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Small businesses don’t have the budget to pay the big agencies for big marketing. Instead they should turn to guerrilla tactics, approach things with a bit more savvy, and with a closer eye on value for money.
What often happens though is they pay cheap for a half-finished website by a local “designer” (amateur hobbyist who’s only other published site is their World of Warcraft webring). Initial results are poor so they turn their backs on the internet.
Online marketing has a world of potential for a smart business though, just follow these tips:
- Attract, don’t shout - When a lot of people think about advertising or marketing they think it is all about getting your message out loud and clear, then waiting for people to get their credit cards out. Sorry, but it doesn’t work like that. Advertising is not a magic bullet, you need your audience to want to approach you, to see you as the best choice, and to be happy to make that choice. Rather than beat your prospect over the head with features, provide useful information, find where they hang out, bring them over to your way of thinking by addressing their needs and biases.
- Treat customers as individuals, not a herd of consumers - Dreams of placing an ad in a daily paper then having the phone ring red hot are probably out of reach for most small businesses, but you have an advantage that most big businesses don’t. You actually care about individual customers and want to do the best by them. Show this, don’t tell, treat your customers as unique human beings in your emails, in your website, and especially in personal dealings.
- Don’t sell, get customers to want to buy - Offer guides, tips, reports and an email newsletter. By communicating effectively, providing solutions, addressing real customer concerns, the prospect will convert on their own. You don’t need sleazy pressure sales tactics. No hypnosis necessary. Capture people searching for a solution then provide the best answer. Use SEO and Google Adwords to get in front of the people who need your solutions RIGHT NOW.
- “Do what everyone else does” is not a winning strategy - That Yellow Pages ad might have been running for twenty years but that doesn’t mean it is necessarily bringing in the sales. Just because something has always been done a certain way doesn’t mean it SHOULD.
- Act global, think local - More and more prospects are turning to the internet to find products and services, this means even if someone is looking for a local trades-person you need to be on the web. Local search is a growing source of sales leads.
I’m not saying any of this is easy, but if you think past just throwing up a brochure website and consider your prospects needs then you will more than compete with the big boys.
Over 120 pages of tips and techniques to
