Marketing Ideas For Small Business

Marketing ideas for small business are essential in this modern era. Marketing online is not a consideration, it is a necessity, now we know that 97% of consumers turn to the internet first when looking for products or services.
In January 2011, Start-Up magazine wrote an article in their monthly newsletter aimed at UK Small Businesses titled, Small Businesses Stressed For Their Online Visibility. It was a pertinent and painful look at how such an important topic is being largely ignored, making life very difficult for the sector.
Research from studies showed that most businesses had not invested any time or effort into improving their rankings on search engines. More worryingly, 27% of firms with a website accepted they had never used online methods to interact directly with customers, whilst only 23% of businesses had been involved in social networking, despite knowing consumers look for products and services in these areas.
Whilst poor online visibility was recognised as a key stress factor, 80% of businesses expected to be held back by a lack on investment in online marketing.
Having a website and waiting to be found is simply not enough. Now, it is imperative to go to the places where the consumers hang out and set up camp in them.
The Internet has become interactive and social and to take advantage of what it can offer, a business must also be present in these areas. Engagement with potential customers and interaction with existing ones on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are now a vital part of the customer experience.
Furthermore, video distribution through the various networks, that shout out your message or offer solutions enhance this relationship. In addition, they can rank well in search engines and drive customers to your website.
Combine these small business marketing strategies with search engine optimisation, and the effect is that you are casting hooks out all over the internet, to pull potential consumers back to your products or services. The decision to optimise global, nationally or locally will depend upon the catchment area that your business trades.
As a final note, it is also vital to ensure that your online marketing activities are kept fresh. Like a supermarket, there is a ‘sell by’ date on everything. To keep your rankings high and attracting targeted customers, ongoing work needs to be undertaken.