It’s small business week and, like Google, we believe that small businesses are the backbone of the community. As one of those businesses ourselves, we thought it would be a great idea to share some small business marketing tips to support those hardworking folks following their passions.
Small Business Marketing Tip #1 – Make a Plan
Marketing is no different than payroll, inventory or washing windows. It is a task that needs to be done and should be added to your list of to do’s. If you would rather stick bamboo under your fingernails, then find someone on your team that doesn’t feel the same way and get them to help you. But before they can help, you are going to need to decide what your goal is and create a plan to get there. It can be simple to begin with. Start with something specific. Rather than say “I would like more customers”, try “I would like to sell more organic dog biscuits”. Profile your customer and brainstorm creative ways to grab their attention.
Small Business Marketing Tip #2 – Pick a Medium
Google +, Twitter, Pintrest, Facebook, Instagram, Yellowpages… the list goes on (and on, and on). It is easy to become overwhelmed. Don’t panic. Look at who you have identified as your target market and go where they are. Don’t worry too much about what you read about the power of Facebook or the power of Twitter. Different mediums work better for different audiences and right now, you just have to worry about your audience. So move away from the hype. You know your customer better than anyone. When you define them, you’ll know which medium to hang out on. Hint: it will bet the same place as all of them.
Small Business Marketing Tip #3 – Pick a Schedule You Can Stick With
The best intentions are just intentions if you don’t do anything with them. There is never going to be enough time to do all of the things you want to do, so start with something that is manageable. If 30 minutes of social media/ day is a reasonable goal, then that is what you should start with. If blogging every day is never going to happen, then perhaps it is once week or once every two weeks. Online marketing is a bit like pushing a fly wheel. It takes more effort to get it moving in the beginning than it takes to keep the momentum up later on. Being consistent is the key.
That’s it for this post. If you would like to read more marketing tips check out our 10 Online Marketing Tips for 2013.