Marketing Ideas for Small Business
I recently read a great article from sbinfocanada about low-cost advertising opportunities for small business and as I’m constantly posed this exact question by clients, I thought I would share some of the best points I found.
Small Business, small to micro budget right? While that statement may well be true for most, opportunities definitely abound for low-cost and sometimes even free promotion. If you’re selective and willing to invest some time looking around, you can get the word out about your small business without breaking the bank.
Marketing without first correctly targeting your demographic is a waste of time!
1) Promote your business wherever you are by creating a simple promotion kit (cards, brochures etc.)
2) Get free publicity for your business by involving local newspapers in your grand openings, moves, or charity events.
3) Create a Website if you don’t already have one.
4) Create a Blog for your business and visit and comment on other blogs regularly.
5) Create Social Media Profiles for your Business on Facebook & Twitter & get active on them!
Get more Marketing Ideas for Small Business!
6) Create a short Video about your products, or services and post it on YouTube.
7) Become a Radio or Podcast guest.
8) Develop business partnerships and Do cross-promotion with other businesses.
9) Send out Promotions with your Invoices. We expect the bill, we’re surprised by an offer or gift!
10) Create an Email Newsletter. Yes. You. Should.
11) Network on the ‘Net. All this takes is some time.
12) Carry other people’s business cards. Crazy you say? Business promotion is a circle, not a straight line.
13) Join a face-to-face networking group. People do business with people, not numbered corporations.
15) Participate & Support local business mixers/trade fairs.
16) Ask for Referrals. It’s okay to ask for a little help – No-one does it all alone!
17) Advertise your business on your vehicle.
Marketing Ideas for Small Business
Granted some of these points will seem obvious to many, especially if you have been in business for a while. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel here, rather just point out some great promotional opportunities that often get overlooked.
- Be original in your marketing content – show them a little piece of you.
- Tell stories about your business and your brand – connect through real life experiences that your customers will actually connect to.
- Build Tribes* as the wonderful Seth Godin put it : *A tribe is any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea. Connecting the two can literally create magic. I can’t tell you how many small focused business sessions and workshops I’ve attended where once the ice has broken in the room, the energy in the air is almost palpable. Like minds…
Running a small business is damn hard work and arguably one of the most difficult things you will ever attempt in this life. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart, but done properly, with the right systems and support people in place it can also be one of the most rewarding experiences one can have.
What about you? Do you have a tip or two you would like to add to this list to help a fellow small business owner out?
PS: And no, we do not have a Tom Cruise “thing” going on – just loved the quote :)
[Image credit: Jerry Maguire (1996) TriStar Pictures | Gracie films]