By Priscilla Kohl| HRTools.com Business Writer
Tired of twiddling your thumbs and waiting for customers to call?
Like most American families, small-business families are looking for deals and ways to cut expenses, particularly those associated with advertising. This is because most family businesses must market their goods and services in order to survive right now.
It’s important to keep in mind that any successful marketing plan is all about the journey; not the destination. If your family business wants to tap into the online world of marketing and advertising—without breaking the bank—you should realize that a commitment is required, as it is an ongoing process.
For those small business owners willing to invest a little time and effort, there are cost-free ways to get noticed locally through online marketing and advertising.
No doubt about it, the consuming world has mostly gone digital. This trend also impacts you and your small business local market.
In order to reach and connect with those localized digital lives, the following online-marketing tips are provided to help you get started:
- Check out the Google “Local Business Center” found at www.google.com. Here you can find free listing information that can help local customers find you.
- Learn how to interact with local consumers via free social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, etc. If you’re not sure where to begin, you might find this online article helpful: “How to Use Twitter to Grow Your Business.”
- Get in on the online coupon craze. If you have a Web site, publish a coupon on it that can either be printed or downloaded, or otherwise conveniently redeemed. A long-held marketing concept—the coupon, of course, is designed to attract consumers. Once consumers redeem those coupons, chances are they’ll spend more dollars and return for more service or products, as well. Microsoft even has free coupon templates at www.office.microsoft.com.
- Realize that online interaction is definitely ‘in’ and ‘where it’s at.’ For instance, check out “Foursquare for Business,” found at www.foursquare.com. This customer-online communication playground is catching on in major metropolitan areas such as New York and San Francisco.
- Blog on your Web site if you have one. Hint: In your blogs, focus on solving problems and creating buying needs for your local consumers. Most of them really don’t care what you had for breakfast. If you don’t have a Web presence, you can still blog using free blogging tools, such as the one provided by WordPress at www.wordpress.org. You can sign up for a free blog and, as WordPress states, the process: “Takes seconds. Costs nada.”
- Be neighborly and use e-mails and e-newsletters to keep local consumers informed and updated. Announce special offerings or product updates. Remind them of special or community events coming up. Just remember to focus on them and their needs. Customize and personalize those e-mails. For instance, remember to send a ‘welcome’ message to new subscribers. Note: It’s also very important to review related federal and state laws that govern e-mailed commercial messages. To begin with, review the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s “Facts for Business—CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business” found at its Web site www.ftc.gov. Business owners are also encouraged to consult with their legal counsel.
- Leverage viral possibilities with YouTube. What does it mean to “go viral” via the Internet? To “go viral” is the ultimate goal of most online content. In other words, your content or message spreads like wildfire across the Internet as people share it with each other. It happens most often with videos, but it can happen with blog posts, marketing campaigns, etc. The potential and possibilities are endless. Remember the YouTube sensation Susan Boyle? Within days of her 2009 appearance on the television show, Britains Got Talent, that show’s YouTube video went viral and was watched by millions of viewers. At last count, it still stands as the most-watched video in history. If you have access to a video filming device (even a cell phone!), you could create a “viral” marketing strategy for your business. YouTube accepts a number of file formats. See their “Getting Started” found at www.google.com
Finally, again, remember that successful marketing is all about the journey; it’s not about a destination. Who hasn’t heard of General Mills? They started with two flour mills in the 1860s, but they still continue to market and advertise their brands.
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The information contained in this document is for general, informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice. This information is not a substitute for the guidance of a professional and should not be relied upon in reference to any specific situation without first seeking the advice of a qualified HR professional and/or legal counsel regarding applicable federal, state or local laws. HRTools, Insperity and their respective employees make no warranties, express or implied, and make no judgments regarding the accuracy of this content and/or its applicability to a specific situation. A reference or link to another website is not an endorsement of that site or service.