We’re living through a time of unprecedented change. Not only is there a pandemic spreading across the globe, but there are technological revolutions quietly altering just about every facet of modern life too. With all of this going on, the demands on our attention are greater than ever they have been – and thus it’s tricky for smaller businesses to remain in the public eye.
Business owners have access to a wide range of marketing strategies, through which they can maintain visibility, even during a crisis. Let’s take a look at a few of them, and see if we can help determine which are appropriate for your circumstances.
Be Everywhere
There are dozens of online marketing avenues for you to consider, many of which are free to use. Don’t make the mistake of just picking a favourite and asking your customers to come to you. Instead, make accounts on every major social network, and cross-post across all of them. That way, you’ll be able to reach every cross-section of your would-be audience.
Don’t Neglect Physical
Just because we live in the digital age doesn’t mean that we need to neglect physical advertising. Leaflets, catalogues and booklets provide a different kind of message to readers– one that they’ll spend more time reading, and attach greater value to. Local businesses can get superior results from dropping flyers and menus through doors, and by installing banners in prominent, visible locations.
Encourage Positive Reviews
A significant portion of modern online shoppers will seek some reassurance prior to making a purchase. Among the most powerful of these is the online review. This will demonstrate that real people are using and enjoying your products and services. You might encourage and incentivise satisfied customers to act as evangelists on your behalf. If you’ve done a really good job, then they might not need much persuasion!
Personalise Your Company
When a customer is able to put a face and a personality to the product that they’re buying, then they might go out of their way to support you – particularly if you’ve gone out of your way for them. In the modern internet, it’s difficult to compete solely on price. But if you’re able to put a little bit of yourself out there, you’ll be able to form an emotional connection with customers that a big corporation can’t rival.
Consider Sampling
Free samples are a fantastic way to demonstrate the appeal of your products – especially if that appeal might not be easily conveyed through words and images. Sampling works fantastically for everything from hot sauces to washing powders – but make sure that you do your research and send the samples only to customers that are statistically likely to convert.
Don’t Neglect Branding
If your business is to become a household name, then it’ll need to have the right branding. This might be something personal, or it might be something that you bring in a professional graphic designer to take care of.