Small Business Marketing Ideas to Boost Sales

Launching a small business can be daunting in and of itself. The task becomes more overwhelming when you put marketing into the mix, which is crucial to sustaining profits and attracting potential customers. The thing is, there are many elements of small business marketing that experts will tell you to focus on, but what is necessary to pull in the best results?

As a small business owner, this question may be running through your mind. In this article, you will find the most reliable, fool-proof ways to grow your business with a cost-effective marketing strategy with maximum results. Work on these pillars of small business marketing, and you will see visible growth over time.‍

The Best Small Business Marketing Ideas For Best Results: A Detailed Guide

Provide upfront value through content marketing‍

One of the longest-standing business marketing ideas is using content to attract new clients. When you are a new player in your niche, many customers will unconsciously ask, “What can you bring to the table?” Any target audience for all industries will look for value first when handing in their desire to purchase. An effective way to do this is through content marketing.

 Content marketing is done in a variety of ways, such as:

1. Blog posts: Creating detailed articles on relevant topics while incorporating search engine optimization (SEO) strategies can generate clicks towards your business’s website. The blog post also helps in your overall searchability and ability to provide value for your target audience.
2. Videos: Videos are also considered part of content marketing. Creating engaging videos relevant to your target audience while creating a detailed and optimized description, eye-catching thumbnails, and referral links to your business is one of the newest yet most effective strategies in content marketing. Shooting a video and processing it can take time and effort but do produce results when done correctly.
3. Podcasts: This audio-based content has a unique and strong following of its own. Depending on your niche, you can create exciting podcasts which touch topics that your target audience is interested in. Providing tips, interviewing industry experts, or giving the latest news are some of the ways popular podcasters are marketing their small businesses effectively through a podcast.‍

Things to remember when executing a content marketing strategy:

Prioritize search engine optimization (SEO) in all areas of content marketing.‍

All types of content can be optimized in their respective areas for search engines. Written web content, for example, can be optimized for web search engines such as Google, Yahoo, or Bing. On the other hand, you can also optimize video content since popular platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo are also considered search engines on their own.

Use long-tail keywords, detailed descriptions, and relevant hashtags as necessary. It may take time to rank, but employing SEO in all aspects can drive more organic users towards your small business websites and other platforms. You can use free tools to look for relevant keywords, create meta descriptions or captivating titles based on the type of content you would like to use.‍

Post consistently.‍

Another important facet of content marketing is consistency. Unlike other online marketing strategies, every content is a brick that is a small step towards business success. You cannot succeed with just one brick laid out--you need many of them, and it should be laid out consistently. 

How often you need to post depends on your niche, but many successfully publish content like blog posts, videos, or podcasts at least 1-3 times a week. Other areas of content marketing, such as product descriptions and landing pages, may require only a one-time post, but refining the content may still be necessary over time.‍

Be aware of content marketing updates.‍

If you are a business owner who desires to stay on top of things, it is best to update areas that frequently affect your content marketing strategy constantly. This includes search engine algorithm changes, expert advice, website checkups, and user feedback.‍

Capture emails and create an email marketing strategy.‍

Email marketing is another effective pillar of small business growth. Aside from content marketing, it serves as one of the most effective digital channels where the return of investment (ROI) is the highest. As people often check their emails to go about their daily lives, just having an attention-grabbing email headline can make all the difference for your small business.

You will notice that successful companies do it all the time. Regularly sending in personalized email campaigns, creating eye-catching offers, and giving valuable content through the email channel are also helpful in growing one’s business.

What should you remember when starting an email marketing strategy?

1. Provide something valuable in exchange for the user’s email address: Depending on your industry, you can provide something of value to the target audience. This can be an e-book, a discount coupon, a worksheet, listicles, or any other guide that seems irresistible that they are willing to give an email address for it. 
2. Set up personalized email campaigns: Different marketing tools can help you set up regular campaigns for your email list. According to a category, some robust email marketing tools can group your captured emails to make your campaigns more specific. For example, those who signed up through a landing page may receive different emails than those who signed up through one of your blog posts. This makes the email campaigns more custom-tailored, leading to better results.
3. Employ copywriting strategies: In the heart of effective email campaigns are copywriting strategies designed to hold attention and make each potential customer click. Thus, it is best to find email marketing experts or learn about copywriting techniques yourself to make your campaigns even more effective.

Each email campaign should have concise, easy-to-navigate content, engaging text or graphics, as well as links to click towards your small business website. Regularly changing up headlines and the email body can prevent campaigns from being sent to each user’s spam mailbox.‍

Focus on social media visibility‍

Along with the two main pillars mentioned above, one of the things you can emphasize is your social media visibility. Social media marketing is here to stay for small business owners--it is one of the best ways to spread the word about your content in as many channels as possible. These accounts also serve as social proof of how “popular” and “trustworthy” your business is. More followers and engagement can mean increased trust for your potential audience.

If you are offering a product or service, there are several ways to maximize visibility aside from social media posts. You can also go for sponsored posts, social commerce, or influencers to increase brand awareness on social media platforms.‍

Pointers for social media marketing

1. Experiment and explore different types of social media posts: Each business will benefit from various social media posts. Others can get good engagement on static posts, while some will get more searchability through stories or reels. There are those whose presence is best seen through live sessions.
2. Hashtags are still relevant: Hashtags are still important when it comes to creating social media posts. Big platforms such as Instagram or Twitter still rely heavily on hashtags for increased post searchability. It is also possible for users to now follow hashtags, which can even boost chances for engagement.
3. Consistency is key: Social media marketing is similar to content marketing--one needs consistency to succeed. Since social media feeds are fast-paced, small businesses should post regularly to improve visibility and engagement.‍

Open up opportunities for local business marketing‍

Local business marketing can also help you stay on top of the competition and open doors for potential customers within your community. A portion of your target audience would prefer a local product or service, while some business industries need to be local to complete fulfillment.

Some business owners entirely depend on word of mouth to spread buzz for their local business. Although this is powerful, there are still some ways you can employ online marketing for a physical store or a local service. These can include:

1. Using local SEO: If you have been using keywords that cover a wide net of the target audience, you can also lessen the competition by focusing on your local area. Putting in the name of your city, community, or state in your keyword research can help in finding potential clients in a laser-focused manner.
2. Sponsored posts with target demographics: You can also create pay-per-click (PPC) ads or social media sponsored posts with the target audience focused in your local area. If you have a service or product that can only be fulfilled within your area, eliminating irrelevant users and reducing costs is very important.
3. Post in local directories, classifieds, and other advertisements: There are local online directories and classifieds where you can post about your offers. You can also put in your business information with an address to help search engines crawl your data and lead users to find a local business.

Online marketing does not always mean casting a wide net. It can even be more beneficial for small businesses with physical storefronts to employ the local marketing strategies mentioned above. Casting a smaller yet particular net can significantly help in boosting a local business’s popularity and success.‍

Collaborate and connect with other complementary business owners‍

Running a small business isn’t always about beating the competition. Sometimes, it is also about creating the right networks to succeed. You can find other companies to partner up for mutual benefit, share an audience, or help your brand get featured.

The main idea in collaboration is finding complementary and non-competitive business owners willing to partner with you. Some examples of partnerships you can start on are:

1. Product bundles: Many small business owners are participating in selling a product bundle that includes related items. For example, those in the baby and motherhood niche can offer a baby shower bundle where a combination of baby items and care items for mothers are included.
2. Content creator feature: Content creators are also business owners. If you own a small business that offers a product or service, you can partner up with well-known content creators in your niche or vice versa. This collaboration is mutually beneficial for increased brand awareness and while the small business offers a sponsored fee.
3. Sharing an audience: Some businesses can also benefit from guest posts, podcast features, or video content collaborations to share an audience. This is mutually beneficial to both companies if they are looking to expand their current target audience quickly.‍

Participate or hold in-person and virtual events‍

Events are also one of the most exciting small business marketing ideas you can jump into right away. These events can be related to your niche, a local market, or a seminar that you can hold for your target audience. 

You can both participate in live and virtual events such as:

1. Seminars and conventions: Many seminars and conventions are networking opportunities. This is very useful for business-to-business (B2B) companies looking for potential clients within their sphere.
2. Markets and bazaars: These events are crucial for local business owners who have product or service offerings. Participating regularly in markets and bazaars helps increase your local business recognition and brand awareness within the community.
3. Webinars: Webinars can also be valuable for target audiences looking for upfront value and want to know more about your business. Many successful small businesses use webinars as a sales funnel to get potential clients signed up.
4. Guest shows: If you have the charisma for it, why not? Guest shows are another excellent way to reach a wide range of audiences while adding a boost to your brand awareness.

The key to succeeding at events is through making crucial networks. By engaging in meaningful small talk, handing out business cards, pitching to potential clients, and introducing yourself to new audiences, you can utilize events to make your business grow.‍

Understanding The Pillars Of Small Business Growth: Utilizing Multiple Channels‍

Suppose there is such a central point that needs to be expressed in all the small business marketing ideas mentioned above. In that case, it is the fact that growth relies on using multiple channels both digitally and locally. Having these marketing strategies in your arsenal will be vital for your small business’s success.

Are you looking for an all-in-one online marketing expert to fulfill your small business needs? E-Marketing Associates is your comprehensive platform to implement all the strategies mentioned above. See how we can help your small business grow.