What’s the most effective advertising for small businesses?
Well, that depends on the small business. We focus a lot on business owners or people who have several employees, so that’s who we’re going to chat about.
most effective advertising for small businesses
Honestly, it’s nothing new. The most effective advertising for small businesses is simply doing a fantastic job.
Really?
Yes.
What do you do? What do you do really well? What do you do really well that makes people come home after buying your product or receiving your service that makes them tell their friend/spouse/insert someone important here?
Have A Focus
I believe your job as a small business owner is to do one thing really well. Do you make the best cheese buns in the city? Teach the hardest yoga class? Provide the smartest legal advice for young companies? Give the most popular nutritional advice for young mothers? Find the best homes for first time buyers?
If you focus on what you’re good at, and continue to be an expert in that field, customers will follow. Why? Because you do something remarkable that makes them feel special.
When you buy a service or product, you’re not buying that service or product. You’re buying a solution to a problem. More specifically, you’re allowing someone to buy something that reinforces a story they tell themselves.
This may sound silly, but advertising and marketing are ways for people to tell themselves a story about who they are, based on something that you do or sell or provide. It’s not about you – it’s about how they feel about you, about their perception of why you do what you do, about the way you make them feel special.
The best marketing makes people feel special. We all want to feel important. (Yes, even you.)
Your Biggest Advantage
Okay, so what does this “holistic view of marketing” mean?
It’s your biggest advantage. It’s why you’ll have an easier time sharing your story than well-funded companies and faceless corporations, because while they’re “trying to be more human,” you already are.
The strongest part about being in business for yourself is you. And the best things that get shared online are personal stories.
If you can be yourself in everything you do (email, blogs, tweets, etc…) people will believe you. And want to learn from you. And want to work with you. And yes, if you do a good enough job, they’ll want to become your customer.
So, What’s THE Most Effective Advertising For Small Businesses?
While there are plenty of ways to be creative, the most tried and true method is be yourself. Stand behind who you are, share that with the world and attract people who have the same beliefs.
How can you do that?
Two words. Inbound marketing.
Inbound Marketing
Inbound marketing is how clients find you naturally online. People are searching for things on the web and mobile all the time – there are over 1 billion searches on Google every month! Instead of pushing your products and services, let your customers find you.
There are 5 key things that you should know about inbound marketing:
SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Helps people find your website
Website: Where people come to learn more about you and your services
Blog: Your “voice”– people can learn about what you do (and why) and get to know you better
Social Media: Another way to share your personality and interact with people on a more immediate basis
Email: Use website + social media to collect emails, which you’ll use to build relationships with people overtime
Traditional Advertising Is Dying
People are getting more difficult to reach through traditional advertising. Flyers, local papers and even the buses are becoming less effective. Inbound is your alternative – it’s how today’s customers want to interact with your business, plus it’s more effective and less expensive.
Why Inbound?
Because you show up when they’re looking for you. And when they resonate with the story you tell (and the story they tell themselves about you) there’s a good chance they’ll want to interact with you at some point in the future.
Especially if you remember to get their email so you can keep the conversation going!
Just remember, people want to talk to and work with and buy from real people. That’s you.
p.s. If you want to learn more about inbound marketing, have a quick read of our post on Inbound Marketing For Small Businesses, or check out our 12 Step Guide To Getting Customers Online.