5 Online Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses

Long before the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19), online marketing was established as a significant method for businesses generally to connect with existing clients and find new ones, increase business visibility to new and existing audiences, engage with customers in real time and positively affect the business bottom line.    

For those small businesses that were online pre-COVID-19, the transition to serve clients during the crisis would have been much more seamless allowing some small businesses to experience unprecedented growth during the lockdowns across the globe.

For others though, the transition may have been so difficult that in some cases it caused a complete slowdown or closure of the business.  Now that the imperatives of online is there for everyone to see, small businesses that can pivot to online, are encouraged to get online NOW!

So, what exactly is online marketing?  Online marketing is the process of advertising or bringing awareness of a company’s products, services or brands to existing and potential customers through the internet.  Online marketing, done right, drives traffic to the company’s online platforms, boosts visibility and build brand awareness.

Among the more popular methods of online marketing are; the use of social media platforms, hosting a website, content marketing, email marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

 

The following outlines each method…

1.        Social Media – According to a survey conducted by smallbiztrends.com, approximately 73% of small businesses use social media marketing.  Put that in the context of the following information:

- As of June 2018, Instagram reached 1 billion monthly active users

- In the first quarter of 2020, Facebook had over 2.6 billion monthly active users

- As of the first quarter of 2019, Twitter averaged 330 million monthly active users

- Linkedin has over 575 million users, with more than 260 million monthly active users (Apr. 2020)

- At the end of 2019, Pinterest reported having 322 million monthly active users

Have you digested those numbers yet? Okay, let’s look at it logically.  There is no way that all these persons will be your target audience but certainly, there will be a significant percentage of your target audience on one or more of these platforms.  Depending on the type of business you operate, select the platform, set-up a business account and begin customer engagement.

The key to success on social media is engagement, useful, attractive and practical content and a following of loyal customers that will evangelize your business.  Social media also offers and unique quality in that you can target your business advertising to your specially selected audience.

2.       Website – A website provides your clients with 24-hour access to your business.  It is your storefront (in the case of a commercial business) or front of office (in the case of a service-based business).  Your website should articulate in clear language what the business does, who it does it for, what qualifies the company to do this kind of business and more importantly, why a customer should trust your company to conduct business with you.  If the website is properly done, the last question will be answered through client testimonials and other facts that can back up your integrity. 

For commercial businesses, ecommerce allows the business to operate on autopilot.  Imagine, your business is making money while you sleep, or while you are negotiating the next big distribution contract.  Regardless of size, having an online interface is critical for businesses.  

3.       Content Marketing/Blogging – One of my absolute favourites, maybe because I am a Content Writer.  Blogging is one of the cheapest, most effective ways to get the message about your business in front of your target audience.  If you do not have a website, no problem, sites such as Blogger and Wordpress will host your blog for free, providing free templates that accommodate both text and images and allows for building your audience.  Use your blog to share information about each of your products and/or services and target the blog to your ideal customer audience.  A blog is always best if supported by social media platforms that drive traffic to the blog.

4.       Email Marketing - Email marketing is one of the best methods to increase your business’s return on investment (ROI).  However, with so many messages being sent by so many different businesses, using this same method, it is important to increase your odds with a killer online campaign which helps your message to stand out. Make your email messages stand out by:

-          keeping your messages short and simple

-          giving your message an appropriate subject line,

-          consistently provide useful information

-          give the client the option to ‘opt-out’

5.       Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – SEO is especially important for small businesses because of the many challenges they face with digital marketing.  SBOs have smaller budgets, fewer resources and weaker brand recognition… SEO levels the playing field so that small businesses have an equal opportunity to get found online just as much as their bigger counterparts.  SEO is a tactic used by businesses to make their web pages visible to search engines like Google.  A webpage with a stronger SEO will appear higher on search engine results.  SEO is important for small businesses as most customers now use their mobile phones and search engines to find solutions.

5 marketing tips to prepare your small business for Christmas 2020

After all the topsy-turvy turmoil of 2020, we are finally in the last quarter of the year.  For many, this quarter brings with it, one of the most anticipated shopping holidays of the year, Christmas.  No doubt, many small businesses will be looking to capitalize on the season while consumers will be searching for the best value for their limited funds.

As you position your business for holiday sales, here are few tips to keep you grounded as you prepare:

1.    Have realistic expectations – 2020 has been a roller coaster ride for everyone including small businesses.  Many SMBs have either closed down, are operating part time or remotely.  Based on this new normal, set realistic expectations.  Take into consideration partial shutdowns, curfews and of course consumer spending power. Use current trends to project business performance.  Promote your business in those areas that are proven and sure to yield desired responses.  Emphasize maximizing your limited resources rather than spreading your marketing spend so thin that you achieve nothing.

2.  Start now – If your small business is to capitalize on what Christmas 2020 will bring, starting now is the only option.  There will be two types of customers this shopping period; one who will lay low and do only what’s necessary for the holidays and the other who will go all out for the bells and whistles. Do an inventory of the stock on hand and plan how to move it out now.  Whether its sales or deep discounts, move out the old inventory and prepare for the Christmas stock.  Identify what’s trending in your industry and place your orders now.  If its an international order, work out shipping to ensure that you know exactly how long it will take to get to your port of entry.  In the meantime, begin promoting your Christmas offering now!

3.  Use research to inform everything – Formal or informal, primary or secondary, use research to inform every undertaking this Christmas season.  Research will guide the products/service you invest in, your customer needs and demands and your marketing campaign.  Informed marketing does not support a ‘scattershot’ approach.  Informed marketing supports strategic marketing decisions which are designed to yield the highest return on investment.

4.  Increase your delivery capacity – Many countries are still under stay-at-home orders whether limited or full, therefore increase your business’s capacity to offer delivery services.  One of the positives of using a delivery service is that, it is an ‘as needed’ expense and so your small business does not have to contend with it as a recurring cost.

5.  Identify profitable partnerships – No doubt many SMBs would have set several goals for your business coming into 2020.  Some businesses might have achieved a few of their goals but sure there are others that have not.  Will a partnership help to achieve at least some goals?  Actively look for partnerships and collaborations that will build your business and improve your bottom line during this period.  Although times are challenging, there may be large businesses that will present marketing or other opportunities to their smaller counterparts.  Position your business to capitalize on these opportunities.  There may also be colleague small businesses with complementing products; join forces and clinch the #win for both businesses.

Ten ways to reach ‘offline’ customers during COVID-19

Much emphasis has been placed on connecting with customers digitally in the era of COVID-19 but what about those customers and potentials who are offline? How do you connect with and support them in this time?  Here are ten simple suggestions:

1.       Make a phone call – It may seem old fashioned but picking up the phone and calling a customer with an offer is an act of service.  The customer will be pleasantly surprised and reward your small business with referrals and future purchases.

2.       Text messages – This is quite possibly the quickest and easiest way to reach customers en masse.  Additionally, most mobile phones today have some smart feature that can facilitate high quality image messages.

3.       Send a direct mail – Believe it or not, the post office still works.  Use of other delivery services have also become popular.

4.       Place ads in traditional media – Although traditional advertising placement can cost a pretty penny, prominent ad placements still have the ability to attract the right clients.  Identify the right platforms, days and times so that the media spend targets the right audience.

5.       Talk to the Media – A radio or TV interview or a ‘write-up’ in the newspaper is still a great way to gain visibility and attract new clients.  Despite the emphasis on digital, there are still a significant number of persons who buy and read newspapers and magazines and tune into their favourite radio station.

6.       Run a competition – Competitions have a unique capacity to attract customers in droves especially if it is something they are good at.  Use traditional media outlets and make the competition exclusive for offline customers. Measure its success based on the number of responses, reach and the increased interaction with your business’s product or service.

7.       Offer printed coupons – Whether in-store, through a print advertisement or a flyer/coupon distribution, your business is certain to benefit from the take-up on the discount coupons at this time.

8.       Cross promote – Not only will you reach your offline customers, your business will benefit from and provide support to another, similar or complementary business.  Think of it as double-tapping, doing better together than apart.

9.       Give out business cards – A business card is usually the first piece of printed material that a business generates and it should be one of the primary points of contact with offline customers. Give one to every potential customer your meet, leave them in doctor’s offices and on community noticeboards.

10.   Invest in outdoor advertising – This doesn’t necessarily mean an expensive billboard.  It could be a ‘small’ sign on the signboard of the business complex within which your business operates or maybe a foam/stickie sign on the entrance door of your business establishment. Whatever you choose, ensure it identifies your business so that potential ‘offliners’ will see and act on.

How are you connecting with offline clients today?