All great businesses need a solid marketing strategy to be able to move forward. Whether you’re a startup or a business that’s been around for a while, you need to constantly update your strategy and try new things to get the best results from it. The following 12 techniques are all safe bets when it comes to marketing. They are tried, tested, and proven to work, so you can feel confident in your marketing efforts:
Flyer Dropping
You might think flyer dropping is useless, but if that’s your opinion you obviously haven’t been doing it right in the past. You need to make sure that the design of your flyer is spot on. You need to use the right colours, fonts, and language to make an impression. You can’t fill it up with useless information either: simply include the most relevant information to get your point across. You should also include an incentive for people to use your flyer, like a discount if they bring it in store. This way, you can test its effectiveness too.
Media Buying
Media buying is a great way to get your name out there on the radio and TV without paying too much money for the privilege. All you do is contact a reliable media buying company, who will then find you great airtime slots for a reasonable price.
SEO
Search engine optimisation is the ultimate online marketing technique. Search engines are used by the majority of people each and every day to look for things that they are interested in. Some of the stats would shock you! It’s all well and good having a website, but you need one that the search engines recognise and show up when somebody looks for your service or product.
Giving Away Free Stuff
Admit it; we all love free stuff. It doesn’t matter what it is. It could be a ruler, a mug, or a pen – either way, receiving free stuff gives us a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. This is why giving away free stuff is great for business. Ideally, your free stuff will be branded, so that everyone who comes into contact with it will see your brand name and logo. Products that a lot of people come into contact with or see include t-shirts, bags, and pens. Use this to your advantage and give stuff away.
Business Cards
Business cards have been around for donkey’s years. Although there are other things you can use to spread your brand message now, as mentioned before, they should still be part of your marketing strategy. You could make your own business cards, or find a reputable company to do it for you. Either way, your cards should showcase your work and say a lot about you in as few words as possible. Make sure you utilise both the back and the front, and don’t try to do anything fancy with the size. Feel free to use unique finishes and materials to make an impression though!
Loyalty Cards
Loyalty cards always keep people coming back for more. Offer an incentive for people to continue to do business with you by giving them something after so many visits. Restaurants might give away a free meal. Juice Bars might give a free smoothie. It’s up to you what you decide to give!
Sponsoring a Sport’s Team
Sponsoring a sport’s team will get your name out there, as you’ll be featured on their kits for as long as you sponsor them. People who watch their games will see your business name and logo. You really can’t argue with that kind of exposure!
Blogging
Blogging is a great way to share your expertise with people in your industry and get noticed. You can write about pretty much anything, providing it’s unique and helpful. It takes time to become a successful blogger, but if you remain consistent and try to get noticed you’ll get way more brand exposure.
Joining Social Media
Social media is a big thing. Bigger than anyone could have ever imagined. Sites like Twitter and Facebook get millions of users each and every day. Joining social media is great for businesses of all sizes. This gives you an opportunity to connect with your target market, share useful information, and other things. Remember not to promote your business too much, as this can become tiring and lose you some followers. The idea of social media is to be social, so make sure you answer all customer queries, comments, and even complaints. This is your time to shine.
Buying Social Media Adverts
Now, social media adverts are where you can afford to get promotional. By purchasing Facebook adverts for instance, you’ll show up to people considered to be in your target market. This is the best possible kind of exposure you can imagine!
Attending Conferences and Trade Shows
Attending conferences and trade shows are a great opportunity for all kinds of businesses. At these places, you can talk about your business and make valuable connections that you wouldn’t have made otherwise. It’s a good time to give out the free stuff we mentioned earlier too. Oh, and if you can work up the courage to make a speech at one of them, that’s even better!
Email Marketing
If you make your emails juicy enough to open, you’ve almost won the battle. Choosing an enticing headline can be difficult. Don’t feel frustrated: every single person you send an email to will not open your email, no matter how good it is. However, you can track how many do get opened to see just how effective they are.
Competitions
Competitions are exciting, and there are so many ways you can run one. You can do this out of your physical store, e.g. everyone who buys a products gets an entry into your prize draw. You could also do it using your social media accounts in exchange for likes and shares. Either way, it’ll get people talking.
Try as many of these techniques as you like to get your business noticed!
Photo Credit: Cydcor Offices/Flickr
