If you’re a small business, you may not have a massive marketing budget. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t launch a successful campaign. Sometimes, simple methods work best. It’s all about designing a tailored scheme that works for your business. Here are some tips to help you spread the word, and boost sales.
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Local marketing strategies
Are you opening a new business in a village or a small town? Are you planning to attract attention through footfall and word of mouth? If so, don’t be afraid to stick with traditional marketing techniques. Methods like flyering and putting adverts in newspapers and local publications can be extremely effective. If you’re opening a shop or restaurant, try and ensure that as many people know about your venture as possible. You want the tills to be ringing as quickly as possible. Host a launch event or offer incentives for the first night. You could offer a free bottle of wine for the first ten bookings, for example. If your business is located in the heart of the community, don’t underestimate the importance of passing trade. Put up large posters and banners to inform people about the opening date, and give them more information about upcoming events.
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Online marketing
Most businesses have a website now. Even if you’re not planning to spend thousands on online marketing, it’s worth having a website. Here, you can provide people with information about your business, and offer answers to questions they may have. For a restaurant owner, for example, a website is fantastic platform to show people menus and photographs. You can also include news updates using a blog and offer online booking. When you’re thinking about your website, consider your options. You could use a do it yourself template, or you may prefer to use a professional web design company. Make sure your website address is clearly visible on all your branded material.
Once you’ve got a fully-functional website, you can try and attract more clients using social media sites like Facebook. By setting up a free page, you can communicate and interact with hundreds, even thousands of people. Use your page to promote events, tell people who you are and what you’re doing, and encourage them to find out more about your business. You may find that you gather a large following simply by people who follow you asking others to share your pages and posts. However, it is also possible to branch out using advertising. This means that your pages will be seen by thousands of people. Always ensure that your social media accounts link to your website and vice versa.
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Often, small businesses have a limited budget when it comes to marketing and advertising. The good news is that you don’t have to spend millions to achieve success. The key is often to tap into the local marketplace and build an established client base. Make use of tried and tested marketing methods like posting adverts, hanging posters, and flyering. Design a website to give your business another dimension, and use social media to put your business on the map. Good luck!
