According to data from B2B Marketing, “Every month there are now over 10.3 billion Google searches; with 78 percent of US internet users researching products and services online.” With the changes in marketing brought on by an increasingly technology-driven society, a new exploration and understanding of how to market your business is essential to maintain and expand your business. Here are our top five ways to market your small business:
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Social Media: Develop your business profile and image on social networking sites like facebook, twitter, pinterest, Google+, LinkedIn, etc. With 59% of marketers using social media for six hours a week, we know that this is becoming a primary means of marketing your business and engaging new customers.
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Website: Make sure your website is user-friendly, clearly relates your company’s mission, and provides clear contact information. Because a website is a reflection of your company, it should also reflect the tone you want your customers to perceive in relation to how you do business. Are you fun and quarky? Make the website fun and quarky.
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Build your email list: By creating an email list of customers or potential customers, you can send out emails about specials or about any changes that have taken place with your business. This allows you to keep contact with your customers with little to no investment.
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Send out mailings: Don’t let your customers forget about you. If you have their address, consider sending monthly mailings to keep in touch.
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Get involved: If you’re from a small town, you know the power of networking with your neighbors. You might consider participating in a small business group. Another option would be to sponsor a local kids sports team.
Think of marketing as developing a relationship. Yes, it takes time, but the payoff is great. By representing your business in a variety of ways, people are more likely to develop a relationship with you and your business.
