Here at The Mail we tend to focus a lot on bloggers, publishers, and affiliates, and try to provide the best up-to-date advice and expert insights that we can find. Well today we’re taking a bit of a different approach and focusing on small business and the marketing efforts that will help take your business to the next level in 2014. Whether you’re looking to boost your sales or broaden your audience, these five tips should help you achieve your goals in the New Year-these are The Mail’s top five tips for small business marketing in 2014!
Create Great Content
If you read The Mail regularly, then by now you’re probably tired of hearing us talk about content. But, the fact of the matter is we wouldn’t keep mentioning it if it wasn’t of paramount importance to your company. Great original content is what will set you apart from your competitors and keep customers interested in your company. They want to know that you’re more than just a business, and they want to know how and/or why your goods and services are different or better than your competitors. Give your customers content that is interesting and that they will want to share, and watch your audience grow by leaps and bounds.
One great way to make your original content work harder for you is to create several posts or smaller pieces of content out of something larger. For example, if you’ve written a longer blog post (like this one), break it down into parts and share the parts at different times on your social media channels. This will help alleviate the stress of creating tons of content while also keeping your followers engaged.
Send Emails
When it comes to growing your fan base, boosting sales, and communicating with customers, an email newsletter is still the best method for small businesses. In fact, according to Small Business Yahoo, email marketing recipients purchase 28% more often and they order 44% more than those are don’t receive email marketing messages. Email still reigns supreme when it comes to communicating and engaging with customers, and it also provides a platform for you to send highly targeted ad campaigns. So, start building your newsletter list today!
Post Videos
Video content is set to take over in 2014. Don’t believe us? Well according to Google, YouTube sees more than 1 billion unique users a month and accounts for 28% of all Google searches. Plus, it’s said that nearly 90% of all online traffic ends up on video content and now that Facebook has enabled videos to play automatically in users New Feeds, it’s much easier for potential customers to see, watch, and share your company’s video content.
Furthermore, it’s predicted that original video content will play into Google’s search results in the very near future, which will ultimately help your SEO and boost your company’s organic search rankings. With the ease and availability of video production and sharing tools, there’s no reason not to use video to your advantage!
Focus On Mobile
2014 will be the year that absolutely everything is mobile. If your website and email newsletter aren’t optimized for mobile devices already, that should be a top priority for your business.
According to surveys, over 1.2 billion people access the Internet via their mobile device everyday, with 60% of mobile shoppers using their smartphones while in retail stores, and 50% of shoppers using their smartphone on their way to a store. When it comes to email, open rates on mobile devices have risen nearly 80% in the last six months and are only expected to grow.
If your site and email newsletter aren’t mobile friendly, then expect to lose a lot of business in the New Year.
Utilize Social Media
Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter offer an amazing platform for interacting with customers and potential customers. Sharing photos and videos, asking questions, and hosting competitions or special deals are great ways to keep your fans interested and engaged, and you can do it all for free by using these sites. Plus, social media sites are a great way to expand your reach and grow your network. One great way to utilize these platforms is to hold a contest that encourages your followers to share your branded content with their network. This way you’re not only encouraging your customers to engage with your brand, but you’re also expanding your brand awareness to their networks-it’s a win win!
If you own a small company and are struggling to grow your brand, try using these five tips for small business marketing and see how your company can flourish. In 2014, it’s all about interacting with your customers and making your brand appear unique, innovative, interactive, and mobile.
This article was originally published by The Mail
Published: February 5, 2014
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