11 Powerful Marketing Strategies For Small Businesses Proven To Increase Sales!

The key to success for any small business is to have a strong marketing plan. Sadly, many business owners don't realize that the best marketing tactic they can do is often right in front of them. Odds are that you want to be able to spend less time on marketing and more time focusing on what really matters - like making great products or providing excellent service and an exceptional customer experience. In order to be successful, you need to have a solid marketing plan in place that provides you with new leads and customers. If you're looking for some ideas on how to get started or improve your current marketing strategy, read on for 11 powerful marketing strategies for small businesses proven to increase sales!

11 Marketing Strategies For Small Businesses

1. Offer Loyalty Programs To Increase Customer Retention

Customers will love your business more if you provide them with a loyalty program that benefits them by giving back to them for doing business with you. You can reward customers who buy from you often or give out free products/services to loyal customers at certain intervals (ie: every 5th order). This can also be effective to create a strong relationship with your clients so that they'll purchase from your business again and again!

2. Make Sure Your Website Is Up-To-Date

Be sure to regularly update your website with new photos of your products or before and after photos of your services. If you have photos of your products/services on your website, people will be more likely to make their buying decisions based on those images. Having up-to-date information also gives the customer a sense that you are invested in what you do.

Not only is updating your website with new information important, but it's also vital that you have a clearly visible "call to action" (CTA). Your CTA should stand out and grab the customer's attention.

3. Provide Special Offers or Coupons

This is one of the most basic ways to immediately increase your sales, however many business owners overlook this. Your target audience is more likely to shop with you if they have a special offer or coupon in hand. But don't just give them any old coupon! The coupon should motivate customers into taking action by either using it immediately or sometime in the very near future, the idea is to create a sense of urgency.

4. Have A Blog On Your Website

Having a blog is no longer just a "nice to have," but an absolute necessity. This is another extremely powerful way to grow your business. It's been proven that many companies see an increase in sales when they have a blog on their website.

Over 75% of internet users were found to read blog posts. Whether you're selling services or products, your blog should be focused on educating your potential customer by providing them answers to their questions, or solutions to their problems.

Your blog should also be updated regularly to ensure you're providing your target audience with valuable and current information. You can even have a "news" portion of your website where you share interesting articles that will lead people to read more.

5. Collaborate With Other Businesses In Your Niche To Get Exposure

This is a great way to get your name out there and network in the same industry as yourself! When you collaborate with another business you're working with them, not against them. This allows you both to mutually benefit by increasing sales simultaneously. You can also work with someone who may have a larger following than you, in exchange they give you some of their audience to reach. Collaborations are most effective when both parties can benefit.

6. Create An Email List And Send Out Monthly Newsletters

Having an email list isn't just important, it's vital. Think about all the major brands and influencers you know that have thrived because of their mailing lists. You should build a relationship with your customers by sending them valuable information and exclusive offers on products/services that will benefit them. A well-maintained email list will help you keep in contact with your regular customers and potential clients on a regular basis. This will in turn build trust, credibility and drive new sales.

7. Use Online Advertising

This is one of the most effective ways to bring in new customers and is an important part of almost any successful marketing plan. Google Ads is a great way to increase sales fast because you can target specific people who are actively looking for your type of business, service, or product. You can create ads specifically for your target audience which will give you higher quality leads and sales.

You should also invest in Facebook advertising, especially if your audience is on the platform. By using online social media networks such as Facebook or Instagram, you can even reach a wider audience, often for less money!

8. List Your Business On Local Business Directories

You should be adding your business to local business directories to help with your online presence. These sites rank higher in search engines and are a good way to get more people to find you if they're looking for something close by.  For instance, if someone searches "plumbers near me," then your business will come up in the results when they search on that directory site. Major directory listings include Google My Business, Yelp, and Yahoo Local. Also, be sure to optimize these directory listings by adding a detailed description of your business and photos. The better you optimize your listings, the better chance you will have to appear on the first-page search results.

9. Give People Free Samples or Trial Offers

The saying "try before you buy" is so true! Giving people a free sample of your product/service could get them hooked. They'll use your products then buy from you again to replace what they used. You can also offer a limited trial to show value prior to purchasing your services. This is an excellent way to earn trust for your business.

10. Get Social!

Social media has become a huge part of marketing, and you need to be utilizing this networking tool if you want your business to grow. To best utilize social media marketing, be sure to post regularly with relevant content.

You want to engage your followers and not just broadcast information at them! Use social media as an engagement tool, not just a place to sell something.

This will build a stronger connection between you and your target audience as well as make customers aware of what's going on in your business.

11. Use Google Analytics To Measure Your Success

You want to assess how effective your digital marketing efforts are so you know where to best allocate your time and money. Google Analytics is a powerful tool that provides highly valuable information on customer trends, engagement, traffic, goals and etc., which will help guide future strategies for your business.

Conclusion

There are many marketing strategies for small businesses you can use to help your business grow and increase sales. The 11 I've listed will get you started, but there are so many more out there! Which marketing strategy have you tried? What digital marketing strategy would you add to this list?

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