Top Five Small Business Marketing Tips

1. Walk in your competitors’ and customers’ shoes

In the same way, step into your customers’ shoes. If you have money to spend and a problem to solve, which company is going to be the first stop? If it’s not your company, why not? These are the areas where your competitors are doing better. If you want to own your specialty, you need to develop a game plan to strengthen your weaknesses before it’s too late. This will help your company maximize its chances to come out on top.

2. Promote a cause you believe in

Every organization should stand behind a cause they believe in. Whether it’s disease research or literacy support, it’s important to give back. Your customers want to see your philanthropic efforts. By calling out your charitable contributions, this feel-good marketing goes a long way. Not only does it bring awareness to your cause, it also brings greater marketing visibility to your organization. Make sure that your charitable giving is made clear in all facets of your organization including your website, social media outlets, and newsletters. Above all, if a portion of your sales goes towards a charity, let your customers know. They want to feel good about helping too.

3. Tie in seasonal offerings

There are certain times of year in which your business has greater relevance. These times are golden opportunities to sell to your existing customers as well as to attract new ones. For example, let’s say your company sells vacuums. As soon as it becomes spring, it’s time to push the importance of spring-cleaning and offer unbeatable incentives. Holidays are also huge selling times for most brands. Companies need to start planning their holiday strategy as early as the summer. Contests, coupons, giveaways, holiday artwork for social media pages—these are all part of a successful seasonal campaign. Careful planning can lead to substantial sales spikes in relevant seasons that can boost profit for the entire year, so don’t wait until the last minute to map it out.

4. Create an engaging atmosphere

It’s easy to post a Facebook status or to craft a quick Tweet. The hard part is taking it one step further and asking people to get engaged. If people feel motivated enough to leave a comment, share your status, or mention your company on their own networks, it’s a huge accomplishment for your organization. In order to create an engaging environment, you need to be exciting, informative, and shareable. This can take the form of holding valuable contests, providing information that few people know, and offering exceptional products and services. Invest the time in your social media strategy, with engagement as your top goal. If you do it right, this investment will pay for itself—and then some.

5. Create a marketing budget that has legs

The only way to accomplish your marketing objectives is to have enough money to execute your strategies. Marketing should always be a substantial piece of your budget. Accounting software, paired with laser checks, improves the budgeting process. Business laser checks record all financial transactions in the system as they happen. As a leading provider of small business resources, Checksforless.com offers a huge selection of blank laser checks that are easily customizable—and compatible with over 4,500 software programs. Discount laser checks, backed with the power of accounting software programs, help improve financial visibility, increase accuracy and increase the potential for profitability with saved time and money.

In addition to these marketing tips, think about what strategies can best help you improve and grow your business. Share these thoughts with your colleagues and collaborate with other industry experts to fine-tune your marketing plan.

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