Marketing small businesses is becoming more complex. It is essential to keep up with the basics of marketing in an online environment that changes quickly. This is to be able to focus on the customer’s needs.
Profiling Your Target Customer
What are your ideal customers? Who do they buy products and services from? Many businesses have multiple market segments that each have different needs. It is therefore important to identify these segments and create a customer profile for each.
Find the best way to reach your customer
Which are the most effective ways to reach specific customers and market segments? While offline marketing may be the best option, online marketing is more cost-effective and efficient. Find out what information sources customers use to find it. This could be through search engine queries, social media, or online publications. No matter which route you choose, focus your efforts on these mediums. E.g, a CMO summit can be a good way to reach your customer, only if it resonates with your target audience.
Be found
It is pointless to have a website if it cannot be found by prospects when they type a relevant search term in one of the major search engines. According to statistics, more than 90% of prospects don’t go past page one when searching for information. Social media is no exception to this rule. The goal of any online marketing tool is to be found.
Establish a Relationship
Only a few prospects will purchase immediately after being found. A larger percentage of prospects will continue to visit the site and learn more, and they will purchase in the future. The goal is to establish trust and credibility with prospects to help them sell in the medium- to long-term.
Convert
If a relationship does not lead to a sale, it is useless. It is crucial to show prospects the right way and tell them what to do (calls for action). In order to foster ongoing dialogue, it may be necessary to obtain a prospect’s email address in exchange for a valuable download.
Small business marketing success starts with the customer. Once you have a clear understanding of the customer, provide the necessary information and build a relationship that leads to a sale. It is crucial to ensure that the message is sent in a way that is most likely be read and understood. Be visible, don’t get distracted by marketing hype and keep your eyes on the essentials.
