Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “The great thing in life is not where we stand, but what direction we are moving.”
Business is an evolving organism and in order to stay competitive you need to evolve with it. No matter what business or industry you are in, you need to market in order to generate sales. Many small businesses tend to get caught up in the day-to-day business dealings and forget to sit down and brainstorm how they are going to compete with their competitors. You need to announce who you are and what you are selling or you won’t get a second glance.
Some ways in which to accomplish this:
1.) Build relationships with your customers: stay in contact with them so your name and information is on their mind.
2.) Make sure your website is up to date and that have a “shopping basket” on your website
3.) Use social media to get yourself and your product out there: social media is an inexpensive way to advertise.
4.) Have business cards and business stationary made: make sure to keep these on your person; you never know who will need you and where you’ll meet them
5.) Establish trust: by marketing you repeatedly get your name and product out there, people will learn to recognize and trust your name.
6.) Address any issues: you want your customers to continue to use you and to give good referrals, make sure to provide great customer service in return.
7.) Become an expert: by knowing your niche and becoming an expert at what you do, you build credibility.
8.) Know your current and future markets: what do you provide? Will there still be a need in the future or is it a fad? Know where you are going.
9.) Hire someone to develop a marketing strategy: find an expert who can help get your name out where potential customers will see you.
10.) Sponsorships: sponsorship is a great way to get your name out there with some positive PR
There are tons of ways to market your business. Effective marketing allows for you to reach potential clients and consumers by fulfilling their needs at that particular moment. If you are not reaching your targeted audience, you could be wasting your efforts.
But remember: fancy marketing strategies won’t take the place of quality products; make sure your have a product worth selling.
