How the Heck Do I Market My Small Business?

When it comes to marketing, business owners often have a hard time figuring out where to start.

“Where are my customers?”
“How much is this going to cost me?”
“Where do I spend my marketing dollars to get the biggest bang for my buck?”

Let’s face it – small businesses often have small budgets and small windows of time to work with.  Here’s a few ways you can market your small businesses, without investing tons of money or time.

• Every business needs a website - now more than ever. Here’s why: your website is a portal to your business. It’s there for your customers to visit twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. If someone is up at 3am and wants to find out more about what you offer, they don’t have to wait until you’re “open” to call you – they go straight to your website and find what they need. If they have a question, they can email you and you can get right back to them. It’s not expensive to get a site started, either. A domain can be purchased for under $10 per year, and hosting plans start out at under $10 per month. I purchase my domain names through GoDaddy and use Host Gator for hosting, and I highly recommend both. I’ve never had a problem with downtime and their customer service is awesome.

• Start a blog. A blog can be a stand-alone site or can be an extension of your business website. You can start a free blog through WordPress or Blogger, which give you a URL such as www.yourcompany.wordpress.com. However, if you want to look more professional you’ll want your blog self-hosted so it will point to your own domain. Head on over to WordPress.org and download the software there. If you already have a site or a domain, you can easily upload it to your server and get started blogging. If you would like assistance with this and would like to work with me, I’m happy to help. Blogs build relationships with customers and are an incredible marketing tool.  They’re also a great way to drive traffic to your main site.

• Business cards are still an effective marketing tool.  Keep them with you and hang one up whenever you pass a bulletin board.  If you see someone who may be in need of your products or services, hand them a card. I recently hired a roofer to fix a leak at my home and while we were talking, his assistant asked what I do for a living – I handed them both a business card and found out they both needed my services. In five minutes I instantly got two new clients - go figure!

• Got something to say? Write a press release. Press releases are a great way to get exposure and build buzz.  These can be sent to local media, including newspapers, magazines, television and radio stations.  They can also be distributed online through press release distribution sites.

• Networking is not dead. Networking with other businesses, whether it is face to face or online is another way to market your business while making friends and learning something new at the same time. Find local networking groups through your local Chamber of Commerce or newspaper. Don’t overlook online networking, either. Social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, are fun, easy, no-cost ways to get your name out there and build relationships.

There are tons of ways for a small business to take an active role in their marketing.  Once you start, you’ll see how easy it can be! Get started and watch your business grow! Got ideas to share? Post them in the comment section below.