Successful marketing can sometimes seem like a tall task for even the most experienced business people. With social media, email, content, paid ads and apps all being touted as key elements of a business’ marketing strategy, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. Determining what will actually work for your business can be difficult and you may not have the budget for extensive trial and error.
Marketing is not necessarily simple but there are simple techniques you can implement. Not every business needs to follow the same strategy. It is best to try one or two tactics and measure their effectiveness before making a final decision. Here are some techniques which can raise brand awareness, increase sales and boost revenue.
Utilize Signage
If you have a brick and mortar business, you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of proper signage. Signs often get overlooked these days in favor of digital marketing methods but they remain an easy and effective way of announcing the presence of your business. A sign which features your logo can help to reinforce your brand in the minds of customers and clients. It can also attract new business and investment.
External signs are one of the few ways you can market your business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Depending on the nature of your business, neon signs can be an excellent solution. After you’ve commissioned the sign and erected it, it does all the work for you. No other marketing technique works in this way. Signage may not seem like a typical B2B marketing strategy but remember, businesses are run by people and you need to get their attention.
Interact with Your Audience
Where are potential customers in your industry interacting? Maybe they engage in robust discussions on LinkedIn or hash out concerns during meetings of their professional association. Find out where they are and what challenges they are facing then determine how you can add to the conversation. You don’t need to have a hard sales pitch. Just share your perspectives and how your business could offer a solution.
You can then go on to create your own online community for customers to interact with you and each other. Again, this is not about a hard sell. You can discuss topics of mutual interest and make recommendations regarding your products or service when appropriate. You can offer product support, relevant resources and an area for customers to make requests about what they would like you to offer. Communities like this have an advantage over the usual social media group. There are no other brands competing with you in that space and you have complete control over the platform.
Integrate Your Digital Channels
Your business may have a presence on several digital channels. While each platform should showcase different content, they should feed off each other. Search engine optimization, webinars, email marketing, and social media can all generate increased business. However, it is best if they are used as part of a larger strategy. In isolation, each can only do so much.
A blog post may get some traffic but does it also include a call to action to visit your store, subscribe to your newsletter or attend an upcoming event? Do you use social media to direct people to your website or encourage webinar attendees to check out your blog? Integrated approaches like this direct your audience to other channels for interacting with you. Buyers probably don’t go on your website every day but they check email and visit social media. Integration helps you to build strong relationships with your customer base.
Turn Your Satisfied Customers and Employee into Advocates
You probably already have some testimonial videos on social media or case studies of successful projects on your website. These third-party endorsements are valuable but you can go a step further. Encourage your satisfied customers to share their experience with your business on their own platforms. When you publish testimonials, they are only seen by people who already know about your business. When your customers share them, you get access to a completely new audience. This audience will likely form a favorable first impression of you.
You can expand on this by rewarding those customers who become advocates. You may want to reshare their content or offer them early access to a new product or service. You can also partner with them to extend a special offer to their fans or followers. When other satisfied customers see you doing this, they will also want to become advocates for your business.
Your employees also have a role in this type of marketing. If they feel like they are really part of a team, they will promote your business among their family and friends. When you think about how many employees complain about their workplace, you will realize the value of having your workers share positive experiences.
Make Your Newsletters Interactive
Email marketing remains a key part of many B2B strategies since it brings an above average return on investment. However, you may need to rethink the content so it can be more engaging. Instead of just sharing product updates, or advertising special offers, make the newsletter interactive. You can include surveys, requests for feedback, contests, and videos. You can also draw attention to important content on your website.
Your newsletter should encourage readers to take some type of action whether it be completing a sale or sharing their opinion. This will boost your click rates and get recipients engaging with your content for longer periods. Put something new and different in each email and your open rate should also increase.
The whole concept of marketing can seem overwhelming for small business owners. However, some simple tweaks of your strategy can make major difference. If your marketing efforts have become stagnant, give the above techniques a try.
Lara Douglas is a young woman who loves interior designing and home decor. She is passionate about new trends and fashion forward home décor ideas. She regularly posts at Neon Signs Depot.
