect with.

Market research also allows you to get a handle on who your competitors are and tempt your audience with better offers.

Map out your finances

The most important step in any business venture is financial management. Once you are sure of the direction you want to take your business, it is a good idea to define your budget, costs, profit forecasts, and spending. This will prevent you from overspending on marketing and give you a realistic idea of how much you can set aside for any business-related task.

You should also ensure that you have enough money to cover your repayments. This is why having a strong business plan and financial forecasts is important.

Establish your brand

Before you can put any kind of marketing in place, it is important to get clear on your brand identity. Your brand identity has to be consistent and engaging to avoid confusion when presenting yourself to prospective customers.

This is why branding is so essential. Branding encompasses the colors that are associated with your brand, logo, business name, business style, and language.

If you are stuck for ideas on how to brand your business, then a good place to start is to think about your values, goal, and business style. Select colors and language that reflect your business personality and target audience.

Consider usingFiverr AI Logo makerto help you create the designs associated with your business.

Learn More About How You Can Promote Your Business

Regardless of what marketing technique you use, the key to success is to have a detailed strategy that guides all of your decision-making.A comprehensive marketing strategywill inform what platforms you use when you will publish content, timing, and budget.

Taking this structured approach can dramatically increase the success of your marketing campaigns.

Marketing Plans

See All