4 Ways to Kickstart Your Small Business Marketing Strategy

This week’s article is part 1 in a series on Small Business Branding by the Fontana Chamber of Commerce and is provided by one of our members:
Beginning to create your marketing strategy is a daunting task for any Small Business. It’s important to get your return on investment. You can do this by ensuring your message is perfectly crafted and gets in front of the right people. Here are some tips to keep in mind when you are creating your first marketing plan:

1. Focus on a target audience. You cannot start your marketing strategy for your product if you do not know who you are selling to. Your target audience is a select group of people who will receive the most benefit from your product, therefore they are the ones most willing to purchase. Whether you make luxury watches or simple work shoes, everyone has an audience that is in need. The first job in your pursuit to create a successful marketing strategy is to develop a steady and reliable client pool. This is easy to tap into once you create a ‘profile’ for your target audience which details their interests.
2. Produce the right content. On the digital marketing landscape, content is everything, and it can be the largest differentiator for your brand. While your product or service is the backbone of your business, think of content as it’s “clothing” or presentation. It is very important to not just create mindlessly, but to create content that drives value and conversions by connecting directly with your target audience. Content that stands out from the crowd creatively connects your prospects to the reasoning of why they should buy from you. For example, producing a video which shows them the assembly process of your product and highlights the best qualities or a photoshoot showcasing your product in a natural setting for your target audience helps to draw parallels between your brand and the consumer.
3. Be a problem solver. One of the questions customers ask themselves when considering buying a product is “Do I need this?” It’s only natural for someone to be wary of spending money on something they may not find useful.  However, when someone has a problem, that hesitation completely goes out the window.  Therefore, your product should be one that solves a problem for the consumer, even if it’s a problem they may not have been thinking about at that moment. Promote your product from a problem-solving perspective that demonstrates how much easier or simpler it is for the consumer to buy your product and be “rescued” from the issue. Remember that for consumers, splurges are rare, while necessities are common.
4. Build interactive relationships with your customers. Your relationships with customers are most important, because especially in the digital world, they can make or break your business. You can improve your relationships with customers through marketing by making yourself personable, replying to comments on social media, and making your content interactive. This is the digital equivalent of good customer service; a reply to a comment will have the consumer thinking “XYZ Company took it’s time to respond to me, they must value the input of their clients.” This leaves them feeling heard and appreciated, much more likely to return, and also more likely to recommend your brand to their friends.

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Riches & Saint is a full-service design and digital marketing agency serving clients nationwide from their office in Fontana, CA. They can elevate your business by providing a plan-of-attack and dynamic content: Whether you need to give your current branding a makeover or start from scratch, they are here to help. Check out their website at www.richesandsaint.com .   ​