The How of Business Podcast – Marketing Episodes
These episodes of The How of Business podcast are on the topic of Small Business Marketing. Helping you brand, market and advertise your small business, including traditional marketing and digital marketing.
Public Relations for Small Business. Public Relations for Small Business with Megan Bennett. Megan shares her experiences and tips for using Public Relations to promote and grow a small business. Megan has been on the Light Years Ahead Public Relations team for over 20 years. She started working ...
YouTube Ads for Small Business. How to use YouTube Ads to grow your Small Business with Aleric Heck. Aleric shares his inspirational entrepreneurial journey, and an introduction to YouTube advertisement to help you grow your small business (starting at 17:17). Aleric is a YouTube Ads Expert and the ...
Marketing Media for Small Business with Mary Ann Pruitt. Understanding the variety of Marketing Media for Small Business with Mary Ann Pruitt. Small Business Owners need to understand and invest in the right mix of marketing media to promote a small business successfully. Mary Ann shares her insights ...
5 Things Small Business Owners Should Consider When Marketing Their Small Business
To remain relevant, seen and competitive, small business owners must always evolve and experiment to market and promote their businesses as effectively as possible.
As Seth Godin insightfully puts it, “Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell.” This perspective is essential for small business owners striving to navigate the complexities of marketing with limited resources. Here are five considerations for small business owners when marketing their business:
- Understand Your Target Audience:A successful marketing strategy starts with a thorough understanding of your target audience – also known as your Avatar or Ideal Client. This means going beyond basic demographics to grasp their behaviors, preferences, pain points, and motivations. By tailoring your marketing messages to align with your audience’s needs, you enhance engagement and conversion rates. Use surveys, social media interactions, and customer feedback to continually refine your approach.
- Leverage the Power of Digital Marketing:In our digital age, an online presence is indispensable. Digital marketing offers cost-effective and measurable ways to reach your audience. This includes search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, email marketing, and content marketing. Gary Vaynerchuk, a digital marketing expert, emphasizes the importance of content: “The number of people you can reach with your business message is directly related to the attractiveness and relevance of the content you put out.” This underscores the need for compelling and relevant online content.
- Focus on Building Relationships, Not Just Sales:
Marketing should be about building lasting relationships with customers, not just closing sales. Engage with your audience, listen to their feedback, and make them feel valued. Relationship marketing leads to customer loyalty, repeat business, and referrals. Foster a strong community around your brand through customer reviews, social media interactions, and loyalty programs.
- Measure and Analyze Your Marketing Efforts
One of the most critical aspects of marketing is tracking and analyzing the effectiveness of your efforts. As HubSpot, a leader in inbound marketing, states, “You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Tracking your marketing efforts is the first step towards making informed decisions and getting better results.” Utilize tools like Google Analytics, social media insights, and email marketing reports to understand what’s working and what needs improvement. And create and track a Marketing Budget to help you stay focused with your marketing spend for the year. This data-driven approach is essential for refining your marketing strategies and achieving better outcomes.
- Be Consistent and Authentic
Consistency is crucial in marketing to build brand recognition and trust. Ensure that your messaging, branding, and quality are consistent across all channels. Authenticity is also key in today’s market. Customers are drawn to brands that are genuine and transparent. As you craft your Elevator Pitch, be sure to include your business’s story, values, and the people behind it to set your small business apart in a crowded marketplace.
Effective marketing for small businesses involves understanding your audience, leveraging digital channels, building relationships, analyzing your efforts, and being consistent and authentic. By focusing on these key areas, small business owners can create impactful and cost-effective marketing strategies that drive growth and success. Remember, as Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuk, and HubSpot suggest, marketing is about storytelling, creating relevant content, and making data-driven decisions to connect with and grow your audience.