If you have a small or medium-sized business, you know the importance of increasing your profile and coming up with effective marketing strategies. As consumers’ attention spans get ever shorter, it becomes more challenging to get them to respond to your calls to action.
Here are four simple marketing tactics that will help SMBs reach a wider audience.
Video Marketing
The number of people who watch videos today on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and many other platforms continues to grow. Videos give you a chance to show and tell people about your business. You can get lots of leverage out of a single video, posting it on your website, YouTube, Facebook and other social media sites.
A recent study reveals that people share videos 1200 percent more times than text and links combined. You don’t need to spend a fortune on professional equipment. Even simple videos made with smartphones can be used to tell compelling stories and point out the benefits your company offers.
You also have a wide choice of formats. Webcam videos give you a chance to talk to your customers in a personal way. If you don’t like appearing in front of the camera, you can create a whiteboard animation video that explains your products or services. Video marketing is one of the most powerful ways to reach your audience today.
Loyalty and Referral Programs
Both loyalty and referral programs help you attract more customers and keep your current customers returning. A loyalty program rewards customers for repeated business. A simple approach is to give customers cards that get punched every time they buy something, whether it’s a cup of coffee, an oil change or a salon treatment.
You can also create online loyalty programs. Referral programs recruit your customers as marketers and reward them for bringing you new business. These work well online, where you can give people a discount, coupon or another reward every time they refer a new customer.
You can also do this offline, though. You simply need a way to track referrals. There are now apps that make this easier. Depending on your business model, both loyalty and referral programs are great ways to get more customers.
Signs, Posters, and Billboards
Many businesses today are so focused on social media, email and other types of digital marketing that they overlook valuable opportunities to reach people with traditional offline tactics. Companies that specialize in large format printing in the Chicago area and elsewhere offer products such as posters, signs, billboards and window graphics that are still very effective.
If you have a brick and mortar business, compelling signage helps to draw in foot traffic. Billboards on highways, buildings and in public transportation systems can promote any type of business. As online marketing gets saturated, there are benefits to creating offline marketing materials that people see in the real world.
Become an Expert in Your Industry
Positioning yourself as an authority in your industry, whether it’s related to food, pets, real estate, automobiles, health or anything else, is a powerful and low-cost way to promote any business. There are many ways to do this but you have to be willing to get in the public eye.
Offer to give public talks at your local library, community college or business organization. Create a podcast. Write an e-book providing helpful information to your audience. Even blogging can position you as an expert if you do it consistently and create great content. These are all ways to increase your visibility and indirectly promote your business.
SMBs need marketing tactics that are affordable as well as effective. The above are some examples of low-cost strategies that help attract attention to your business. No matter what type of marketing techniques you employ, it’s important to track your results so you know whether the method is worth pursuing or not.