According to The Small Business Association, there are approximately 30.2 million small businesses in the U.S. alone. With this in mind, you need to look for a competitive edge to get a leg up on your competition. Regardless of your industry, you need a solid marketing strategy for you to achieve success. Fortunately, there are some marketing tools that can help grow your business.
Marketing Tools Your New Business Should be Using
Social Media
Social media platforms have changed how people market their businesses. To start getting clients from social media, you need to create an account. Be sure to set it as a business account where applicable. For example, and Instagram business profile or a Facebook business page.
Through social media platforms, you can interact with potential clients and gain measurable results. There are several social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter, that you can use to market your business to the right audience.
The key with using social media as a marketing tool is to be social. Share useful content, as opposed to pushing sales all day. Engage with fans and be sure to respond to comments and questions. Finally, be proactive in reaching out to potential customers and influencers. Competition is fierce, and you can’t sit idle waiting for customers to find you.
A Business Website
In our current tech-based world, customers will always Google search your business before they can contact you. Therefore, you will need a business website to show your clients that you’re real, the services or products you offer, and information about your business. Your business website will also help your startup get its name out there through followers.
There is no substitute for a company website. When you are a new startup, people want to make sure you are legitimate business before they become a customer. Yes, your credibility is still questionable to the general public.
A landing page, direct messages via social media, and texting do not stand alone as a professional digital presence. After all, if you can’t take the time to put together a simple website with information about you, your products and services, and contact information, why would a prospective customer buy from you? Your competitors have taken the time to build a professional presence, and so should you.
As a startup, you have to stretch each outgoing dollar. You can get an affordable website by using a Squarespace promo code. However, keep in mind that one of the most important things about having a business website is updating it frequently with fresh content. This is where a blog becomes invaluable. A dormant website is worth nothing.
Google My Business
Information about your business will be found on the Internet. However, it’s important that you control what people find when they Google it. You can do this by creating your profile on Google My Business. This is a simple and free service, and it will help show your business both on Google searches and Google Maps.
Although Google is important when it comes to showing information about your business, there are other sites where your business can be found. Therefore, ensure that the information on these sites is correct.
YouTube and Flickr
Recent statistics indicate that visual content has more impact on customer engagement and sales. I think we can all agree, people love video. However, for you to succeed in visual content marketing, the content you put should be appealing and relevant to your target clients. Through YouTube, you can distribute all kinds of videos.
Flickr is another tool that can give you a competitive edge by allowing you to store all your business photos. Additionally, you can link images back to your website. You can also set your images to be used by others online, furthering your exposure to potential customers.
Coupons and Referral Rewards
Offering coupons or free services and products will help turn your one time customers into loyal, repeat customers. A happy and satisfied customer will come back and also tell their friends about your business. Turn your existing customers into brand ambassadors by offering coupons. Your brand ambassadors will in turn help promote your services or products.
For service-based businesses, a referral reward system will also do the trick. Provide an incentive for those clients who want to share your business with friends. From a percentage off of services, to digital punch cards and exclusive bonuses, everyone likes to get a perk.
Final Thoughts
To run a successful business, you need to make use of a variety of marketing tools. However, the marketing tools you use will depend on your needs and objectives. Although what works for your competition may not always work for you, any business can benefit from the above marketing tools and technology.
Ciao,
Miss Kemya
