I`m a small business PLEASE Market Me
With so much marketing and advertising noise currently in the market place, it is
difficult for a small business to be seen or heard. Small businesses are being
encouraged to spend “big” on social media advertising in order to improve their
visibility. They are being told to invest in SEO (search engine optimization)
programs for their websites in order to be found on the web or face certain
extinction.
But wait a minute, how can everybody be on the first page of Google? And surely
to compete and bid for key words with massive companies you will need a huge
budget? How many promotions and adverts do we ignore on Facebook or
YouTube?
Ok so let’s cut through the noise and avoid the financially suicidal strategy of
competing online and develop a more sustainable model.
You do not need to conquer the world!
One of the most important things to consider when marketing as a small
business is that you actually do not need as many customers as you might think
to make a great income. Everybody makes the mistake of trying to communicate
to the whole world thinking that it is a numbers game, but actually I am sorry to
tell you this, nobody is listening.
To build a sustainable business you only need around 200 to 250 regular loyal
customers, and these customers are the ones who will be listening to you if you
have what they are looking for. So when you are wondering why your 500 Euros
a month of online advertising isn’t bringing anything but a few clicks here and
there and some unique impressions, stop, step back and put your credit card
away.
Consider for a moment who is the perfect customer for your business? Then
begin to develop a plan of action which targets exactly them, but not on a world
wide scale just start small and go from there. Where might you find this
customer? How will you communicate with them? What could you do to help
make their life a little better? Now plough your 500 Euros, your time and energy
into answering those questions and taking action.
Tribal Marketing
Tribal marketing has been around for decades, but it is more relevant today than
ever before. While most small businesses are trying to market to the masses, the
smart ones are marketing to their tribes. Your customers today want to know
more about whom you are as a business and what morals you believe in, service
with a smile just doesn’t kick it anymore.
The heart of tribal marketing understands exactly who your customers are, how
they tick, and what they need in order to stay loyal to you and your business.
If your business values align with that of your customers then a perfect
relationship can grow. You wouldn’t send shiny new catalogs and paper letters to
save the planet activists or customers who love the great outdoors, likewise
direct mailing customers who are sensitive about their privacy is also a disaster
strategy, but some companies still do it.
By breaking down your target audience into sectors you can start to advertise
and promote your products and services in a more sensitive, personalized
manner, helping you build stronger long term relationships with them. Creating
small ever growing tribes is one of the keys today to a successful small business
strategy.
If I wasn’t in business anymore
If you build your tribe and begin to develop strong relationships with your
customers it should be your goal to become more than simply a service or a
product provider. The ultimate outcome would be that if your business was to
close its doors tomorrow you would be missed!
So how can we become an important part of our customer’s lives and be so
influential that that we may be missed if we weren’t around. Firstly we need to
be more than simply a business transaction to our customers, we need to
support them, understand them, give them a voice and create useful relative
content for them. Every action we undertake as a small business can have a
positive effect on our customers, even if it is just aligning with their passions and
values.
The more you can connect with your customers on an emotional level, the better
your relationships will be, and obviously the more business you will generate. If
you can make a positive difference in the lives of your customers you will elevate
your business to a whole new level. “Will you miss me when I`m gone?”
Giving more than is expected
Creating value is at the heart of a modern marketing strategy, especially for
small businesses. If you are able to offer above and beyond what your customers
expect from you then you are well on your way to building strong long lasting
customer relationships. Value is not a case of price, value is the subject of giving
more than what is expected of you, and this can be in the way of customer
support, information and content or simply by adding extra products and services
without directly charging your customer for them. Simple things like thank you
messages, unexpected gifts, or invitations to events which you know they would
appreciate are all great examples of added value.
Customers who feel they are getting good value from your business are much
more likely to stay with you, and even recommend them to a friend, everybody
likes getting a little more and everybody appreciates the little things, and even
making sure the experience a customer has with your business is an exceptional
one will go a long way to their overall feeling towards you.
Are you even listening to me…?
What is the simplest way to learn about your customers? Well maybe listen to
them, rocket science isn’t it. Well actually you may be surprised how many
businesses never listen to the wishes and concerns of their customers and often
at their own peril. Setting up feedback mechanisms are a great way in which you
can learn about your customers and understand if you are attending to their
needs or not. Forget the once a year impersonal satisfaction questionnaire and
get serious about finding out more.
Once you begin to build your tribe or community of loyal followers and
communicate with them regularly, it will become easier and easier for you to get
honest and direct feedback from them. As you gather this feedback you can
deliver even more value and even more quality content, helping you to
strengthen your bond with them even more, this is the perfect feedback
mechanism. No feedback = No idea
Conclusion
In conclusion it is clear that the idea of financially competing with the rest of the
world on the multiple social media platforms and trying to outbid large
enterprises for search engine key words, is not a sustainable model for a small
business. As great as it is to get likes, followers and impressions they do not pay
the rent so an alternative method is required.
Build your tribe by starting off small, learn as much as you can about them,
likeminded people stick together and support the same ideas, develop content
and services which accommodate their wants and needs and go above and
beyond what a small business normally is.
You do all this and you will have a loyal customer base that understands and
appreciates your existence, and one which will help you grow your business from
the inside out.