Successful Small Business Marketing Strategies

I was in bit need of vegetables to cook at that evening. I would have called at super market and ordered to deliver. But I believe in self-picking of vegetables while buying rather packaged one beautifully. However it costs too much while ordering. I got to see a guy in building with a hope of getting vegetables for me. He was having begs full of fresh vegetables probably picked up from farms in early morning. Even his van was waiting for me for further options. Prices were also acceptable. There was no room for doubts to let me say no to buy. I finally got my vegetables with no worries.

Every big thing started with small effort. Setting up or having small business in these competitive markets is no cause of worry. It’s no longer about the big beating the small; It’s about the fast beating the slow" says Larry Carter.

The question is to market your small business. How would you reach to your customers for whom you have produced something?

TACTICS TO MARKET YOUR SMALL BUSINESS

Ideally there are ten nice techniques to follow up your customer.

1. Establish your network
2. Newspapers
3. Brochures, Leaflets and Flyers
4. The Mail Shot
5. Partnerships
6. Calling Card
7. Telephone Sales
8. Newsletters
9. Monthly Magazines and Trade Journals
10. The Internet

Network

‘Marwadis’ (Strong business community in India) are known for their business due to establishment of strong networks. Live and let live others – is fundamental. Be strong against outsiders. To compete giant firms, small businesses need innovation in carving strong network that is again giant-to-giant firms.

Build relationships with end users and customers. Recommend or use your services/product on the basis that it is preferable to deal with someone you know this has been proved to be so. This is probably strength of every small business owner. You can easily be so personal with your customer that giant firms will never do in life. Groups also provide added benefit this means that when you talk to a customer and that customer wants a product/service you do not provide, you will be able to get the deal based on your networking knowledge and connections.

For any commercial confusions or obstacles take help of local Chamber of Commerce.

Local Newspapers

Customers are tending to collect clips of advertisements those are important ones. If you provide services/products that serve a local community, you must have introduction in your local or free paper. Having an advert in the classified section is less expensive than having an advert in the news pages, and block booking will reduce the cost by 25%.

Brochures, Leaflets and Flyers

Brochures are nothing but detailed advertisements for your products. Leaflets/flyers can have a more specific message about special offers and current prices: the things that customers want to see. Providing your customers with up to date information is essential, with the cost efficiency of leaflets/flyers.

The Mail Shot

Get addresses of your prospective clients and mail the details. How will you get addresses?

Take an address of your every customer on first order or purchase to let him or her know about you in future. You can get lists for small office, home office (SOHO) that will give you access to those needing supplies of relevant products that are used or consumed in that environment.

If you get responses of about 2 - 10% you have to mail a significant amount of prospective customers, then probably I would say it a successful effort. To get 100 responses you need to post between 1,000 - 5,000 letters.

Listen, almost every product has a customer user - buyer statistical breakdown. I you know this you can improve sales drastically. It is about your good research and knowing your product and customer.

Partnerships

The Internet has brought us incredible phenomenon of partnerships and affiliates.

Most of us were unconcerned with competitors or aligned services in the past; as such we were not inclined to promote an outside business, product or service that we had no share in.

Today you need that. If you do not have a working relationship with another company you are being inefficient and ineffective! The large company produces from start to end. They probably don’t need it.

Visiting – Calling Cards

Visiting card is a soul for small business. Let it be Sunday or Monday, professional event or personal event, morning or evening – always carry your business card with you and spread it wherever it is possible. This is to leave your mark on others.

While dealing with emails, make sure your signature makes it very clear what you do and where you can be contacted.

In stationeries, keep your letterhead up to date conveying your business to readers.

Telephone Sales

Take a lead with call you made. In a company where I used to work earlier, my boss was always looking to telephone calls and bills. Figure should not be below to his expectation.

Further whenever you call, you will find most of the times rejections. Rejection is however depends on the instances to whom you are reaching. If it is well researched and planned, you can avoid rejection. If it is not your cup of tea then outsource to a marketing agency. But take a 10 –20 leads in daily business.

Telephone sales is crucial and don’t bother about costs in this techniques. You cannot reach to everyone physically; better take presence virtually controlling important time.

Newsletters

A newsletter is about informing and not selling (well not quite so openly). Few of us would welcome a newsletter that was designed to get sales, but knowledgeable news is received with interest. The readers of our newsletter want interesting and relevant knowledge and not information on our products. A newsletter says that you are an expert, someone who has an opinion, that you are approachable, that you have answers, that you always strive to find a better way for yourself and your readers - this is why good newsletters reach far and wide, and hopefully repay your time and resource with sales.

What to do?

Compile monthly events in one page newsletter. Either you post it or mail it.

Create your initial list of mail outs: local papers, directories in library, names from friends, friends of friends, TV, Internet, endless names...

Monthly Magazines and Trade Journals

It depends on your product – what you sell. Magazines and journals attract your customers a lot. It is very simple. Computer hardware seller will make a brand in any computer hardware; networking, IT news or IT related magazines and journal. I agree to the cost of printing ads in such magazines. But that creates your brand in best way.

As readers want to buy services/products from brand names, the least they expect is to be familiar with your advert.

The Internet

'The Internet' is a solution to the problem of affordability and a way of showing added value in your partnerships. It could be argued that the Internet does not belong in this list as it is time consuming and costly to have even a small degree of success.

Selling through Internet involves use of Web sites and e-mail to inform customers about a product, solicit their questions, and accept their orders directly through the electronic medium.

A plumber, an electrician, a gas fitter and a general builder could create a regional web site that is geared to these four services.

Internet marketing is another option to spread you. Internet marketing, according to Net Pulse Marketing, is "Strategies and techniques applied on the Internet to support the organization's overall online marketing objectives."

Goals may include driving targeted traffic to a Website and features on the Website to create a desired call to action. Internet marketing may include keyword and meta tag strategies, newsgroup and mailing list postings, banner advertising, reciprocal links, online promotions, content positioning, online image development, email strategies and other interactive features.

The Internet has more opportunities for small business than we currently see and those that have the drive and desire to create a business presence will succeed.