Five marketing tips for small business owners

Starting a business? You’re probably dealing with the challenges that come with it – like a limited budget for development and marketing activities. You might feel like you’re on your own. You want your business to thrive, especially to outshine the competition next door. Forbes reports that current small business owners feel overwhelmed by marketing responsibilities, with 73% unsure if their current strategy is helping them achieve their business goals. What can you do about it?

Here are five practical marketing tips to ease some of your worries and help make your small business more visible.

TIP! Did you know that EDU Effective Business School offers courses for busy entrepreneurs? You only need 15 minutes a day to develop skills in your chosen area. Check out our MBA specializations: Startups and Entrepreneurship or Women in Business and Entrepreneurship.

Limited Budget for Marketing Investments?

As a new entrepreneur, you carefully consider where to invest your money to reach the largest group of potential customers. You want your products or services to sell. Where can you save a bit on the budget?

Use free tools. 

There are (not only) marketing tools available for free in their basic versions or for a reduced subscription fee. Our personal tips?

• Canva (for creating brand identity, logos, graphic materials) 
• Google Workspace (for working with documents, emails, and communication).
• Slack (quick company chat where you can organize conversations by channel).
• Asana (for to-do lists and project tracking).
• CapCut (for quick editing of social media reels, also includes templates).
• Chat GPT (for brainstorming, content creation, mailing, etc.).

Educate yourself.

New entrepreneurs often learn through trial and error. As we say, “No one is born a master.” Mistakes are inevitable when building your own business. How can you minimize them? Invest time in self-study. You can start subscribing to interesting marketing newsletters, read expert articles on educational platforms, or leverage the potential of podcasts. Boost your marketing skills.

TIP! Want to learn how to set up a PPC campaign or create social media content? Study the MBA specialization in Online Marketing at EDU Effective.

Delegate and outsource.

If your budget allows, try hiring a freelancer to help with individual marketing activities. This could be a social media manager or a PPC specialist who will prepare a campaign strategy and set up ads on Facebook.

Or another specialist. It’s crucial to have someone to help with finances – like an accountant and a lawyer to help with contracts, etc.

Measure and optimize.

This is extremely important. You definitely don’t want your money slipping through your fingers. Regularly evaluate your campaigns and optimize them based on the data you collect.

1. Content marketing quality is everything.

Content marketing is essential in any marketing strategy. Even with a limited budget, you can work wonders in this area. Let’s give a concrete example.

“I run an agency providing social media services to clients.” What kind of content will I create to attract customers?

• Blog – Write expert articles offering simple solutions to your target audience. For example, how to edit an Instagram video, hashtag strategies, etc.
• Social Media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok, etc.) – Choose channels relevant to your business. For an agency, focus on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok. Create infographics and short videos that provide value to your followers (e.g., educational).
• Podcasts – This is more about branding but still falls under content. As an agency, you can invite experts from various marketing fields, interview them, and share the knowledge with your listeners. Who knows? Maybe one of your listeners will reach out to collaborate next time.
• Webinars and eBooks – Use webinars and eBooks to gather leads. Choose a topic you’re truly an expert in, conduct a webinar, and summarize everything in an eBook. People interested in the topic will gladly download/watch them in exchange for their email addresses. You can then easily target them with paid ads and mailing.

Not every small business owner has the time to use all these channels. You can start with something simpler – like a blog and definitely social media content. Build your brand and a fan base with potential customers. Remember to regularly update your content and keep it relevant.

TIP! Create an editorial calendar to help plan and organize content activities. Asana has predefined templates that you can use for this purpose.

2. Build a community on social media.

Did you know that by 2024, 5.04 billion people worldwide will use social media? That’s 62.3% of the global population, according to Data Portal. Social networks are and will be great marketing tools for small business owners, regardless of whether you use Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn.

Do some research to find out which channel your customers spend the most time on. Start there. Create a company profile, optimize your bio, and regularly publish valuable content.

TIP! Recently, there’s been talk that hashtags are dead. Before you completely give up on them, try the proven 3×3 method.

• The first pillar focuses on your audience. Use 1-3 hashtags that target your audience, specifically who your product/service is for.
• The second pillar focuses on finding a solution to the problem your product/service offers. Choose 1-3 hashtags that show how you solve the problem.
• The third pillar shows that you truly understand your audience. Choose 1-3 hashtags that mention the problem you solve.

Focus on creating video content (reels, TikToks, and YouTube shorts). 

The ideal length is currently between 8 to 15 seconds. Don’t forget a good hook and a call to action. Pro tip – you can edit basic videos in CapCut using templates; you don’t need to be a video editing master. You can also use AI videos for creative content and video watermark removers for a clean finish. Explore the best Capcut alternatives for more editing features and flexibility.

Use features like Instagram Stories or Facebook Live to stay in real-time contact with your followers. The best part? You can use all these features for free or with minimal promotion costs.

3. Don’t forget about SEO – make sure your business is visible.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is an absolute must-have! If you want your website to be visible in search engines like Google or Yahoo, you need to set up keywords correctly.

Blog articles are a great help in this regard. Write them on topics that answer questions your customers are searching for. Did you know that AI can help you with SEO? Learn how to prompt in our AI-focused credentials.

TIP: Use long-tail keywords that are less competitive and will increase your web traffic.

4. Optimize your website for mobile devices.

Statista reports that the number of mobile users will reach approximately 7.41 billion in 2024. People increasingly use their phones for shopping, searching for information, and communication. 

Make sure your website is responsive and works well on all devices. It’s definitely worth considering an investment in mobile advertising, which is affordable and effective. Use platforms like Google Ads or Facebook Ads to target specific demographic groups and increase your business’s visibility.

5. Email marketing still works in 2024.

Email marketing is a proven way to keep in touch with existing customers and attract new ones. Create a database of email addresses and regularly send newsletters with updates, special offers, or useful information. Decide on the tone of voice you want to use with your customers. Will you be formal or casual?

TIP! Segment your email lists by interests and purchase behavior to make your messages as relevant as possible for the recipients.

Which email marketing tools do we recommend? We’ve had great experiences with SmartEmailing and also recommend Ecomail and Mailchimp.

Got all five tips down? Try UGC marketing.

One of the most powerful methods to increase engagement and trust in your brand is UGC (user-generated content) marketing. This type of marketing uses content created by customers – whether it’s reviews, product photos, or videos. According to Tint, 92% of consumers trust organic, user-generated content more than other forms of marketing.

Why does UGC work? 

It provides an authentic perspective on your products and services, significantly influencing potential customers’ decision-making processes.

We are EDU Effective Business School, a platform offering online MBA, MPA, MSc, and LL.M. programs.

Business is full of challenges. We can provide you with a guide to make it a little easier. Our study programs are designed to be flexible and time-efficient – you only need 15 minutes a day, thanks to micro-learning, so you can spend your valuable time on important business activities.

Interested in shorter courses? Try our effective credentials, which take just one month.

Do you have questions about studying at EDU Effective? Write to us or call us. Check out our FAQs as well!

Sources:

https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2024-april-global-statshot

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/small-business-marketing/