Are you a small business owner concerned about the visibility of your company? That’s understandable. According to statistics, there are 1.14 million small businesses across Canada fighting for the attention of consumers. You may feel as if marketing is a lost cause for you since you can’t afford the hefty price of advertising online marketing strategies. But, here’s the thing: there are a plethora of ways in which you can effectively market your business and rise above your competition.
Here are seven marketing strategies to get you started.
1. Make the Most of Your Online Presence through Search Engine Optimization
Nowadays, customers use Google as a primary channel of information for any product or service they might need. That is why you should ensure that your company website appears at the top of the search engine results list whenever a potential customer looks for the products or services that your business provides. SEO strategies have no implementation costs but can help you put your business in front of potential customers and grow your sales.
2. Invest in Social Media Communication
Even though online advertising is the cheapest form of promotion known at the moment, many companies hesitate to invest in social platforms because they lack the understanding of what a social media page can do for their businesses. Social media is the way forward, and if your company does not have a Facebook, Twitter, or a LinkedIn account, you should definitely get one. Social media marketing will assist you in reaching customers outside of your geographic region, and improve your overall communication with all existing and potential customers.
3. Keep in Touch with Your Customers through Email Marketing Campaigns
Email marketing campaigns help businesses nourish a warm relationship with their customers at very low costs. Sending out emails detailing your latest products and services is a great way to keep your customers updated. Effective newsletters campaigns can strengthen the connection between your business and your clients, thus increasing the possibility of having your products recommended. However, always make sure that your email marketing campaigns don’t contravene the Canadian anti-spamming laws.
4. Become Active in Online Groups and Forums
There is a wide range of professional networking forums that you can join to increase the visibility of your company. Networks such as LinkedIn, Quora, Google Plus, and Reddit are great platforms to participate in group discussions and networking events which will assist in expanding your customer base. When the opportunity presents itself, you can also post a link to your website or blog so that potential customers can educate themselves on your business.
5. Organize a Meetup
Casual free events hosted by small businesses are a great way to network and increase your client base. Such events are an effective way to build business relationships and improve the visibility of your company locally, as well as globally.
6. Create a Referral Program
One of the benefits of a referral program is that you can use your current client base to assist you in locating new customers. A referral program encourages people to become ambassadors of your products and services and give your customers a role in spreading the word about your company.
7. Create Unique Content Strategies for Your Communication Platforms
According to PwC, “Content is still king” in Canada, and original high quality content is affordable for all kind of businesses. The key is to create information that is important and relevant to the needs of your target audience. You want to transmit unique messages that are going to entice the reader all the way to the “buy” button.
Creating unique and interesting articles, blog posts, videos, case studies, eBooks, podcasts, and webinars is a great way to engage with your potential clients. Learn your customers’ preferences and see which type of content would bring the best results for your business.
Video is the newest form of communication used around the world, and Canadians spend more than 47% of their online time watching videos. Make sure to constantly analyze the consumer trends in your market to provide your messages in the most appealing format for your audience.
Having small marketing budgets doesn’t necessarily mean that businesses cannot promote their services and products and attract new customers. Efficient marketing doesn’t need to be expensive, and cost-effective strategies can teach you how to extract the maximum of benefits from every penny invested in the promotion of your company.
