Your business might be small, but that doesn’t mean you can’t run a mighty marketing campaign. If you want to compete with both your large and small competitors, you need to adopt the best strategies to grow your small venture. Read the five-step guide to promoting your small business online.
- Launch a Professional Business Website
Surprisingly, 55% of American businesses do not have a website, while many are running outdated sites that will rule them out of the market. It is therefore essential to launch a professional business website that is easy to navigate, visually appealing, and mobile friendly. Your website must also offer informative information about your brand, goods, and services, and should offer a fast load time to avoid a high bounce rate.
- Publish High-Quality Content
If you want to organically rank in the search engines and encourage engagement on social media, you will need to publish high-quality content regularly. Every small business hoping to grow their brand online must develop a solid content marketing strategy, which can attract visitors who could convert into customers. To maximize your success, you must publish unique, interesting blog articles that complement Google’s guidelines. Contact Click Intelligence to learn more about their professional content writing services.
- Get Listed on Local Directories
71% of customers reportedly research a business location before planning their first visit. If you want to connect with customers in your local area, you should set up a business listing using the free and paid search engine local directories. For example, Google and Bing offer free listing services, while Yahoo charges a fee for listing your business in 50 directories, such as Yelp, Yahoo Local, and WhitePages. It is, however, important to note that 73% of customers lose trust in a brand if the listing offers an inaccurate location, so you must ensure the address is updated and correct. It will ensure prospective customers can find your address with ease and will help your business to avoid a poor reputation.
- Create Business Social Media Accounts
As 81% of the US population is believed to have at least one social media profile, the platforms should be an integral part of your marketing strategy. You need to create business accounts on the major platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Focus on publishing compelling content while interacting with your followers to remain at the forefront of your audience’s mind.
- Get Involved with Online Communities
There are numerous online communities you can join to engage with your target demographic, such as web forums, Reddit groups, Facebook groups, and third-party blogs. However, don’t be tempted to simply join a forum and post a website link, which will appear salesy, spammy, and unprofessional. Instead, you should aim to join in with conversations, share advice, and offer an opinion. Once you have gained members’ trust, you should then direct them to your website, social platform, or a blog post, as they will be more likely to click on the link and engage with your brand.
