Winning new customers is vital to the growth of any small business, and leveraging marketing strategies is the most effective way to achieve that goal.
However, small business owners often have to wear multiple hats to keep their business running.
This can result in their marketing strategy falling by the wayside while they focus on the day-to-day operations of running their business.
Fortunately, developing a small business marketing strategy doesn’t require a marketing background or career.
plus, it can be simple and affordable.
This small business marketing guide will explain how to create a scalable and sustainable marketing strategy that will help your small business win new customers and increase revenue for years to come.
what is small business marketing?
small business marketing is the process of getting your products or services in front of the eyes of more potential customers.
consists of several online and offline strategies, but the ultimate goal is to increase your small business revenue and expand your market share.
challenges of marketing small businesses
Small businesses face unique challenges with marketing that larger or enterprise brands simply don’t have to deal with.
This is particularly true if there isn’t a dedicated marketing expert on your small business team.
lack of resources
small businesses can’t always hire an in-house marketer or spend the necessary time on strategic marketing.
Marketing effectively and on budget takes time, technology, iteration, and close attention to campaign performance.
smaller budgets
chances are your small business has a strict budget that you allocate to your marketing.
Because digital marketing can be expensive, it’s not uncommon for small business owners to blow their budgets.
or, they may not allocate their digital marketing budget to the most profitable channels.
competition from bigger brands
Your small business is not only competing against other local or small businesses, but also competing against larger brands that have stronger name recognition and an authoritative digital presence.
Larger brands can easily steal clicks on ads due to their brand recognition.
and with organic seo, google often prefers to rank websites with more authority and a trusted reputation.
adaptation to trends and technologies
The digital marketing landscape is competitive!
It can be challenging for a small business to adapt to the changing landscape of search algorithms, rising cost per click, and more.
Despite these challenges, it is possible for small businesses to successfully market their products or services with a significant return on investment.
first steps in small business marketing
Before you start spending money marketing your small business, you need to set yourself up for success.
The following steps are essential before launching your first marketing campaign.
1. know your audience
It’s important to understand your target audience before you start paying money to reach them.
creating audience personas can help you determine who your small business is trying to reach.
also, where you can best reach them and how your product or service meets their needs or solves their problems.
Audience characters may include:
- demographics.
- geographical location.
- interests.
- budget.
- pain points.
- motivations.
- and more!
Taking the time to create multiple audience personas lays the groundwork for your marketing strategy.
will help you choose the right message and channels to reach your ideal clients or clients.
2. perfect your message
once you know who your audience is, what they need, and how your products or services solve their problem, you can do the work of crafting polished and impactful messages.
Your message can involve educating customers, showing value, displaying authority or expertise, differentiating yourself from the competition, and more.
Depending on the number or scope of your product and service offerings, you may need to craft multiple messages to reach the various personas in your audience most effectively.
3. determine your budget
The reality is that marketing can be costly if you don’t take the time to prioritize and strategize.
some marketing channels are more expensive than others.
so it’s important to determine what you’re willing and not willing to spend before launching any campaign.
4. set up your analytics
Before you get started with any digital marketing channel, you need to be able to measure its impact and effectiveness.
You can use all kinds of analytics tools, but if you’re just starting out, start with these two analytics platforms.
- google search console.
- google analytics.
As your small business marketing strategy grows, you may want to invest in an email marketing platform or customer relationship management platform.
but for now, the two free platforms above can help you get started.
best marketing channels for small business
Most of your marketing strategy will be determining which channels make the most sense for your small business and the customers you’re trying to reach.
some channels will be more expensive than others.
some will produce results more quickly.
In general, there are pros and cons to each marketing channel, and no one channel is guaranteed to generate revenue for your small business.
However, the following channels are often ideal for small businesses due to their effectiveness, longevity, and affordability.
content marketing
It’s best to consider content marketing as the foundation of your marketing efforts.
Without great content, the additional channels listed here will cease to be effective.
content includes your home page, landing pages, product pages, blogs, social media posts, ads, or anything else your potential customers might interact with before they buy.
It’s important that your content is high-quality, relevant, and meets the needs of your target audience.
Investing in good content will give you permanent assets that you can use across all your marketing channels and help you build your brand recognition, expertise and authority.
seo
search engine optimization is the process of optimizing your small business website so that it appears in organic search results.
Most Internet users first turn to a search engine to find new products and services.
If your small business website shows up for keywords those users trust, it can mean more potential customers clicking through to your website.
That means more people are browsing your products, scheduling a consultation, or scheduling appointments.
seo, however, is multidisciplinary.
These are the most important aspects of SEO for small businesses to prioritize.
seo on the page
On-page SEO is the process of optimizing individual web pages to rank higher for relevant keywords.
every web page on your small business website has a chance to rank in search engine results.
the main steps involve:
- keyword research: finding relevant keywords that you want your web pages to rank for.
- seo copywriting: Write in-depth, high-quality content that explores your topic in depth. You can use content optimization software to help improve the quality signals on your pages and improve their ranking potential.
- meta tag optimization: includes the target keyword in your page title, meta description, image alt text, and ensuring other key meta tags are optimized for search engine crawlers.
- internal and external links: including links internal links to other relevant pages on your website and external links to relevant and authoritative sources.
on page seo can be easily implemented in your cms.
or you can outsource the work to an seo provider or digital marketing agency.
Although time consuming, on page seo is one of the easiest ways to start getting impressions and clicks from organic search.
local SEO
If your small business has a physical location or serves a specific geographic region, local seo strategies can help your website appear on the google maps package and in location-based searches.
To get started with local seo, do the following:
- Set up your Google Business Profile – This will provide Google and users with key information about your small business, including location, phone number, store hours and more.
- name, address, phone number (nap) – These key details about your small business should be clear, accurate, and consistent throughout the content of your website. If your small business has multiple locations, it’s important to create different landing pages for each location that display your unique nap information.
- Get featured in online directories: Google wants to see consistent information about your small business wherever it appears on the internet. Using a local dating service can help you get started creating off-site signals. It’s an inexpensive way (less than $100) to help google crawlers better understand your location and the markets you serve.
- add local business schema: Structured data from local businesses informs Google about their business hours, departments, reviews, and more. adding schema markup will require the assistance of a web developer, but can have a big impact.
site speed optimization
The performance of your small business website influences its ability to rank in search engine results.
google doesn’t want to show slow or poorly performing pages to users.
so your website must meet the following standards:
- Top Web Views – These metrics are the primary way Google measures the performance of websites. include paint with increased content, first post delay, and cumulative design change.
- mobile usability: The mobile version of your small business website needs to be responsive , fast loading and high performance.
- security: Your website must be safe for users. security is mainly measured through https protocols.
pros and cons of seo
The benefit of seo is that it is possibly the cheapest way to increase your small business’s online presence.
plus, getting top ranks in search engine results can send traffic to your website for years.
That is, as long as you do the work of updating the content and maintaining its quality and technical performance.
however, seo takes time.
It may take a few months before you see results and start getting traffic to your website.
But that traffic is essentially free and has a wonderful way of improving marketing key performance indicators, like customer acquisition costs, in the long run.
online reputation management
Like seo, online reputation management (orm) should be an essential part of any small business’s digital marketing toolkit because of its affordability and impact.
orm is the process of building and monitoring your reputation on popular review sites, and it’s essentially free.
Online reviews are actually a key marketing tool for your small business.
Although you can’t completely control what others choose to say about your small business, you should do everything you can to influence reviews and take advantage of them.
an estimated 94% of consumers have read an online review in the last year.
If your small business doesn’t have profiles on popular review sites in your industry, or if you don’t have reviews of your products, users can choose another service provider or retailer.
Fortunately, crafting a proactive online reputation management strategy is fairly straightforward.
configure your profiles
Look for review sites that your potential customers are actively using and are popular in your industry.
examples include yelp, angie’s list, tripadvisor, foursquare, and bbb (better business bureau).
then make sure your profiles are set up and adequately describe your offer.
These profile pages are also likely to rank for your brand’s search results, so do your best to add high-value keywords to your profile sections.
add a product review app or plugin
If your small business is eCommerce, add a product review plugin or app to your cms so you can start earning and displaying reviews on your website.
here is a list of wordpress product review plugins and a popular shopify product review app.
ask your customers to leave a review
To start receiving online reviews, just ask!
If you know a customer had a positive experience or really liked your product, sometimes all you need to do is ask them to leave a review.
incentivize reviews
If you’re having trouble getting customer reviews, incentivizing reviews with discounts or promotions on repeat visits or purchases can help you get reviews faster.
It also encourages your customers to return to your products or services a second time.
always respond to negative reviews
the biggest part of orm is managing the negative reviews you’re bound to receive.
by responding to their negative reviews, you have the opportunity to repair any negative impact.
Also, it shows other potential customers looking at reviews that your small business is doing what it can to make things right.
pros and cons of orm
orm is a free marketing strategy and can have a huge impact on driving customers further down the conversion funnel.
However, online reputation management can work against you if your products or services are of poor quality.
It’s important to make sure your small business provides the best of the best to potential customers before pursuing any online reputation management strategy.
pay per click
Pay per click advertising is the process of advertising on another publisher’s website and paying a fee each time a user clicks on your ad.
unlike other ads, you only pay if the user actually clicks on your website, guaranteeing site traffic for your ad spend.
ppc: search engines and display networks
ppc is most commonly associated with major search engines like google and bing.
when a user enters a search term, google and bing serve ads at the top of their search engine results pages.
small businesses can bid on relevant keywords so that their ad appears at the top of the servers.
In terms of expanding the reach of your small business, Google Display Network sites reach more than 90% of internet users worldwide.
however, successful ppc campaigns are all about execution.
If you don’t have experience managing or optimizing ppc campaigns, it’s best to work with a paid media manager or agency with experience in your industry.
ppc – social media advertising
social media platforms like facebook and instagram allow your small business to do what other platforms like google ads can’t: they allow you to target your audience by demographics and interests, because these platforms have so much information about your business. users.
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These ads will appear alongside organic posts on social platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
As a digital marketer, I often receive ads related to digital marketing.
Because social media ads also require a creative (instead of just text-based search engine ads), it allows your small business to showcase its creativity and branding even more.
Other features of social media advertising include:
- tracking pixels – Adding the facebook pixel to your small business website allows you to find previous visitors to your website across the facebook and instagram platforms.
- interest targeting: Because social media users often curate their interests through likes and interactions, interest-based targeting can be effective in reaching new visitors.
- Lookalike Audiences – Once you win some business and have an even better idea of who your audience is, you can create lookalike audiences based on those data points. this can help you expand your reach to other users similar to your previous clients.
pros and cons of ppc
The most positive benefit of ppc is that you can start driving traffic to your small business website right away.
but the cpc increases every year and platforms like google ads and facebook are more saturated.
If you’re not careful or don’t take the time to optimize your ppc campaigns, you can max out your budget very quickly.
email marketing
once you build your list of leads, contacts, subscribers, or past customers, email marketing is a great way to connect with your audience and keep your small business top of mind.
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Email marketing has the potential to generate a great return on investment.
allows you to drive sales of new products and services, build customer loyalty programs, and constantly promote your many content assets.
some of the most popular email marketing platforms include:
- get response.
- convertkit.
- honeybook.
- constant contact.
- mailchimp.
Here are some email marketing tips for small businesses:
keep it balanced
make sure your emails are balanced between promotional and resource-based.
Email marketing provides a great outlet for promoting thought leadership, eBooks, or other free resources related to your industry or products.
segment your audiences
Sending the same email to your entire customer database will be less effective than segmenting your audiences into Occasional Customers, Returning Customers, or Prospects and creating personalized, targeted messages.
optimize for mobile
many of your customers are likely to read your emails on their mobile devices.
A marketing email that is unresponsive or has design issues is more likely to be ignored or worse, lead to unsubscribes.
offline channels
There are also a variety of offline channels available for small businesses.
Although they are much more limited in reach than digital marketing channels, they can effectively win new customers and improve brand recognition for your small business.
some effective offline channels include:
- direct mail.
- events and conferences.
- print advertising.
- community involvement.
- communications of press.
- networks.
- and more!
4 strategic tips for effective small business marketing
Each of the marketing strategies listed in this guide is its own unique discipline.
The more informed and strategic your approach is, the more effective it will be.
however, your small business probably won’t be able to become an expert overnight.
So, in general, these are some of the most important strategic options to consider.
1. balance your paid channels with organic seo
The reality is that paid media only drive traffic to your website during your campaigns.
once your credit card or budget is depleted, all site traffic is depleted as well.
Balancing paid channels with organic SEO is one of the most strategic decisions your small business can make.
seo generates clicks for free and, when done right, in perpetuity.
2. take advantage of retargeting on ppc platforms
Platforms like Google Ads and Facebook give small business advertisers the option to retarget audiences who have already visited their website but left without making a purchase.
If your small business does the work of driving traffic from organic seo, you can further leverage retargeting to improve your total return on ad spend,
3. target long tail keywords through blog content
Adding a blog to your small business website can be a game changer in improving the overall number of keywords your website ranks for.
is one of the most affordable ways to expand the reach of your small business. If you don’t have an in-house writer, many freelance content marketers can help you start your blog.
long-tail keywords tend to be less competitive.
so make sure your craft blogs address the long questions users ask about your small business’s products or offerings.
4. iterate, iterate, iterate
The reality is that your initial marketing campaigns may not be profitable.
but as long as your analytics are set up, you can iterate on your campaigns and improve results.
don’t take the “set it and leave it” approach.
pay attention. make changes based on data.
and invest in the channels with the best conversion rates that drive revenue at a cost per acquisition that is sustainable for your small business.
conclusion
developing a small business marketing strategy can have a great return on investment for your business.
These include increasing your revenue, gaining loyal customers, being able to hire new employees, opening second locations, and more.
Make marketing a priority for your small business and you won’t be disappointed.
more resources:
- 6 Expert Tips for Small Business SEO Strategy in 2022
- 57% of North American SMBs Still Lack an SEO Strategy?
- a guide to local seo
featured image: lartestudio/shutterstock