Marketing is time-consuming and can be expensive. If you’re a small or medium-sized business, picking the best approaches and maximising your return on investment are both critical.
It’s much better to do one or two things well if your resources are stretched than to spread your resources too thinly.
Of course, it’s also vital to have a good plan in place in the first place. But what avenues should you be focusing on?
Here, we take a look at 5 simple but effective marketing approaches that can help boost fans and followers and then convert them to customers.
1. Word of Mouth is Your Most Powerful Tool
Getting people to talk about your business is half the battle when it comes to marketing. If you’re trying to stand out on social media and get your brand noticed it can be pretty hard work, however.
One way to boost your visibility is to build relationships with online influencers. If you can get to know them and try out your product or service, you’ll reach a much wider audience if they become solid fans.
Influencers don’t need to have millions of followers either. Experts in your sector or fans of your products with smaller followings can be just as powerful and they are usually much easier to get to know. Check out these tips for finding brand influencers online.
2. Business Cards Still Work
They may seem old-fashioned but business cards still pack a punch in today’s digital world. The essential elements of professional business cardsinclude all your contact details including website and social media accounts as well as important phone numbers.
Business cards also have stickability. People hang onto them and they are seen regularly, either in a wallet or on a desk, keeping you in the mind of the recipient more often than you may think. The good news is that business cards are cheap to print and deliver a strong return on investment.
3. Try a Referral Program
If you have a certain type of business, putting in place a referral program can certainly help attract new customers. This works by offering an existing customer a gift if they get one of their friends or family members to buy your product or sign up for your service. This could be something as simple as a gift token or membership benefits.
According to Social Media Today, marketers use them a lot because they are considered the 2nd highest source of quality leads. People who come to you via referral schemes also tend to be more invested and interested in what you have to offer.
4. Google My Business
Google is by far the most widely used search engine so figuring high in the rankings is vital. If you cater to a local audience, one of the easiest ways to do this is to complete your free Google My Business listing.
When you search on Google for somewhere local (such as a restaurant or hardware store), it comes up with a map with relevant businesses highlighted. Make sure you complete your listing properly and you should expect to show up in local searches and attract more new customers.
5. Don’t Forget Print Marketing
Finally, like business cards, it may seem old-fashioned but print marketing – where you send a flyer or catalogue through the post – still delivers great results. Flyers can sit on the hallway table for days and months, are viewed by everyone who visits and often also end up getting pinned to boards in areas like the kitchen.
Printing costs for flyers are also the lowest they’ve ever been, helping them deliver a strong return on investment.
