non-woven fabric bag:8 Small Business Marketing Tricks to Implement Now
Small businesses often have the smallest budgets, and that’s okay! You don’t have to spend a fortune on marketing to make a big impact in your space and the more niche your market, the better off you’ll be. The Bag Ladies specialize in working with small to medium-sized businesses so we understand the unique challenges these types of organizations face.
Remember, if you’re a small business you’ll never be able to compete with the Coca Cola’s and Apple’s of the world. You just don’t have the money! But you can still make serious impressions within your target market with a little clever thinking. Here are 8 small business marketing tricks you need to implement today.
1. Customer Referral Program
One of the easiest (and cheapest) ways to build your book of business is to encourage current customers to refer you. Offering a percentage off their next purchase or loyalty points towards some future buy is a good way to get your customers to do your marketing for you!
2. Host a Class
It can be on-site or online, but making yourself an “expert” in your field by giving out free information is a surefire way to build credibility. Record a video lesson on how to use a product like yours or offer a hands-on class on a related subject at your office.
tote bag thank you3. Make Promotional Materials
People overestimate how expensive promotional materials really are. Studies show they actually work and for pennies you can get thousands of impressions out of a single pen, coffee mug, or custom printed bag.
4. Start a Newsletter
It might take a while to build up a list of contacts but sending out a weekly or monthly newsletter keeps you on the top of people’s minds while maintaining your position as an industry leader. You can also include a coupon in each newsletter, too, to encourage readers to open it!
5. Give Stuff Away
It may seem counter-intuitive but one of the best ways to get people interested in your service/product is to give it away for free. Ask for business cards, Facebook likes, or social shares and select a lucky winner – you’ll be surprised how quickly your customer contact list grows.
6. Pair With a Partner
It’s smart to find a like-minded business partner you can work with. If you’re a wedding planner, why not team up with a custom tote bag company so you can offer your brides discounted gear? This usually works best between service and product-oriented businesses and you’ll want to make sure you’re not working with a direct competitor.
blue ribbon7. Apply to Win
Most local magazines and newspapers hold annual contests regarding the best businesses in several categories. Same goes for online trade sites. Apply to as many of these organizations as possible and you’re bound to win one; that makes for great publicity.
8. Start a Blog
Does your business have a blog? It should. Not only can you put out relevant industry information you can also establish yourself as a content expert in your field. All that and an onsite blog is great for your business site’s SEO…imagine that!
What ways has your small business used cheap marketing tricks to win new business? Marketing doesn’t have to cost lots of money to be effective…just ask our clients!
