Marketing for Small Business is not for the feint of heart. As any small business owner knows, there are so many competing demands for your time and attention, that marketing your business often falls to the bottom of your list — although rightfully it should be the highest item on the list. Here are 5 things that ought to ring true — now you just have to make enough time in your schedule to plan for them.

Marketing for Small Business List

  1. 5-insane-but-true-tihings-about-marketing-for-small-businessThe very best marketing is always Word-of-Mouth. I know, I own a marketing agency, and we make our living selling advertising and marketing to small business. But here’s the thing — NOTHING — and I mean NOTHING is better at converting to sales than enthusiastic customers. That being said, the single best way to drive word-of-mouth is to advertise! Be on social media, be on radio, television, and in print. Be aggressive with your advertising and you’ll find that your word-of-mouth referrals go UP. That’s because you’re being thought about more often, and it’s easier for relevant conversations to come up in the natural course of events.
  2. Even though you have More Time than Money, you can still take significant steps to move the visibility of your business forward. One of the very best ways is to take some of your time and make sure that you list your website on all the relevant directories. An easy place to start is by heading over to Moz Local and see what profiles you have — and which you are missing. Then, make sure your business is listed on ALL of them. Remember, that you don’t have to do it all in one sitting, but your business will be better off for having done it.
  3. Make lots of friends. No seriously — remember item #1, about Word-of-Mouth being one of the best methods of marketing for small business (ok and LARGE business)? Well the same thing is true about networking. Particularly when you have more time than money, joining a networking group can be a great way to spread the word and get people talking about your business.
  4. Multi-Use tools are critical. A key to marketing for small business is to invest in tools that serve multiple purposes. So, for instance, investing in business cards and letterhead will serve you best when you’re just starting out. You can use business cards as a method for sharing contact information, reminding people about your business, and directing them to your website. Similarly, letterhead can be used for invoices, letters, proposals, and sell sheets. These pieces of your marketing are multi-use tools and are critical for small businesses.
  5. You have to be strategic! I know, sometimes we get caught up in thinking that strategy is reserved for BIG business — but it’s not. It’s something that businesses of all sizes need to employ. You have to have a strategy and work it when you’re marketing for small business. the more you work your strategy the faster you will get where you’re going. One quick method you can employ to make sure you’re focusing on your agenda, not someone else’s, plan to do two things for your business before you open your email or answer your phone.
About the Author:

Tisha Oehmen

Tisha Oehmen is a professional brand strategist and a leader in the branding field. She has been named a member of the Global Guru’s Top 30 Brand Gurus. She is also the co-founder of Oregon-based Paradux Media Group and the best-selling author of the book, Finding Brand: The Brand Book Tutorial.

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