Uncategorizedhow to market your small business

Consumers are rapidly changing the way they learn about products, services, and local venues. Businesses that adjust their marketing strategies to effectively stay in front of their target customer base have a competitive edge in 2019. In this post, we’ll look at the top 10 ways on how to market your small business in 2019.

1. Email Marketing

Email marketing improves customer retention, drives sales and gives you a massive ROI. Even in 2019, email marketing is as lucrative as ever. Most people still use their email every day, and oftentimes, they’re using it to handle financial matters, such as paying bills and obtaining receipts. This makes email a great place to talk about your products and services and invite people to buy. You also want to provide your list with great content that shows your company’s expertise and helps you build a lasting relationship with your consumers.

All you need is an email marketing software to start collecting email addresses through your website and even in your local storefront. You can send out emails to your list that keeps them consistently engaged with your brand. You can offer special discounts to members of your list and promote your latest products or services to them. You can also collect valuable information from them through survey offers to learn about your customer base’s likes, dislikes, and needs.

2. Facebook And Instagram Ads

Facebook ads and Instagram ads can reach your target customer base where they hang out the most. These are some of the most affordable advertising platforms in 2019, and they deliver the highest click-through rates, resulting in an excellent ROI. They’re also great at targeting your ideal customer or client because they leverage user engagement on social media to determine their interests, demographics and other valuable data. These ad platforms work great for local businesses since you can set them to display on mobile devices that are within a set radius of your business location. 

Your business doesn’t even have to be on Instagram or have a Facebook page for you to start leveraging the platforms with paid advertising. Your ads can direct users to whichever link you want to bring them to, whether that’s your email list opt-in or a sales page.

3. Investing In Quality Signage

Signs that represent your business can draw in customers not just by telling them you exist, but also by making a good first impression. If you have a poor-quality sign, people will assume your business lacks quality. That’s why it’s crucial to invest in a great promotional sign that sets the tone for your business and for the experience your future customers will have with you. Your sign should tell potential customers why they should choose your business over competitors offering something similar. Convey the most important and relevant information to capture their interest. Every sign should have a call to action encouraging customers to check out your website or a local venue and provide an incentive such as a sale or limited-time offer.

4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

In 2019, search engine optimization (SEO) is more important than ever. According to Google Inside Search, there are over 60 trillion web pages on the Internet, and the number is continually growing. SEO is what gets you in front of your target customers when they search for anything related to your business or the products or services you offer. You can implement an SEO strategy by working with a professional SEO service or by learning SEO yourself.

You can use tools like Ubersuggest to research which keywords are currently driving the most visitors to your website, and create blog posts that incorporate those keywords. You can also look at which keywords are driving users to your competitor’s website, and try to compete by incorporating those into your website. If you have a WordPress website, you can use plugins like Yoast SEO, which allows you to easily put in a keyword-rich meta description and meta title (the text that shows up on Google search) whenever you write a new blog post or web page.

5. Speak At Local Meetups

Speaking at local events and meetups is a great way to establish yourself as a leader in your community for your industry. Think about valuable information you could share with people that would make a difference to them while showing off your expertise. Use your local Chamber of Commerce or Small Business Alliance to help you find local meetups looking for local speakers. You can also create your own meetup event using a platform like Meetup.com, or you can send out event invites from your business’s Facebook page. Especially if you’re a local brick-and-mortar business, it pays to step outside the virtual world of digital marketing and get out and about in your community.

6. Create A Facebook Group

Facebook groups are great for highly targeted marketing because they’re made up of people who share a common interest or need. A group comprised of people who match your target customer gives you many opportunities to increase brand awareness and establish your business’s expertise. People use Facebook groups to ask questions they need answers to, which gives you the chance to show off your expertise or specialized skills.

You can answer the questions directly and include a link to one of your blog posts for further information. While this type of marketing isn’t aggressive or aimed at making direct sales, it can go a long way in helping you grow your brand and establish an online presence, especially when you’re a new business.

7. Tailor A Social Media Strategy To Your Target Customer Base

There are a lot of social media platforms out there, but you don’t have to be everywhere at once. Your target audience isn’t everywhere at once, so you want to find out exactly where they are and spend most of your time there. If your target audience is middle-aged moms, for example, you might make Pinterest and Facebook the focal points of your social media strategy. If you’re trying to reach a younger audience, go for Twitter and Instagram. If you’re in the B2B industry, you want to build some “clout” on LinkedIn. Knowing your audience will help you determine which platforms will give you the biggest return on your time.

Out of all the places you should be marketing online, social media is the number one place to show genuine personality and break the ice with your audience. Besides authenticity, what makes social media “tick” is a visual appeal. Without images that stand out, it’s hard to get noticed or be remembered among the crowd of other social media accounts. Incorporate plenty of images, videos, and infographics in your posts, no matter which platform you’re on. 

8. Vehicle Wraps

Vehicle wraps are a great way to promote your local business. Unlike social media ads, which require you to continually pay for clicks, vehicle wraps are an initial investment that pays off every time you drive your vehicle (or even park it outside). According to ARD Ventures, vehicle advertising generates around 30 to 70 thousand impressions a day.

A vehicle wrap acts as a digitally-printed mobile billboard. Professionals like Accurate Signs can print durable wraps in vibrant color with eye-catching graphics of your choice. You can choose a full wrap, which covers the entire vehicle and its windows, or a partial wrap. A top-quality vinyl wrap can easily last you three to five years.

9. Sponsor A Local Sports Team

If you’re a local small business, sponsoring a local sports team is a great way to show up in your community and build some positive awareness around your brand. It’s a great way to gain visibility in front of locals in your community. Associating yourself with the sports team your target customers already love makes you look good, too. Seeing your logo as you take on a supportive role in the community is a huge boon for your business. Sports team fans will be more likely to think of your business the next time they need your product or service and will choose you over your competitors because of the association. If your target audience is moms or dads, sponsor a youth league to get in front of them. 

10. Offer Free Samples Or Demos

Giving people a sample or demo of your product or service is a great way to gain customers because they get to experience your business first-hand, instead of just learning about it. You don’t want to give away free samples to just anyone. When you do your research and target the right people, free samples can result in a huge ROI. Bring free samples to a business you know can benefit from your product, or show up with free samples at an event your target customers will be at. If you have a digital product or service, offer demos to users who sign up for your email list.

In Conclusion

In today’s digital age, small businesses have more opportunities than ever to accurately target and effectively engage their consumers. But as an increased level of competition has companies scrambling to maintain a hold on their target demographic, businesses that include local marketing tactics as part of their overall strategy will have a competitive edge. No matter where you market yourself, however, the image your company conveys will set the tone for your level of success. 

Accurate Signs provides professional vehicle wraps, promotional signs, car decals, and vinyl vehicle lettering for businesses in Mesquite, Garland, Sunnyvale, and other businesses in the Dallas, TX area, so you can promote your business on the go and create a great impression from anywhere. Contact Accurate Signs today!