Marketing Techniques Some Entrepreneurs May Have Overlooked
Guest post by Amber Ramsey.
Marketing a business takes a lot of hard work and creativity, but it’s a necessary part of building a successful company. What many entrepreneurs forget, however, is that even with all the tech-friendly resources available these days, sometimes the old-fashioned techniques work just as well. From eye-catching billboards to informative flyers, there are several simple advertising options that will benefit your business either alone or paired with digital methods. When you’re ready to start marketing your business, consider these tips:
Act locally
Many small businesses focus on reaching a wide audience online and forget how crucial the local market is. It’s important to get out there and meet other local business owners as well as familiarize yourself with the neighborhood so you can create a recognizable presence in the community. While you’re networking, you can pass out flyers and business cards or tack them up on community boards inside coffee shops and grocery stores. This may seem like an old-fashioned method of advertising, but with the right colors, logo, and wording, your flyer will make a big impression.
Make it catchy
Flyers are a great way to saturate your community with specific information about your business, such as an upcoming sale. Want to make a big impact with fewer words? Come up with a catchy slogan and create a dazzling logo that can be used on billboards, stickers, and postcards in order to build curiosity and excitement about your business. These can be used to garner attention via advertising and will also be a great addition to your website or app.
Give them a deal
Advertising and deals go hand-in-hand, whether you choose to create flyers and billboards or an email marketing campaign. That’s why setting up a customer loyalty program and offering coupons and other deals are perfect ways to drum up business and lure customers back in. Set up a mailing list so you can send out postcard coupons, and think about the types of deals you can offer those who sign up for a loyalty program. Be sure to keep it simple so that customers can understand it; otherwise, you may lose them during a lengthy explanation of the benefits when they’re trying to check out.
Consider your target market
While flyers, billboards, coupons, and cards are a great way to make potential customers sit up and take notice, it’s essential to make sure you can define your target market since this will help you figure out where to focus your efforts. Think about the type of customer your products or services are likely to draw in, asking yourself what their age group is, where they live, and why they need your product. Consider asking your current customers to take a survey on why they chose your business and how they discovered it, as this is a great way to create a focused marketing effort that fits your budget.
Use your web presence
Even if your business doesn’t operate through e-commerce channels, you still need a website as a part of an effective marketing strategy. And if you’re using your website properly, you’ll need to account for potential cyberattacks. Exposing customer data through a security breach is one of the fastest ways to lose the customers you spent so much energy marketing to, so take your cyber security seriously.
Creating a successful marketing program takes time, so sit down with your team members and do a little research into the ins and outs of advertising traditionally. Think about the kinds of benefits your customers will expect so you can make the most of your methods while targeting your ideal market.
This article is brought to you by Dr. Frank Niles.
