April 11, 2019 | By Mason Roberts
So, you’ve started a small business. It is a great, well-oiled machine and your idea of a service or product is a good one. There is a problem though. No one knows about it. You started this business knowing it will be a booming success, but business is much slower than you have anticipated. This does not mean that your business idea is not strong enough, unlike how many may think. It may simply because you not promoting your business correctly or let alone at all. When being an owner, it is important to. Advertise the great establishment you have started. In order to become a successful, accomplished business person, customers have to know you are even there, especially if you are in an isolated location. Advertising is something that is very simple to accomplish, though the key is to figure out what type of advertisement will reach your target market. Here are the best ways to promote your small business.
1. Start A Website
Having a working website for your small business can be the difference between a large sum of money being earned. Your website should contain many different helpful details for your customers. For example, if you are a clothing store who is offering online shopping, there should be photos of the items, sale prices, delivery and tax prices, sizes, estimated time of delivery, where the business is located, etc. When starting a website, it is important to check over, again and again, every minuscule detail that could possibly bring you more business. Also, when choosing a design for your site, make sure it appealing to your target customer. Many times, if the website is not welcoming or nice to look at, the potential customer will leave your website within minutes, if not seconds. Making sure it is an appealing, easy to navigate site is vital for this option.
2. Blog About It
Blogging has quite a few positive aspects to it. For starters, it is a great way to share your work content. You can share details on what you are offering, advice, customer reviews, helpful tips, when you will be offering updated inventory, and much more. The options here are limitless. Your business blog is 100% up to you, just make sure it will help you rather than hurt you. Secondly, it will put your small business on the map. If you have created a blog, the chances of people looking for businesses like as yours finding you on the internet are much higher. Bringing in more internet traffic will only grow your business. Lastly, it helps your customers get to know you, and the business they are putting money into. Letting your customer know you on a personal level should help them become more comfortable and trustful in what you are preaching. This can be tricky though. If you do decide to share personal details, make sure the majority of the people, if not more, will like you more for it, not like you less.
3. Have Business Cards Ready To Go
When owning a small business, networking is important. Making sure you have business cards ready to go if necessary is very smart. This not to say you have to shove your card into every person's hand that you cross paths with, but if your business comes up in conversation to someone who seems interested, it will only help you if you have a neatly presented, professional card with all of the necessary information printed on it to give them.
4. Take Advantage Of Social Media
This is an advertisement option that really depends on the lifestyle and age group of your target market. Social media has taken over a lot in the past years. For many small businesses, it is the outlet for their items, many times helping them rather than not. So, why not try it? If your target market is fairly young, living a trendy lifestyle, it is very likely that they will be on Instagram, a social media platform for photos, daily. It is only smart to try to reach your customers there, directly. If your target market is young to middle-aged and living different lifestyles, from traveling the world, to being a homebody stay-at-home parent, to being an entrepreneur, you should consider promoting on Facebook. Facebook is a very diverse site, compared to Instagram. It targeted people of many different age groups, hobbies, and careers. Whatever your business may offer, really evaluate the typical customer, then find try to find a way to reach them via social media. This does not have to be the only type of advertisement you have chosen, but it is smart to make it at least one of them.
5. Promote What You Can Offer That Others Can Not
Offering unique items or details to customers is a great way to stand out in the vast corporate world. It is very likely that somewhere else in the country, someone may be selling something even remotely close to your idea, so think up a plan that can help you stand out from the crowd. Once you have uncovered what it is that is special about your business, publicize it. Call news stations, hold a press conference, put it up on your website, write about it on your blog, post on social media. Find any and every outlet for the world to learn the details about you and your small business.
6. Offer Email Services
When customers are cashing out at your business or website, take down their emails. This is a great way to gain committed customers. If you do this, make sure you send newsletters and new inventory that is being offered. Also, offering discounts to the customers who have signed up for your email service will make more and more do the same. Overall, this will raise your sales because your existing customers will be receiving updates and new things happening in your business, things they may love and run to your establishment to purchase.
