Small business marketing doesn’t have to be intimidating. In fact, if you take a common sense approach and have a plan, you can succeed with ease. However, if you don’t try hard or understand how to proceed, you can waste your time and money, which can hurt your business greatly.
With this in mind, here is a short guide on how to create a marketing plan.
What you want
First and foremost, before you do anything, you need to know what you want and who your audience is. While you may not know your exact audience, you should have some idea. Are your potential clients soccer moms? Or, are they retired people? If you know this and take it seriously, you can save a lot of money as you won’t waste it on marketing to the wrong people. Then, you can go ahead with your marketing ideas. Remember, while you don’t want to cast too wide of a net, you also don’t want to go after too small of a segment of people as you may miss out on potential clients.
Corporate gifts
If you want to get your name out there in the short and long-term, you should have amazing marketing materials. One of the most cost-effective ways to reach out to people is to offer your current or potential clients free, corporate gifts. By giving away minor and inexpensive items, you can impress people and give them something they will remember and. At the same time, if you give the right gift, other people will see it, and you can watch your exposure take off to new levels. As stated on the Promo Gallery website, nothing beats having your brand being displayed on a desk or counter top. Again, it’s important to think of your audience when you hand out gifts as you don’t want to give something to someone unless they have a need for it.
Create and update a brochure
All-too-often, people will rely on one method and forget about the other methods that still work wonders. One thing you should spend money on is a great brochure. Ideally, unless you are a professional, you should pay someone to create or update your brochure. In the brochure, you should list your hours and talk about your product or service. If you have a brochure, you will want people to read it and get excited about your product or service.
Advertise on the radio and yellow pages
A lot of people think they can find people only using their website and social media accounts. While this is a good way to start, you should think a little more deeply. If you can, you should have a radio spot. A well-placed radio ad will help you find a lot of clients, all within a few hours. Again, think of your market. You don’t want to advertise on talk radio if you are reaching out to teenagers. If you do this and advertise in your local Yellow Pages, you can watch as your company brings in a lot of new clients.
Social media marketing and offers
If you have a social media account, you probably get a lot of clients from it. But, you will want to go above and beyond your competition and make sure you provide true value. At the same time, when you have contest and offer coupons, you are going to keep your followers interested. In addition, when using social media, you need to keep things interesting and post often. Finally, if you respond to inquiries and make sure you listen to your clients, you are going to see your conversion rates fly. Simply put, with a well-run social media campaign, you can increase profits with little effort. In the future, this will only be more important, so make sure you keep up with your accounts.
If you want to run a company and have a wise marketing campaign, you should follow these basic ideas. Otherwise, if you don’t have a plan, you are likely to fail.
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About the Author:
Bob Gorman is a freelance writer and a passionate blogger. He likes writing articles that cover small business and corporate business topics. He has written numerous articles and contributed to several other blogs. When he is not writing, he spends his time with his four year old son and his wife.
