1. Create a website
Having a place where you can put all the (basic) information about your business is probably the best way to start marketing yourself.
Do you know the frustration you feel when you can’t find information about a business you’re interested in? Don’t do that to your potential future clients. This is guaranteed to steer them towards another business that has what you offer. Let’s face it, rarely does the demand surpass the offer in this day and age.
You don’t want potential clients to just remain potential.
It sounds simple enough, but it is also important that your website looks good and functions well. Surprisingly, many people don’t know how to create a good website.
Some of the biggest issues a website can have are slow loading, an outdated design, a lot of clutter that makes it very difficult for people to navigate it, and poor SEO awareness.
If you think this is too much for you to handle, it is a good idea to hire a professional.
2. Write a blog
This step is linked to the first one. Since you already have a website, invest some time into writing articles like this one. You can share your knowledge about various topics and help other struggling businesses.
You’ve probably heard that “content is king”.
To prove this right, let me ask you: how did you happen to stumble upon our website? That’s right, it was this article.
Blog articles are probably the best way to promote your business, and all they cost are a bit of your time. Not to mention, you need research in order to write a good article. You can learn a lot from this research and use it in your business.
3. Create a Google My Business account
Generally speaking, you want to put as much information about your business online as possible. This way, potential clients can find you and understand what it is you do.
When you create a Google My Business account, all this information will pop up as soon as someone googles your business’ name.
Also, your business will show up on Google Maps, too, which is essential if run a brick-and-mortar store. It is also very important to update your profile every time something changes, like working hours or location. Again, it is vital to avoid client frustration over unavailable or incorrect information about your business.
And did we mention this is free?
4. Write guest posts and collaborate
If the mentioned steps aren’t getting you the traffic you’d like, try writing guest posts. Find a website that covers themes that are relevant to your business, and is willing to publish your article.
For bonus points, comment on other people’s articles to get even more recognition.
Also, after writing and publishing your guest article, you can try to collaborate with the business that has hosted you. Especially if this is another small business, a collaboration could easily turn into a win-win situation for both.
5. Create (and maintain) a social media presence
People use it more and more to research products, and 80% of small businesses use it to promote their business.
So remember to create a Facebook page, an Instagram and/or Twitter account, and even a TikTok if you’d like – and if your target audience is members of Gen Z.
- Share your blog posts
- Connect and interact with customers
- Create picture and video ads for your product
To put it simply, be active!
Because of the huge amount of distractions on the aforementioned platforms, your clients need to be reminded of your presence often.
I’m sure a scenario like this has happened to you:
You find a Facebook page for an awesome product, and you hit that like button because you want to be updated on their activities. After a few days, you forget about that. After months of them not updating, all of a sudden, one of their posts randomly appears on your news feed. And your reaction is: “Oh, I had forgotten about this!” And perhaps you unlike the page, since they don’t post much.
Remember: you must not be forgotten. Stay active.
6. Offer free trials/products
Now that you have established a relevant online presence, try offering your potential clients free products or trials, depending on what you are selling. It won’t cost you much, and the benefits are multiple.
People will gladly spread the word about a good product they have gotten for free. And do you know how important word of mouth is?
92% of people are more likely to believe a friend or family member’s opinion about the product, than the product’s ad!
Nielsen.com
7. Ask for reviews
Another great thing about offering free products is that you can ask your first-ever clients for reviews, suggestions, and opinions. You can use all these things to make your product better, and your business more profitable.
The first reviews you receive can be private if you like, but it’s good to show the world what people think about your business.
88% of people trust online reviews written by people who have tried the product
Invespro
And let’s be honest, you are probably one of them. But again, you shouldn’t just accept the reviews as they come.
Monitor and respond to the positive reviews by thanking the customers – this will encourage them to continue using your service or product and will motivate others to leave positive reviews.
Manage the negative reviews by remaining calm and polite, and trying to resolve the issue if you can, privately or publicly. Remember that 45% of consumers say they’re more likely to visit a business that responds to negative reviews.
Also, resolving an issue might provide you with a faithful customer. Don’t waste your time obsessing over the issue if you see it’s not worth it, some people just like to argue.
Lastly, delete and report all fake reviews, because even the positive fake reviews make your business look bad.
8. Track and adjust
Don’t just put everything out there and leave it be.
Apart from the fact that your site or page will look dead, your business will suffer and you will lose money. Instead, track the progress of your ad campaigns, posts, and articles to see which performs best.
After that, continue creating similar but new content, to keep your audience engaged and interested in your business.
This will help you save time: instead of creating five different ads and hoping one will stick, you will create one that will certainly be successful. This strategy will definitely get you the best results.
Conclusion
We hope this article has helped or will help you in your future marketing adventures. It may seem like a lot to take in all at once, but it gets easier with time. And if you apply the suggestions we have shared, you will surely see a great, positive change in your business marketing results.
However, if you are still unsure about all this and would like to leave the marketing to professionals, we’d be more than glad to join you on your adventure!
