I have worked with a lot of small businesses over the years on their Marketing strategy. From flooring companies to restaurants to car dealerships, every business requires different tactics to drive new customers. My number one tip is to focus your efforts on strategies that will reach your target customer. A company that offers pet grooming should have a Google Business profile, a website where customers can book appointments and contact you, and a website that targets local keywords. A pet grooming company should request reviews from customers, use testimonials on their website, create videos showing the grooming process, and connect with customers on channels like Facebook. The grooming company can work with veterinarians, pet daycares, dog trainers, pet supply stores, dog walkers, and adoption centers that don’t offer grooming to help increase business. Lastly, the grooming company can focus on creating loyal customers who not only book regular appointments but also help refer their friends and family members with pets.
Why is Small Business Marketing Important?
As a small business owner, you need to focus your Marketing on the strategies that drive growth. The marketing strategy for a local plumbing company is going to be different than the strategy for a car dealership. Marketing your brand can seem overwhelming, especially if you’re operating on a tight budget. However, with some strategic planning and creativity, small businesses can drive real results without breaking the bank. In this comprehensive guide, we break down the top 13 marketing strategies tailor-made for small business success.
What is Small Business Marketing?
Small business marketing refers to the strategies that small companies use to promote their products, services and overall brand awareness to potential customers. Unlike large companies, small businesses typically have more limited budgets and personnel, so their marketing efforts need to be more targeted, cost-effective, and optimize their reach. Effective small business marketing requires understanding your audience and leveraging low-cost tools like online business profiles, social media, SEO, and email marketing.
Small Business Marketing Video
You can watch my video below about how to do Small Business Marketing. I give you a lot of tips and tricks using examples from real small businesses. You can drive more customers by following my strategy.
14 Small Business Marketing Strategies
1. Answer The Phone and Respond to Contact Forms
If your business relies on phone calls, you should allow potential customers to call you directly, text you, and email you. You can add chat forms to your website as well. Make it easy for potential customers to get in touch with you.
It is vital that you answer the phone and follow up with your prospects. When I was calling recently looking for a tree-cutting service, the first company I called did not answer the phone. The second company did and they ended up earning my business. When a neighbor asked me if I liked the tree-cutting service I used, I recommended them and said the other company didn’t answer the phone. Just simply answering phone calls and following up with prospects is an important strategy.
2. Invest in Keyword Research, Content Marketing, and SEO
Ranking high in search engines is imperative for small business visibility. Conduct thorough keyword research to identify high-value search queries that align with your offerings. Then create optimized, in-depth blog posts, videos, and web content tailored around those terms. On-page SEO elements like meta descriptions, headings, image alt text, and internal links also boost rankings.
If you aren’t sure where to get started, you can watch my keyword research tutorial below. It will give you a step-by-step process for finding the best keywords for your business.
Keyword Research Tutorial
3. Build a User-Friendly Website That Drives Leads and Sales
Your website is often the first touchpoint between prospects and your business. First and foremost, you need a website that works and a website that shows how customers can contact you. You can easily create a WordPress website and add WPForms to let customers email you easily. Ensure your website is well-designed, mobile-friendly, optimized for conversions, and reflects your brand identity. Include clear calls-to-action, prominent contact info, and value-driven content to convert website visitors into leads.
A local heating and air conditioning company near me has a great website. They describe all of their services in detail and they give customers different ways to contact them. In addition, they are very organized, friendly, and communicate very well when you sign up for services. They have earned my business and the first time I interacted with their business was on their website.
4. Focus on the Social Media Channels and Customers and Prospects Use
Promoting your business across select social media platforms helps boost brand awareness and engagement. Focus your efforts on the 2-3 channels where your target audience is most active. Tailor content to each platform and participate consistently to see results. You don’t need to be active on every single social media channel and you could focus on your Facebook Business page.
For example, High Cotton is a restaurant that I like in Charleston, South Carolina. They keep their Facebook page up to date so customers can get information from the page and see specials throughout the week.
5. Understand, Analyze, and Nurture Existing Customers – Use Customer Analysis to Drive New Customers
The saying that “it’s cheaper to keep a customer than find a new one” is true. Your first focus should always be your existing customers. You should also spend time analyzing your current customer demographics, needs, and behaviors to refine your offerings. Engage current customers with incentives, discounts, and great service to earn loyalty and referrals. Your existing customers can help you understand how you should promote to new prospects. They can also become great for your word-of-mouth marketing.
6. Create a Google Business Profile if You Have a Physical Location
Over 90% of smartphone users turn to Google to find local businesses. So claiming and optimizing your free Google Business Profile is a must. Fill out all sections extensively, add great photos, and encourage customer reviews. You should always make sure that your hours and your business details are up to date. This helps you stand out in local search results.
You can see the example below, this business does very well in Google Search and their Google Business profile will help drive more clients. When someone is looking for a Dentist, they can feel confident calling this dentist based on their Google Business profile.
7. Create an Optimized Facebook Business Page, Instagram Business Page, and LinkedIn Business Page
In addition to your own website, establish branded business pages on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other large social networks. Use each platform strategically to engage your audience and drive brand awareness. You should focus on the pages where you will be consistent. A lot of companies hire people to help them manage social media marketing so that their are consistent posts on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
In the example below, you can see that Eleven Madison Park in New York has over 375,000 followers on Instagram, which helps them drive new business.
8. Create Helpful Videos For Your Prospects and Customers and Share Them on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Your Google Business Profile
Video marketing engages viewers and boosts brand personality and credibility. If I am choosing between 2 different pool companies and one shows their entire installation process with video, before and after videos, and even has personalized videos from their pool installers, I’m more likely to choose that company. Create long videos showing processes and showing customers the level of service you offer. In addition, create short, useful videos that align with your offerings and post them on YouTube, social media, and your website.
For example, the pool company below has been able to get over 40,000 views in less than a year showing how they finish a pool build. It helps build credibility and a video like this will drive new customers.
9. Create an Email List of Customers and Send Them a Weekly Email
Email marketing can be a great return on investment because you can get more business from your current customers. Unfortunately, many small businesses overlook it. Offer an incentive for visitors to join your email list. Send helpful, non-promotional value first, then follow up with product recommendations and discounts. My local liquor store tells customers to write down their emails when they are buying liquor. They manually add people to their list and send out a weekly email showing their specials and liquor tastings. It’s a great way to encourage customers to come into your store, and the process is simple. You can use a tool like Beehiiv or ConvertKit for email marketing.
A company near my hometown offers BYOB painting classes. When you sign up for a class, you enter your email online. They then send you a monthly email showing what they are painting that week and when classes are. They are always sold out, so their Marketing strategy must be working.
10. Invest in Google Ads and Facebook Ads
Tools like Google Ads and Facebook Ads allow you to display targeted ads to your ideal buyers based on their search terms and interests. Set a daily budget, monitor performance, and tweak your ads to achieve your cost-per-conversion goal.
11. Drive New Customers With An Offer or a Promotion
Time-sensitive offers like sales, contests, and coupons create urgency for prospects to buy now. Announce the promotion across your marketing channels and have a clear call to action. Just be sure the deal aligns with your margins.
12. Connect With Other Local Businesses and Improve Word of Mouth Marketing
Partnering with complementary local brands can expand your reach tremendously. Cross-promote via social media, co-host events, share referrals, and collaborate on projects. These partnerships demonstrate community involvement too.
13. Ask for Reviews and Testimonials from Current Customers
Positive reviews and testimonials boost credibility with prospective buyers. Make it easy for satisfied customers to leave reviews on platforms like Google, Facebook, and Yelp. Then share this earned social proof across your marketing channels.
In the example below, you can see LowFruits.io uses customer testimonials directly from Twitter on their homepage to sell their keyword research tool.
14. Create Helpful Short-Form Content and Post to Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube
As new social media channels become popular, establish a presence there if your target audience uses them. Generate short-form, entertaining, or helpful videos for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels. User-generated content also performs well if customers are willing to participate. This is not a necessary strategy and it should only be used by certain companies. However, you can create short videos and post them to different channels to drive more sales.
Conclusion
Implementing even a handful of these promotional strategies can drive measurable growth for your small business. Focus on options that align with your products, customers, and budget. With consistent effort, you’ll be on your way toward marketing success.
