Learn 10 Small Business Marketing Tips Most Small Business Miss
Tip 1: Mindset
Struggling business owners spend time to save money.
Successful business owners spend money to save time.
Tip 2: What is marketing?
If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying “The Circus Is Coming,” that’s advertising.
If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that’s promotion.
If the elephant walks through the mayor’s flower bed and the local newspaper writes a story about it, that’s publicity.
If you get the mayor to laugh about it, that’s public relations.
Tip 3: Strategy vs. Tactics
Strategy is the big-picture planning you do before you do any specific things.
Any specific things or actions that you take to put your plan into action are tactics.
Tip 4: Don’t do what big companies do.
The biggest mistake small businesses and solopreneurs make is copying what their biggest competitors are doing. Big businesses have entirely different priorities and a much bigger pool of resources compared to small businesses.
- Please the Board of Directors
- Maximize Shareholder Wealth
- Satisfy Superiors Biases
- Satisfy Existing Customers
- Get Buy-In From Various Stakeholders
- Win Advertising & Creative Awards
- Make A Profit
- Make A Profit
Tip 5: 3 Phases of the Marketing Journey
- Before: In the Before phase you are making people we call “Prospects” aware of your products/services and the solution benefits they offer. Prospects typically don’t know that you exist.
- Doing: In the Doing phase you are informing, educating, and selling to people we call “Leads.” Leads have indicated some interest in your offer.
- After: In the After phase you are helping people we call “Customers.” Customers have given you money and need help using your products/services to solve their problem(s).
Tip 6: Focus on a Niché
- Focus on a Niché makes price irrelevant. Niché focus allows you to charge a premium price.
- Define one thing your customers want a solution to, something they want/need regardless of price.
- Craft your marketing message to enter the conversation they’re having in their mind and simply and clearly say that you have a solution in your marketing message.
Tip 7: Develop a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
- Start developing your Unique Selling Proposition by answering these two questions: Why should I buy this product/service? Why should I buy this product/service from me?
- “Quality” and “Great Service” are not parts of your USP. They are expected parts of good business practice.
- Get into the mind of your Prospects. When Apple launched the iPod digital music player, it didn’t advertise technical features like megabytes of storage. Instead it crafted the headline “1,000 Songs In Your Pocket.”
Tip 8: When you confuse them, you lose them.
You must clearly explain your product/service and the unique benefits it offers in a single short sentence.
Use this Elevator Pitch template to quickly and effectively communicate the problem, the solution, and the proof that your solution works:
You know [state the problem]? Well, what we do is [your solution]. In fact, [proof – case-study/example].
Tip 9: Craft a compelling offer
- Start developing your offer by answering these two questions: Which customer problem are you sure your product/service can solve really well? Of all the products/services you offer, which do you enjoy delivering the most?
- Target the pain. If you sell TVs target the customers pain points which are bringing it home, unpacking it, and setting it up. Instead of price discounting offer delivery and expert setup. That’s pain relief for TV buyers.
- Appeal to your customers emotions. People buy with emotions first, then they justify with logic. Write your offer and marketing copy to address the five major motivators of human behavior: Fear | Love | Greed | Guilt | Pride
Tip 10: How To Name Your Product, Service or Business
- The name must make it instantly obvious what the product, service or business is/does. If you tell someone the name and they ask “What do you do?” or “What does it do?” That’s an instant fail for your name.
- Business Name Example: “Fast Plumbing Repairs” instead of “Aqua Solutions”
- Always choose clarity over cleverness.
- Don’t ask friends and family for their opinion on your Name. Test and get opinions from objective people who are in your target market.
Bonus Tip: The 10 Most Important Small Business Website Features
Here are 10 important features a small business websites needs to increase conversions and deliver an exceptional customer experience.
- Function On A Mobile Phone
- Site Looks Great
- State the Problem(s) You Solve & Your Solution(s)
- Collect Emails
- Present Your Offer (Beautifully)
- Make It Easy To Buy Your Offer
- Educate & Inform Site Visitors with Great Content
- Make It Easy For Site Visitors To Request Help
- Make It Easy For You To Respond To Help Requests
- Make It Easy For You To Make Site Content Edits
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