One of the challenges of running a small business is that marketing never really feels finished. After all, you can post something great on social media, but then you’ll instantly be thinking about what to do next. Or you’ll send a newsletter and then you’ll be planning the next one before it’s even reached anyone. And of course, you’re always trying new ideas and you’ve probably got quite a long to do list as well.
So when it comes to marketing, you might be confused about just what to do to make your business stand out because there are so many options. Keep reading to find out what some of the best and most creative ones are.
Social Media
A lot of businesses put pressure on themselves to be everywhere at once, but that’s usually a quick way to make marketing feel overwhelming, and the reality is that it’s often better to focus on one or two platforms and use them well rather than trying to do everything.
People generally like seeing what goes on behind the scenes, hearing the story behind a business, and getting to know the people involved, and that’s good because it means you don’t need perfection – sometimes a simple social media post showing what you’re working on that day can perform really well.
Videos
If there’s one type of content that continues to attract attention, it’s video. We’re not saying you’ve got to have expensive equipment or professional production teams, though because in a lot of cases, customers just want to see what you do, how your products work, or who they’re buying from.
That means things like short videos answering common questions, showing products in action, or explaining something useful can often be way more engaging than a long block of text, plus it’s wise to remember that the important thing is getting started rather than worrying about making everything perfect.
Send Out Newsletters
Email newsletters sometimes get overlooked because they’re not as exciting as social media, but they can be incredibly useful. After all, someone who’s joined your mailing list has already shown an interest in what you do, so you’re already at least part of the way there.
The key is giving people a reason to keep opening your emails, so you’ll need to share updates, useful information, special offers, or stories about your business rather than sending the same sales message over and over again because people are much more likely to stay subscribed when they’re getting something worthwhile in return.
Give Things Away
Everyone likes receiving something unexpected, and you don’t even need to give away expensive products to make people happy because sometimes small items can be massively effective because they keep your business in people’s minds long after an event or purchase.
For example, some businesses use custom printed stickers because they’re affordable, easy to distribute, and often end up being used on laptops, notebooks, water bottles, and countless other places where people continue seeing the brand. In other words, sometimes the simplest ideas stick (literally) around the longest.
