No one can buy your products if they don’t know about them, and that is why it is essential for all small businesses to get their marketing strategy right. However, all too often mistakes are made that mean your SME doesn’t get the coverage or attract the customers that it needs to succeed. Luckily, in the post below you will find out some of the most common problems with small business marketing, as well as how to rectify these. Read on to find out more.
You don’t capitalize on your USP.
ISP or your unique selling propositions should be one of the cornerstones of an effective marketing campaign. However, all too often small business forget to outline to their customers what makes them special and unique. Of course, this is a wasted opportunity, because especially in small business, a high level of service, a quick turnaround times, and even any customization that you can offer to each client can win you custom.
Therefore be sure to include an USP box on the front page and checkout page of your website. List those things that make you different and better than your competitors, and reassure potential customers that they are in fact making the right decision spending their money with you rather than anybody else. Your profit margins will thank you for it.
You’re not online in the most effective way.
If you are reading this post and you don’t have a website, you may be beyond help, because who wouldn’t have a cheap and effective way of reaching millions of potential customers all over the world?
However, even if your small business is online, your website and other activity may not be doing you justice. In fact, significant mistakes in their areas can include not optimizing for mobile, using a drag and drop site instead of a custom built one, and not having an active social media presence.
Getting your social media marketing right is vital for small businesses.
Firstly, at least 70% of people check out products and brands that they are considering buying, on their smart devices first. Therefore it is vital that your website looks as good on a mobile device as it does on a desktop. What this means is that you can’t just scale it down and hope it will work the same. Instead, you need to put some effort into creating a mobile version of your site that retains the essential functionally, but can be displayed on a smaller screen.
Secondly, when it comes to websites, custom-built ones are the gold standard, even for smaller businesses. Yes, they will cost a little more to create, and you may wish to wait until you have a regular income stream rolling in before you shell out on an investment like this.
However, when you do decide to go for it the advantages to your business can be huge, as having customer site means better UX and UI and so happier customers, as well as the opportunity to insert a sales funnels into the structure of the site which. Something that will allow you to meet each site visitor at the level of interest they are displaying. Therefore even if they don’t make a purchase, you can encourage them to interact and leave contact details that will allow you to turn them into a warm lead to capitalize on later.
Lastly, regarding your online presence don’t forget that it’s vital that your social media offerings live up to the quality and branding of the rest of the content you are putting out on your site. To this end, one or two line posts merely promoting your products are a no-no. Instead, humanize your business by commenting on others threads, promote limited time special offers, and offer entertaining videos or useful content like ‘how to guides’ to engage and increase your following.
You forget about IRL as well.
IRL, or in real life marketing is as important as what you do online, especially if your business is one that works on a local model, (It provides services primarily for those located in a specific area).
With this in mind, don’t forget to up your game when it comes to real life marketing. To do this you can support and sponsor local events, especially charity ones as the goodwill people hold towards a cause can often rub off on your small business. Just make sure that it is brand appropriate.
Then there are real-life marketing materials that can be used such as flyers and even button badges, something that you can get more info on by clicking the link. Of course, when using IRL marketing products, it’s vital to ensure they are of the best quality and free of any mistakes because they are intended to represent your company in the best light possible.
You have no cohesive plan.
Next, a major marketing problem that many smaller businesses come across is that they have no cohesive plan for what they are doing. In fact, in smaller companies where there is not a dedicated marketing team, it can be easy to fall into a reactive pattern of noting that sales are low and picking one marketing approach to try and rectify this.
However, marketing needs to be seen as a more integrated part of your business that is happening all of the time and driving a regular stream of potential clients your way. To that end, a plan with different phases, and content for different platforms is essential, as is the ability to monitor the result of these and teak them. Something that can help to ensure they remain effective in driving profits in the long term.
Your marketing isn’t targeted.
Lastly, while it would be nice to think you have a product that appeals to everyone, the reality for smart small businesses is that there will only be a small group of people that will actually buy their items.
What this means is that it is crucial you know who these people are and how to appeal to them in term of marketing. The first stage of this is to identify the specific demographic in terms of age, gender, location, and income bracket that you will be selling to.
Targeting the correct market is necessary for small business success.
The second stage is to then come up with marketing ideas across different platforms that directly appeal to this demographic. Then you will be able to ensure that your material are targeted to where they will make the most significant positive difference to your sales.
