Small Business Marketing with Limited Resources

News
Jeremy


 Just because you own a small business with less-than-extravagant resources does not mean you cannot have the effects of great marketing that large businesses do. As a small business, you too can use the awesome tools that are around you that you may not even realize you possess.

Here are a few ways to make marketing work for you and on your business’s budget.

1. Think from Your Customer’s Prospective. Before spending tons of money on marketing strategies that might prove fruitless, take the time to determine what would be most beneficial to your customers. Put yourself in their shoes – what types of emails would you respond to? How often would you want to be contacted, and in which ways? By viewing your future marketing from their eyes, you will thus improve the productivity of whichever avenues you choose to pursue.

2. Don’t Constantly Push Sales. Your customers know that you are a business who is trying to sell them your products. It is not necessary to bombard them with fliers and emails that constantly persuade them to purchase your services or sale items. Instead, focus on establishing a level of trust with your customers. Offer them interesting and informative content, but without the pressure of buying everything you have in stock. Once they feel comfortable with you and your business, they will no doubt come to you when they are ready to buy.

3. Go Digital. Building the solid types of relationships with customers mentioned above takes a good amount of time and effort, which, for a small business owner, can be difficult to find. In order to ensure you are able to spend an adequate amount of time dedicated to connecting with customers, it may prove helpful to hand your load of administrative work over to an automated, digital system. Busy-work tasks such as managing call logs, organizing folders and spreadsheets, keeping up on follow-ups, and tracking down customer files can all be eliminated by simply using a small business CRM. All of your customer notes, contract information, and log activity will be orderly and categorized within the system, allowing you to focus on more important things, such as building and strengthening those connections.

4. Follow-Up. All too often, businesses will go to extreme lengths and efforts to reach out to customers only to completely disregard them upon completion of the sale. Customers are extremely valuable to small businesses, as they not only are likely to become returning, loyal customers, but there is also the chance that they will refer your business to their friends and family. Whether through their continued purchases or free marketing, your customers are definitely an asset to your company. Treat them well and follow-up with them on a frequent basis. The stronger your relationship with them, the stronger their probability to help increase your business’s profits and overall success.