Sticking to rigid marketing strategies for your business will see your marketing campaign go stale. And never forget that your competitors are investing in new ways of reaching their target consumer base. Say, for example, that your competitive set includes marketing recruitment agencies London, their investment means they will bag those customers that grow tired of you. As such, you need to stay current with the latest marketing trends that companies like Stopgap will take advantage of, so that your strategies stay fresh and appealing. Below are a few tips on how you can keep your marketing campaign for your small business alive.
1. Learn From Competitors
Look at the tactics that the competition employs for their marketing and see what you can customise to suit your business’ needs and attract more customers. You do not want to be the only player in your industry that is stuck on dated techniques that bear little returns. So, do not feel shy when learning from your competitors. That is how you will grasp the game and manage to outwit them.
For instance, the competition might run regular ads on social media channels. You should consider doing the same. Such routine adverts might be a sign that your competitors have found a winning formula that works for them. What you should not do is copy-paste, instead, pick ideas for what you find and come up with something unique for your company based on your targeted consumer base.
2. Get Testimonials
People tend to first look for reviews that will offer them insights on something before they make a purchase. They do this to validate their expenditure, to ensure they are getting quality and value for money. More so, they want to be sure that what they are getting is better than what others are offering. You, therefore, need to convince them that you offer a solution to their problem or need.
You then must ensure this information is visible in different places that your potential customers can find. You can post reviews or respond to various comments and testimonials. Also, consider having a page on your company website where your customers can post reviews. Request your customers to review your business, products or services. You can do this via social media posts or emails. Try and use a personalised approach and direct them to where they can post their reviews.
3. Update Social Media
Social media marketing should not be a new concept to you. Furthermore, it should be among the different promotional tactics you use for your small business. However, having accounts across different social media channels will not suffice if there is nothing significant to show about such a presence.
To leverage your social media presence for marketing purposes, you first need to ensure that the information on your accounts is accurate and current. That means you need to update the business’ social media profile whenever any changes take effect. That goes for the company website, logo, address, work-hours and any other relevant detail.
The second and essential thing to do is to post fresh content regularly. The material you share on your social media pages should be relevant to what you are selling to your customers.
4. Get Out of the Store
In as much as you are the business representative, you should understand that you and your company are two different entities. You, therefore, should put yourself out there more so that people get to know more about you than they do about the business. They need to put a face to the business’ name. It thus means you need to go out there instead of waiting for your customers to come to you.
Invest in local marketing strategies; do this by attending local corporate events and seminars. You can try to get a table or booth at trade shows and other similar events based on the products or services you offer. Fairs, flea markets, expos, and local festivals are all opportunities for you to spread the word as you promote your company.
5. Become an Expert
If you sell yourself as a local expert in your industry, it can help improve your marketing efforts for your small business. It is a tactic that can have a big payoff. However, you need to be genuine about your level of expertise and avoid blowing smoke. Try to find local interest groups that match with your brand and ideals. Attend these group meeting so that you can network as you also try to land new customers while showing off your expertise.
You can also sell your expertise to journalists. But do not go for the angle of having them do a piece about you or your company. Instead, you should offer to do unique stories about your business, industry or area of expertise that they can publish. That way the journalists will reach out to you whenever they need a professional opinion about your niche.