6 Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses

Just because you can’t spend millions of dollars on advertising the way the Fortune 500 companies do, it doesn’t mean you can’t be a savvy marketer. Even on a small business budget, there are ways to increase brand recognition. Continue reading to get some marketing ideas that will help your business raise its profile.

1. Build a website.

We live in the information age, and people have become accustomed to getting the answers they desire at the touch of a screen or press of a button. If your business doesn’t have a website, then getting one should be your next order of business.

Online shopping has become increasingly popular. Even people who get something from a physical store still look for the product online before purchasing it in-store—especially large purchases.

You don’t have to be a web designer or programmer to create a sufficient website, and it isn’t expensive to contract a designer to create a site for you. Getting a website is excellent for marketing and also provides another way for customers to buy from your company.

2. Use social media to your advantage.

A lot of people have made themselves famous through the use of social media, and you can work that same magic for your business. Marketing through social media is pretty easy and inexpensive, but you have to be intentional and consistent in your efforts.

With the use of OKR software, you can easily manage your marketing campaigns across different social media platforms. You can even track their performance and make real-time adjustments to reach a wider audience.

3. Put out a documentary or how-to video.

People love documentaries and how-to videos. You may feel like they aren’t for your business, but you have to think like a consumer. These days people spend a lot of time streaming how-tos and documentaries from businesses, indie directors, and influencers.

If you don’t have any experience creating content for streaming, then give Coldea Productions a chance. Coldea is a videography company in Los Angeles with years of experience providing high-quality videos for streaming. Remember, your content will represent your business, so you want to present the utmost level of professionalism.

4. Optimize your website and other digital content.

One simple element of digital marketing that a lot of small businesses tend to neglect is search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is a set of methods used to increase a website’s ranking on search engine results pages. In other words, SEO is all about making Google like your website and your other internet content.

SEO entails everything from incorporating keywords into your webpages, blog posts, and social media posts to attract more people whose interests intersect with your business. It even encompasses website design. While you can perform your own SEO, it would be much more worth your time and money to outsource those duties to an expert.

5. Market through email.

Email is more than just a fast way to send letters and memos—email is a powerful marketing tool if you use it properly. You can use email drops to notify your customers about upcoming deals and events. You can also send personal messages about products they’ve purchased before or new products in which they may be interested.

6. Ingratiate yourself to your community.

As a small business owner, the most important thing you need to remember is to always be marketing. Being an entrepreneur isn’t like being an employee—you’re always on the clock. Every face-to-face encounter you have is an opportunity to introduce your company to someone new. Always keep business cards and a smile on you whether you’re on your way to your store or taking a leisurely stroll.

You also need to work with the other businesses in your area—even your competitors. Get together with them and propose ideas to cross-promote one another. Even though digital marketing is the wave of the now and the future, in-person networking and partnering with other merchants are still crucial to getting your business out there.