As a small business, you only have so much money to devote to marketing. This means making the most of free and low-cost online marketing strategies to draw new customers and retain existing ones.
Website
Your business website is your “home base” on the Internet, a central hub from which all of your other web-based efforts should stem. You can use it to showcase your services, allow customers to browse your inventory before coming in to your store or make sales. Including a “click to call” option gives customers quick way to get in touch with any questions they might have.
If your business offers services, add a website form that potential clients can fill out to receive a free consultation or quote. Every time someone enters information into a form, you’re gathering data that can be used for future marketing campaigns.
SEO and PPC
Getting people to come to your website requires targeted keyword marketing using search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) techniques. Both affect the visibility of your website in search results. PPC ads require you to pay a small fee per link clicked, and links are made more noticeable using bold or highlighted text. If you have a very small budget, focusing on SEO marketing has the potential to bring you to the top of organic search results without any monetary investment.
Content Marketing
Adding a blog to your website creates a source of continually updated content that calls out to customers. Establish a regular schedule of posts on topics that interest your audience so that they keep coming back for more.
Sharing your expertise through white papers or downloadable eBooks provides value-added content that establishes you as an industry expert. Offer this type of content in exchange for an email address or newsletter signup to gather customer data.
Sharing a little free information doesn’t hurt, either. Visit relevant online communities and forums, answer questions, post interesting tidbits and comment on other blogs. This interaction leaves behind links to your site that entice potential customers.
Social Media
As the “water cooler” of the Internet, social media is where potential customers gather to share information. Businesses that tap into this environment can learn a great deal about what their target audience wants as well as the prevailing attitude towards different brands. Find out which platforms your customers are using and establish a presence there. Balance interaction with listening to develop a greater understanding of the market and how best to reach them. Apply this knowledge to promotional efforts such as giveaways through your social media channels and watch your customer base grow.
Be Seen and Heard
Videos are a more personal and interactive form of content marketing than text. Whether you share product demonstrations or company updates, you’re showing customers the true face of your brand. This establishes an important connection that other online marketing strategies can’t provide and gives you the opportunity to establish a personality for your business. Videos are also very shareable and have the potential to spread across the social media networks of hundreds, thousands or even millions of potential customers in a short period of time.
Keep it Simple
Above all, don’t put too many irons in the fire. Keep your marketing campaigns simple and direct. Don’t try to be everything to everybody; understand who you’re marketing to and focus on filling their needs. Trying to do too much at once makes it impossible to develop any single marketing strategy to its full potential. Concentrate on the channels that bring in the most traffic and hone your efforts to ensure ongoing success.
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