by Sharon Jones
You may think that getting your small business's name out there, and attracting as many customers as possible is a service that you have to pay specialist through the nose for. However, this isn't necessarily the case. In fact, you absolutely can DIY some of the most effective marketing tasks both on and offline. A topic you can get more information on in the post below.
Online - SEM
Search engine marketing is a massive topic that covers SEO and PPC. It's also one that is often mistaken as being very difficult to master. Small business will be pleased to discover, however, that when it comes to both PPC and SEO, there is much that they can do themselves. Something that will provide them not only with more direct control and flexibility but that can save a fortune as well.
Of course, this means that when it comes to SEO and PPC, you need to acquaint yourself with the latest search engine updates, and what information and content they are prioritizing. A topic you can get more information on in the video below.
Additionally, to be as effective as possible with DIY SEM, you will need to get good at reading the data that such strategies produce, and using this to inform decisions as you go forward. Luckily, for things like PPC, there are often dashboards that break down the necessary information for you. Something that means you can easily see what is effective and what parts need further work without having to resort to seeking professional advice.
Offline - More traditional marketing methods
When it comes to offline marketing that you can DIY, there are a whole range of choices. Of course, sometimes it is the most simple things that work the best! What that means is printing off flyers that can be distributed door to door or give out to interested parties in public places is a smart move.
In fact, many businesses now also leave flyers under the windscreen wipers of cars in supermarket car parks. Something that makes sense because depending on the supermarket used, you can better tailor the demographic you will be aiming it at.
Oh, and don't forget some of the most essential elements of design that will ensure your flyers gets notices instead of putting straight into the bin! Which include visual hierarchy, with the vital text being in the largest font, as well as using clear, bold images, and even printing on bright paper!
Banners are another offline technique that you can use to market your small business. In fact, they can be incredibly effective if you make them large enough to be seen over distance and then potential customers will be able to view them from the road, or across a crowded convention centre.
Of course, it is vital that your banner looks as professional as possible, as you will be trying to create a lasting positive impression. With that in mind, it may be worth getting the printed completed by a professional firm, or investing in something like one of these wide format printers that will allow you to produce banners on site. This being something that can help to make the entire process much quicker and even save money on professional printer fee over the long term.
Online - Email marketing
What is more valuable than a new warm lead? A customer that has already bought from you, that's what! The reason being that they have already shown trust in your brand, and parted with their hard earned money for your product, something that means they are likely to do so again.
Of course, there are marketing strategies that you can use to increase the likelihood of this happening. One is to use email marketing to target previous customers, something that can be particularly effective if you include special offers and coupons and that can be created easily in a program like MailChimp without the need for outside help.
Just remember to make sure that any offers are timed to create as much urgency as possible! Oh, and don't forget the critical thing when it comes to email marketing is to have a killer subject line, something you can learn more about in the video below.
Offline - Community networking and support
Another form of marketing that your small business can DIY is using networks and local community connections. In fact, by appealing to your local area by getting involved in IRL charity projects, sponsoring sports games, and even having a presence at festivals and celebrations (if appropriate) you can help those that live around you to see you as part of their community.
Of course, this is a highly valuable form of marketing, not only because many businesses are dependent for their customers locally, particularly ones with perishable products, but also because of the way that SEO is now being prioritized by location as well. After all, if they search for businesses near to them, and your name comes up and they then associated with a positive experience or cause, customers are much more likely to pick you over any other competitors.
Online & offline combined - Digital signage
Finally, as you can see from the sections above the distinction between online and offline marketing that you can DIY isn't always very clear. In fact, there are many ways to combine the two for maximum effect.
One in particular hat it's worth considering is digital signage. That is LED signs that sit in a real-life location such as outside of your business, or inside in the entrance or at the cash register.
Of course, as they ate digital, it means you can change the messages very quickly, and you can even create exciting and eye-catching designs and color scheme to make them more effective too.
In fact, all this can be done very simply onsite, by your employees by just following the programming instructions that come along with your digital signage. Something that makes them a perfect choice for small businesses that wants to control and produce their own marketing.