Here are 5 ways to advertise and marketing your small business: 1. You don't have to think big when it comes to marketing your business. Think small and local to start. What's going on in your own community? Sponsor events, go to chamber meetings, and give your library a flier goes a long way. Understand your ideal customer and think about where they spend their time. Then search for opportunities to get in front of your customer with your marketing message. This means handing out business cards and telling people about your business when the subject comes up. Many business owners shut off work down when they leave the office, but if you're passionate about what you created than tell people about it at different local events. The old time networking. 2. Every newspaper and magazine in your area is looking for a good story. They want to find that hometown hero and make them front page news. You don't need a grand opening to get a story about you. Maybe you expanded, updated, reopened, added a new product, helping a charity, or trying something new. Newspapers will find any reason to print an article about your business. This means the big and little papers, free magazines, organizations and library publications, and even college newspapers. College papers work especially well for businesses close to the university or students are one of their ideal customers. Don't feel as though they need to come to you. Reach out and share your story with them sp they share it with the community. You can also look online for blogs and PR websites that you can get people talking about you. Every town has a person writing about the newest and greatest stores and will be happy to help a small business. Find free PR sites that you can write a quick story about something important. 3. Social media is free! So many business owners over look this simple marketing tool. You can get in front of your ideal customers for free. It takes a few minutes to get started and makes a huge difference. Take the time to set your profile and make sure you do it right. Post valuable content each week that your customers will be interested in. This means news, images, videos, inspiration quotes, questions, quizzes, witty pictures, and interesting articles. Makes conversation with your customers and have fun with it. Just remember that social media is not just about promoting yourself. Technology like this help connect people like billboards never could. You can talk one-on-one with every potential customer. You're not just trying to get as many likes or follows as possible. You're building relationships with real people.
Storm Damage Update 5/01/24 