The business world today is highly competitive, but effective marketing leads the way as small businesses make their mark. Because they frequently have to contend with limited resources and budget constraints, it is even more important for these businesses to use what they have wisely. It helps to understand marketing techniques that enhance visibility, attract customers, and drive sustainable growth. To that end, check out these eight top strategies.
1. Tell Stories
Incorporate storytelling into your marketing to boost the effectiveness of the other tactics mentioned below. Narratives, whether they are weaved into social media posts, videos, email newsletters, content, or customer testimonials, engage your audience at a deep level. Storytelling does these things:
- Creates emotional connections
- Captures attention
- Touches audiences’ hearts and makes them laugh or even cry
- Gets them to share the content
- Makes your brand more relatable
The reality is that storytelling in marketing is one of the best things you can do for your business. A company that doesn’t tell stories may come across as distant or lacking a soul of sorts.
You can leverage storytelling in social media marketing by sharing behind-the-scenes stories, customer success stories, or anecdotes that show the human side of your business. In email marketing, you can use storytelling techniques to create narratives that hook readers and keep them engaged.
When your business collaborates with influencers or collects online reviews and testimonials, encourage these people to share their experiences and connect with your brand on an emotional level. For search engine optimization (SEO), create content that tells stories related to your target keywords.
Of course, not every piece of marketing has to tell a story. There’s a balance, but make it a point to include stories as a crucial piece of your marketing goals.
2. Define Your Target Audience
Before you implement any marketing strategy, clearly define your target audience. For example, get a firm grasp on their demographics, interests, problems/pain points, and purchasing behaviors.
As you define your target audience, consider the stories that resonate with these folks. Craft your brand identity in a way that tells a compelling story about your mission, values, and unique selling proposition.
3. Develop a Strong Brand Identity
Your brand helps set your business apart. Create a powerful logo, establish brand guidelines, and maintain consistency across all marketing channels. A strong brand identity builds trust, recognition, and loyalty among customers.
To create brand cohesiveness and maintain it, your business needs a brand style guide and regular audits to ensure principles are being followed. It’s fine (smart, actually) to tailor your brand voice to specific channels, though. Some channels are more suited to audio, video, longer-form content, younger people, or older people.
4. Focus on Content Marketing
Examples of content include blog posts, videos, infographics, and podcasts that educate, entertain, or inspire your audience. Make sure that your content strategy aligns with your target audience’s needs and preferences.
5. Leverage the Power of Social Media Platforms
Social media marketing engages your audience and expands your reach. Identify the platforms where your target audience is most active and create a presence there.
Share compelling content, run targeted ads, and actively engage with your followers. These actions build brand awareness and drive customer engagement.
6. Expand Your Reach With Influencer Partnerships
Influencers (you can also think of them as industry experts) have a significant following and influence over your target audience. Partnering with them widens your reach, builds credibility, and drives customer trust and engagement.
It’s important to choose the right influencers, though. You want your brand to remain authentic, so pick influencers whose values align with your brand. Your partnership might not take the form of an official sponsorship, and that’s fine! In fact, sponsored posts can turn off customers and followers.
7. Encourage Satisfied Customers to Leave Online Reviews and Testimonials
Positive reviews and testimonials have the power to significantly impact the reputation of your small business. Case in point: A whopping 92.4% of customers turn to online reviews to guide regular purchasing decisions.
Make it easy for your customers to leave reviews on platforms such as Google, Yelp, or industry-specific review websites. You can have a note on all receipts asking customers to leave reviews, post signs around the business asking for reviews, and ask regular (returning) customers to leave reviews.
It’s also fine to drop a note about reviews in email or text messages, but don’t overdo the requests. If you find happy customers on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or other social media channels, reach out to them to ask if they could leave a review.
Have a spot for testimonials on your website and social media platforms. Testimonials build trust and attract new customers.
8. Unleash the Power of Local Marketing
Local marketing strategies attract customers in your immediate vicinity. Register your business on Google with a free Business Profile and do something similar for other online directories, participate in community events, sponsor local initiatives, and collaborate with nearby businesses to build a strong local presence.
Implement these top eight marketing strategies, and you can help your small business maximize its marketing impact. Leverage the power of storytelling, define your target audience, develop a strong brand identity, include customer reviews, and remember the local angle to marketing.
