7 Marketing Tips For Small Businesses

There are so many different marketing methods available these days that it can make it quite difficult to know which ones to use.  That’s why we have decided to compile our top marketing tips for small businesses here to help you get started.  Take the time to read through these tips and try integrating some of these ideas into your marketing campaigns.  You will be very happy that you did.

7 Marketing Tips

  1. Throw out your old marketing guide.

It is important to use marketing techniques that are working today. That’s why it’s so important to keep current with the latest techniques and strategies so that you are always employing the most effective methods that will bring you the best results.

  1. Use email marketing

One of the most powerful and extremely cost effective forms of marketing is email marketing.  The cost is very low and it offers predictable results.  It also has the advantage of providing you with personal ownership of the list, unlike having social profiles and pages on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter where you don’t control or own the sites.

One of the strongest assets you can have, in addition to your website, is an email list that you can market to on a regular basis.  Treat your subscribers well.  Offer them valuable and interesting content in addition to special offers and discounts on your products.

  1. Marketing Tips – Build An Effective Website

Your business website is capable of being your 24/7 sales or lead generating machine.  If you design your website right, you will be able to generate very high quality leads, calls and sales from customers and prospects.

You need to have your website designed by a professional and then effectively market it.  Make sure it is attractive, has clear navigation and is filled with interesting content.  Your website should also be optimized for the search engines so that it shows up highly in the search results for your most important keyword terms.

  1. Be Active On Social Network Sites

Setting up social profiles at the main social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn is imperative these days.  You

Marketing Tips

need to be where your customers are, and they are most likely to be all over these sites.  You need to offer interesting content to keep readers engaged.  You can also take advantage of paid advertising, such as Facebook ads, at these sites.

  1. Take mobile into account

More and more people these days do their surfing and shopping using their mobile phones and other devices.  So you need to have your website and advertising campaigns mobile friendly in order to get the best results.  Make sure your website has a responsive design so that it reads well on mobile devices.

  1. Make Customer Service A Top Priority

Customer service may not seem like a form of marketing at first glance.  However, if you have poor customer service all of your efforts will be wasted.  On the other hand, if customers feel like they are being provided with good service and are well taken care of, they are much more likely to become repeat customers and tell their friends out your products or services.

  1. Marketing Tips – Encourage Customer Feedback

Encourage customers to provide reviews, give testimonials and offer you feedback.  When prospects see that customers are active and giving their personal experiences about your products, the trust level in your company and products will go up dramatically.  Word of mouth is the most valuable form of marketing.  So if you can establish good rapport with your customers, they will also be more encouraged to share their experiences about your products with people they personally know.

The above Marketing tips and Techniques for Small Business are the foundation and starting point for your success.  Be sure to take the time to implement the advice given in these tips.  Focus on marketing fundamentals and you will be successful.  Also be sure to track your results so that you know which marketing techniques are working the best for you.  Successful marketing is all about continuously trying out new methods, refining them and expanding those that are the most effective and profitable for your business.

Tips On How To Build A Business For Under $500

Are you like most people and want to build a business, but you don’t have a lot of money to put towards it? If so, then don’t worry because there are many businesses you can start for under $500. If you are wondering how to start a business for under $500, then continue to read the rest of this article.

First, let’s go over how to start a business for under $500. You need to figure out whether you want to start an online business or a regular business (at-home business) and then go for it. That may sound to easy, but it really is that easy and with that said, below are some ideas that you can try if you are on a tight budget.

  1. Personal Trainer- If you love working out and know quite a bit about health and fitness, and you enjoy helping people, then why not start your own personal training business. You will want to get certified as a fitness trainer, which you can do for under $500, and once you are certified, you can register your business’s name and then start getting clients. Any money you have left over from paying to get certified, you should buy some basic equipment, such as steps, exercise ball, mats and so forth. Don’t be afraid of getting your name out there via sharing videos, Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites.

The above ways are just a few ways to promote your personal trainer business. You can contact gym managers and owners and find out if you can bring your own clients to their gym. If you’re allowed to do so, then expect to give a percentage of your profits to the gym.

  1. Baker- Do you like baking or want to learn how to bake, which you can do all on your own, because if you do, then why not become a baker and start your own business, as you can do it for under $500. However, that is only if your goal isn’t to open up an actual store, but be prepared to spend money on things such as quality baking pans, cooling racks and a good mixer and so forth. You can start a business that involves making cupcakes and then get the word out via the internet, at work and word of mouth, and find out about renting a commercial kitchen, if the law requires it.
  1. Sell Items Online- There are thousands of people who run their own business selling various items online, and Marketing Tips this type of business can easily be started for under $500. You can start off small and find a wholesale company you can purchase products from and then sell them on Amazon, eBay, your own website and forth. Buy a few items, mark them up so you make a profit and when they sell, buy more products and keep repeating this and before you know it, you could end up having money coming in on a regular basis. It may take a little bit of time before you see a profit, but if you keep at it, then you could end up becoming successful.

Also, don’t forget to market your products online with sites such as Facebook and even MySpace. The more exposure you have, the better your chances will be that you will sell products. People who are happy with your items will come back and they will help you spread the word about the items you’re selling. If you are on a tight budget and you don’t want to go over $500 when the time comes to set your business up, then get involved with selling items online.

  1. Social Media Marketing Business- Do you love using social media sites and always on the lookout for new sites that many people will likely have never heard of? If this sounds like you, then spend a little bit of money and launch a social media marketing business. Basically, what you will be doing is finding businesses who want to make their business more known on social media sites or what to get the word out about their products and services on social media sites. There are many businesses that don’t know how to get a stronger presence on social media sites and that is where you can come in.

However, this type of business can be time consuming but the more clients you get, the more money you can make. In other words, the amount of money you can make from this type of business is very good. If you want to launch an affordable business with great profit potential, then think about starting a social media marketing business.

  1. Image Consultant- An image consultant is exactly what it sounds like, a person who is a consultant and helps people improve their image via fashion and provide tips and advice to people who want to improve their image. This business is incredibly easy to start and not only that, but it is very affordable to start. This type of business is the type of business that thrives the most on word of mouth, which means you should use Facebook and sites like it to promote your business and connect with those who care about how they look and always looking to look better.

Also, use a little bit of money to put towards advertising because this is a great way to get the attention of potential clients. The more people who know about your services, the better because it means people will start talking about your services. It’s also worth noting that this kind of business has a high retention rate, which means you have a great chance at making some great cash.

As you can see, it is possible to start a business for under $500. The truth is it is easy to start the above businesses. That is why you should consider starting one of them, and do it as soon as possible.

With the prevalence of advertising and the constant bombardment of marketing messages people receive everyday through social media such as Facebook and Twitter, it’s no wonder why the effectiveness of older marketing strategies have been lost. Understanding this evolvement of the consumer and adjusting to compensate is the key to continuing success.

Core concepts of marketing have not changed, it’s just the tweaks to attract potential customers has been changed. Really understanding your target consumer is key in the whole process so going through that process every year to refresh the data is important. What we’ll be discussing in the next few paragraphs are ways to drill down deeper into this as well as developing that important front end offer that will get them into the door and allow you to consistently market to them without any resistance.

Marketing analysis has proven over and over again that it takes multiple exposures of a message before anyone will make a decision to purchase from you. As mentioned, technology has been a huge factor in this as people are constantly being dragged in multiple directions and attention spans are fleeting in most instances.

One could see your message for example on their mobile device but a phone call could interrupt their thought process. Your message flushed down the drain in their minds while the potential prospect is reminded of an upcoming dinner arrangement with loved ones. Understanding that this is the way of life and maneuvering around this is how you can achieve certain success.

Do not try to sell on the first exposure. What this means is don’t go for the largest sale upfront because first off, that fleeting attention is against you but also because the trust factor is still something you must develop with your future customer. Big brands can be more flexible in what they do because they have already developed that trust but even they suffer if they execute in the wrong way as the social media backlash can actually be worse for them.

So how and what should your first offer be then? It should always be something that is low cost and with the least path of resistance for a potential prospect. The front end offer should be such a no brainer for the person that even if they are distracted, they will be sure to come back and take that offer if reminded again. This is something that only you as the business owner will know from the experience and data you have acquired from your current customers. If you don’t know this, the easiest way to find out is to survey your customers and constantly test their actions. The best ones being the purchase of what you’ve directed them to do. This is something key to learn more about since simply answering questions you’ve presented will probably not give you the best responses. It’s only when action has been taken and a purchase is made should a result be recorded.

By understanding what your target market would desire and putting this in front of them in the appropriate places consistently, the results should come in quite often. Then you can develop that important relationship with them by providing value through consistent communication. The balance of information and selling will be the next step in the process since then you’ve captured their attention and should not waste that trust. Here is where the real money is made since once the barrier of skepticism is broken, presenting offers that offer value will most likely be bought.

As one can see, the importance of a good front end offer is key to getting the much needed prospects into a marketing funnel where all the back end sales make up for any loss that may be incurred while acquiring them. By concentrating on refining that front end in your marketing arsenal, one can actually break even on the costs for acquisition, with some even profiting on the front end! While not the norm in the industry, it is something to strive for but not at the expense of keeping that lead flow constantly moving. While what we discussed stresses the importance of the front end, the follow up is where the best businesses make a difference.

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