Three Quick Marketing Tips For Small Business Owners

This blog serves as a much-needed mediation between digital marketing and SME business owners.

In this blog you will find three marketing tips that aim to help you push forward your brand and put your business’s name out there on the global marketplace. 

SME businesses globally face very similar issues when it comes to promoting their practice. Many of the challenges they run into are quite similar to the problems that other small businesses in different industries have also.

We will dive into the things that all businesses need to establish when building an online presence. As well as ways in which SME businesses more specifically can best promote their business.

1. Communicate your brand well

In short, the essence of building a brand is ensuring that there is cohesion between how you view your company, and how other people view your company.

Want to test to see if you’ve got this right?

To properly communicate your brand to your customer, you need to be honest with yourself first.

Take some time with each question below and answer it to yourself in full. Perhaps you could write it down (even if the answers seem commonsensical):

• Why does your company exist?
• What differentiates you from other companies in your niche?
• What problems do you solve?
• Why should people care?

Now take a look at your website, social media, YouTube channel, etc.

Answer the questions below, from the perspective of a potential client (who knows nothing about your industry):

• Why does this company exist?
• What differentiates them from other companies in this niche?
• What problem does this company solve?
• Why should I care?

Notice any differences?

If not, great! You’re already on the way to marketing mastery.
If so, then assess why this difference occurs.

No matter where your brand is present, you must be able to answer these questions. Particularly on your website, because this is where your audience has your undivided attention.

2. Have a well designed & SEO optimised website

So what should you focus on when it comes to web development and SEO? Well, focusing on these five things is a good place to start:

1. Great Design – Though not much attention is placed on it. A well-designed website is much more likely to convert when compared with an outdated and clunky website. People need to feel as though they can sign up or enter their information onto your website without doubting whether or not this company is legitimate.
2. Clear Message – Companies that clearly state what services they offer on their website not only make it easy for visitors but search engines as well. Clear titles that contain the keywords they are ranking for on Google, Bing, etc. makes it easily identifiable for the search engine to determine what the website is about. Thus increasing your chances for higher ranking.
3. Call to action – Don’t just rely on a contacts page for converting your visitors. In sales, the acronym ABC (Always Be Closing) is also relevant when it comes to web development. On the homepage, sidebars, Footers, Headers, Services pages, or wherever. Try to encourage your visitors to take some action towards working with you. Make it easy for them to get in touch with you.
4. Page speed – This is a no brainer. It’s all good and well having a great looking website. But nobody is invested enough to wait 10 years for a homepage to load up. You want your website to be quick and easily accessible, to best improve your chances of converting visitors.
5. Provides useful information – This is typically where SMEs fall short. We have seen many companies that have been very excited about having a good looking, optimised website. But are completely uninvested in making their website a valuable asset to both their business and their visitors. Useful websites attract visitors! Transforming your website, over time, into a valuable knowledge base website for your potential customers, not only greatly increases the credibility and authority of your business. But it also greatly drives your traffic up. Your target audience will look to you as the most knowledgeable company in your niche which is (as we’re sure you can imagine) great for your bottom line. SME businesses need to see their website as an investment. One that, with time and attention, will become a highly valuable asset.

3. Provide value first

Many business owners make the mistake of thinking that just getting your name out there does the trick when looking to get more clients on board.

Over time that approach fizzles out. Companies that market themselves this way soon find themselves outdone by competitors who embrace a more empathetic approach to their marketing.

Providing value first is about giving your potential client some valuable insight or skill before they use your service.

Not only does this make for great content (video/blog content in particular), but it also validates you as an experienced professional whilst simultaneously drawing your audience closer to your brand. Furthermore, from this, a whole new income stream can be drawn.

Look at the blog you’re reading now!!! We’re a marketing company, giving your tips and tricks on how to better your marketing! You’re in the matrix, my friend.