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Small business marketing resources help get your business noticed. Marketing tools are essential for any company to be able to succeed and grow. To accomplish that, you have to know who your customers are, what they want to buy, and how to get them to buy it from you. There are a lot of practical tools available that can help you accomplish these goals. If you are starting a small business, or your existing business has hit a slump, try using some of these marketing resources to expand your brand’s digital footprint.
Best Marketing Resources for Black-Owned Small Businesses
Social Media
Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest all have millions of users who log in every day to connect with friends and get information about the things they like. If you are not using these sites, you are missing out on free, beneficial marketing for your business. Pique customers’ interest with a hint about a new upcoming product, offer a special limited time discount and keep people posted about the latest company news.
Online Directories
Remember, if customers do not know about you, they cannot buy from you. Above everything else, you have to make sure that customers can find your small business. Get your company listed in all the major online directories, such as Google, Yahoo!Business, and CitySearch. Online directories give your customers instant access to your phone number, location, website, and other details they will be searching for. Not only does it increase your online presence, but it also gives potential customers the chance to see why you are better than the competition.
Reviews on Review Sites
There is now an entire industry devoted to telling other people about good and bad experiences with a business. The sites are called review sites, and they are another powerful small business marketing resource. Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool, made even more powerful by the internet and websites such as Yelp.
Surveys show that 84% of consumers trust online reviews to help them decide which local businesses to use. Your online reputation is essential, and when you give customers exceptional service, they will do some of your marketing for you by leaving good reviews on these sites.
Email Lists
Maybe you already have a loyal online following, but that does not mean that you should stop there. Email marketing is the most effective way to reach customers because it is both fast and affordable directly. Make sure that you are using this small business marketing resource to its fullest potential by having a way for customers to join an email list.
Each time you send a message about a sale or offer a coupon for 10% off, you will convert a percentage of those email readers into customers. Build your list continuously, so you keep expanding your base.
Blogs
You might be tempted to stop your online marketing at social media and email lists. However, you will be overlooking another popular marketing tool, which is a blog. If you do not know what to write about on a blog for your business, take a look at some of your competitor’s blogs. Read blogs by other companies in your industry, too. An excellent place to start is to write about one of your products in detail, with some personal notes, or make a list of current trends and hot items in your industry.
Small business marketing resources are more than just a way to get your name noticed. They are tools for you to generate and continue interest in your small business’ products or services. The proper use of marketing resources drives traffic to your websites and customers to your door. Even if you are creating products that customers want and selling them at prices they like, first those customers have to know that you exist and that they can trust you. Use all the marketing resources at your disposal, and you will maximize that potential quickly and effectively.
Jeff Shuford
Jeff Shuford is a nationally syndicated columnist whose monthly column appears in more than 44 regional newspapers. Shuford is one of fewer than five millennial African-American syndicated columnists in the United States, and one of the country’s youngest syndicated columnists overall.
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