1. Content Marketing
Content (is king, obviously), and it’s one of the best ways to engage new
and existing customers and prospects as well as boost your site in the rankings.
Good content is one of the biggest on-page ranking factors when it comes to SEO, and it’s one that every business can take equal advantage of. Moz identifies good content as:
- Supplying a demand, and
- Linkable
So even if you don’t have the funds hire the best copywriters in your space, you can accomplish those two things. Focus on what you know – you’re the expert, right? So show your audience that.
Try to produce list posts, top 10s, industry best practices, and tip collections for best results.
2. Marketing Ideas For Small Businesses: Video Marketing (Look Into Live Streaming!)
Technically, this could be considered part of your content marketing. But it’s so good we had to give it it’s own space.
Video marketing is absolutely huge right now, and for good reason – overall, video grows revenue 49% faster than non-video content, and 52% of marketers have cited video as the type of content with the best return on investment (ROI).
You can use video to aid your efforts throughout every stage of the sales funnel – from brand awareness, welcome videos all the way through to conversions.
One of the most popular formats right now is live streaming, which allows you to broadcast a video in real time to your audience. It’s an incredibly effective way to engage and connect, and reach your target viewers organically.
Another great aspect of using video is that it’s another means to reach a broad audience without breaking the bank. Because at the end of the day, you don’t really need fancy equipment or graphics, you just need an emotional connection.
3. Repurpose Your Content
Budgeting rule #1: don’t let anything go to waste. That absolutely included your content.
Once you’ve crafted that perfect blog post or filmed your masterpiece, don’t stop there.
Repurpose your blogs into videos, infographics, and Slideshare presentations. Have a great list of tips post? Turn each one into a social media post.
Need some ideas on how to repurpose? I have 92 of ‘em here.
4. Enter Business Award Competitions
Building a reputation for yourself takes time, especially for a small business.
So give your credibility a needed boost by entering some business competitions.
It’s a win/win, really. Obviously, actually winning the award is the best case scenario. But even if you don’t, you’ll still gain recognition and publicity.
To find the best competitions to enter, do some research into your niche and what’s offered. They can be general business awards, or relate specifically to your field.
For ideas, check out this list
5. Promote The Personal Connection
Here’s where small businesses have the biggest advantage: they can offer a level of personal care that many major brands can’t.
Something about a small business brings a sense of attention and connection, while bigger brands have to work a little harder in that respect.
So capitalize on it. Use your social channels to really listen to your audience, and respond promptly with actionable advice or answers to concerns.
Encourage your audience to interact, and set up multiple channels for the to do so – email, social, even phone and text – and highlight the fact that your customers have easy access to a real person when they have problems or concerns.