What is the most important thing you need to get right when you run a small business? What is it that’s going to get your customers to notice you and place you ahead of the competition? The answer is marketing – you’ll need to do plenty of marketing to begin with, but you’ll also need to make sure that marketing is effective, which is why understanding which marketing techniques are the best ones for you is so important. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some fantastic marketing techniques that are sure to help you.
Flyers
If you thought we were going to start with digital marketing, that makes sense – digital marketing is definitely a good thing, and it’s certainly something you’ll want to do. However, if you want to stand out from the crowd, thinking of different ways to market (ideally ways that your competitors haven’t thought of) is the best option, and using flyers is one of those ways.
Flyers can be hugely effective for the very reason that they’re not used too much anymore. If you hand someone a flyer or post one through someone’s door (or even leave one on someone’s car if you prefer), then they’re going to pay attention to it and that could be all the difference you need (although it’s not going to be all the marketing you need, so put some other measures in place as well).
Your Vehicle
If you drive a vehicle, why not use it as a marketing tool? It could be a work truck or van, a car for the business, or even your own personal car. No matter what it is, if you drive around, you might as well make that potentially pay, and add some sign writing to the vehicle. In that way, people will know precisely who you are and what you do (as long as the advertising is clear, of course, so do think carefully about it before you commit to anything) and it will also give a much more professional look when you meet clients or go to a site, for example.
If that sounds like a good idea and you’re looking for a car from experts like Edmunds, for example, make sure that you think about where you’re going to place your ads – you’ll ideally want a vehicle that has plenty of space on the doors and trunk, and potentially on the hood as well, and forgetting that could be a big mistake when you’re buying something.
Follow-Ups
When someone gets in touch with your business to ask a question, get prices, or make any kind of query but they don’t buy right away, what do you do? If you don’t do anything, then you’re missing out on a simple marketing tactic that could pay off in a big way. We’re talking about following up on that first contact to see if there was anything else you could do to help.
Put some systems in place so that after a specific amount of time (long enough not to be a nuisance but not so long that it’s too late and the potential customer has bought the items somewhere else) you get in touch with them and ask if there were any more questions or simply remind them that you’re there if they need you. It’s a simple, free marketing technique that could get you a few sales.