As a small business owner with a customer-facing business, it’s essential to expand your customer base and turn new customers into repeat ones. There are many different marketing strategies you can use to achieve this goal.
If you’re a small business owner with a customer-facing establishment, you know that marketing is key to your success. But you must remember this will be an uphill battle for you, as you’ll likely be competing against the big sharks in your industry. For example, if you’re a local furniture shop, you’ll be competing against the likes of IKEA.
It’s not impossible to build your business despite the stiff competition. All you need to do is carve out a holistic marketing strategy by incorporating the right marketing mix that works for you and caters to your target audience. Here are the best marketing strategies to take your public-facing business to the moon.
Offer limited-time discounts
One way to market your business is by offering discounts and promotions. This is a great way to attract new customers and get them in the door. You can offer a discount on their first purchase, or you can offer a loyalty program where they can earn points for every purchase they make.
Don’t forget to promote your discounts and sales on social media, in local newspapers, and flyers around town. Here are some small business flyer templates you could take inspiration from.
You can also partner with other businesses in the area to cross-promote each other’s deals. You can partner with a nearby shoe store and promote each other’s sales if you’re a clothing store. This way, you can reach a wider audience and attract new customers who may not have known about your business otherwise.
Choose the right marketing messages for your business
Another crucial thing to remember is to craft the right marketing messages for your business. This means understanding what makes your business unique and using that to your advantage.
For example, if you’re a family-owned business, you can use that to appeal to customers looking for a more personal touch. You can also use this angle to promote any family-friendly events or deals you may be having.
On the other hand, if you’re a luxury brand, you’ll want to focus on promoting your high-quality products and services. You can also use this angle to appeal to customers looking for a more upscale experience.
No matter what business you have, make sure your marketing messages are clear and tailored to your target audience. Lastly, don’t forget to include all the essential details of your store like business hours and working days in the flyers you put up. Print out these creative free business hours templates and post them on your store’s entrance.
Be on the right social media platforms
In today’s day and age, having a solid social media presence is crucial. This is one of the best ways to reach a wider audience and connect with potential customers.
When it comes to social media, you need to be strategic about which platforms you’re on. It doesn’t make sense to be on every platform just for the sake of it. Instead, you need to be on the platforms where your target audience is most active. We highly recommend Facebook and Instagram, as these are the most used platforms today.
If you run a restaurant, a fitness studio, or a spa, run a marketing campaign on Instagram because these kinds of businesses need visual marketing and content, for which Instagram is excellent. Link articles to your website blog and add stories and snippets, showcasing your services, office, and staff.
Just remember, social media is all about building relationships and connecting with potential customers. So make sure you’re not just promoting your business 24/7. Instead, focus on adding value and being helpful. Having a website blog would do wonders for your social media marketing campaign!
SEO should be front and center
Another important marketing strategy is search engine optimization (SEO). This is a process of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results. This is important because it allows you to be more visible to potential customers looking for businesses like yours.
There are many things you can do to optimize your website for SEO. This includes using the right keywords, creating compelling content, and building backlinks. You can use online tools like Google’s Keyword Planner to help you with keyword research.
SEO can be a complex topic, but it’s essential to ensure your website is optimized so potential customers can easily find you online. If you’re not familiar with SEO, it’s worth hiring a professional to help you. They can guide how to get started and ensure that your website ranks as high as possible.
Utilize email marketing
Email marketing is another excellent way to reach potential customers and promote your business. This involves sending out emails to a list of subscribers who have signed up to receive updates from you.
Your emails should include special offers, coupons, blog posts, and event invitations. You can also use email marketing to promote new products or services. Just make sure your emails are well-written and relevant to your audience.
You can build an email list by having a sign-up form on your website or running a contest. You can also add a call-to-action in your emails, asking people to follow you on social media or visit your website.
Some parting thoughts
Public-facing businesses have a unique opportunity to promote themselves because they are customer-centric enterprises. That means the better you serve your customers, the more word-of-mouth you’ll generate, which in turn, will attract new customers.
So make sure you’re putting your best foot forward and always think about ways to improve your customer’s experience. Also, don’t forget to use the marketing strategies mentioned above to help you reach a wider audience. if you do all of this, you’ll be well on expanding your customer base.
Infographic created by Clover, a credit card processing company
