Top 21 Cost-Effective Marketing Strategies

Posted on November 6, 2023November 6, 2023 by Admin

People think marketing strategies are not worth it. Well, that is not the case. These tactics are vital tools for businesses at every phase. Many companies use different marketing plans to turn a few tables or launch their new business.

In the dynamic marketing world, finding cost-effective marketing strategies is like discovering hidden treasures. It might be difficult for some to understand them, but not impossible.

Did you know? 75% of marketing strategists have improved their company’s trust and credibility with effective and affordable marketing tactics.

In this blog, we will reveal the goldmine- the top 21 cost-effective marketing strategies that would set your business on the path to success.

Whether you are a startup or an established company, these strategies will be your secret weapon.

Get ready to read about cost effective marketing strategies and notice a sea of change!

What is a Marketing Strategy?

Marketing strategies are a business’s overall game plan to reach prospective consumers and convert them into buyers. It can be for any product or service sold online or offline. A marketing strategy often contains the value proposition of the company, data on the target audience demographic, brand messaging, and other elements.

A detailed marketing tactic covers something called the “Four Ps”. What are the four Ps you ask? They are Product, Place, Price, and Promotion.

A proper marketing strategy communicates with the consumers about the company’s vision, motto, and what it stands for. It also includes how it operates and why consumers deserve the business.

For example, Walmart, a renowned discount retailer, is known for its low-price approach. Their business idea and efforts are rooted in this notion. That’s why it is doing good as a business.

21 Cost-Effective Marketing Strategies

There are various benefits of marketing strategies, but did you know about the various foolproof marketing strategies? We give you 21 best marketing strategies that work the best in today’s cutthroat world-

1. Target Audience Understanding

Do you know which demographic you want to sell your products or services? No marketing plan is adequate if you don’t know your audience. No matter how cost-effective marketing ideas you use, it will backfire. Understanding the company’s position is vital, especially compared to competitors.

Get to know about the companies and consumers to help identify a suitable marketing strategy. Try to conduct market research to find your target audience to sell the product. Make a distinctive outlook of your products or services for budget-friendly marketing solutions.

2. Google My Business optimization

Google My Business optimization is essential, especially for local businesses. It is a great free marketing tool that helps your business appear on Google Maps and in local search results.

To make your business listing rank higher in these results, you should improve your Business Profile. You first need to confirm that you own it by using your Google Business account.

3. Online Marketplace Listing

Have doubts about online marketplaces? They are digital platforms that showcase their products or services to sell to their target audience. A lot of potential customers visit such places, making it a helpful avenue indeed. It is a convenient tool with reduced marketing efforts.

Online marketplaces have a wider reach. For example, if you list your services or products on websites like Main Street Market and Gifts or Etsy, you will gain further access to your customer base. It is considered a trusted platform and is one of the best affordable marketing strategies.

4. Social Media Marketing

We all are well-versed in social media these days. Everyone is creating content to share on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, or Facebook. Your brand becomes more visible when using such platforms.

For your business, you can start by establishing which platform has your target customer base. What do they use the most? Instagram or Pinterest?

Based on this research, make a company profile for every platform. You must engage the audience through comments, tags, hashtags, likes, etc. It is the only way to create lasting connections on social media, making it cost-effective and successful. It is a flexible strategy with better data insights in the platform.

5. Blogging

Writing a blog is not as easy as you think, but it does wonders as an effective marketing strategy. One of the most straightforward ways to increase website traffic is through maintaining a blog.

Google’s search algorithms favor websites that are frequently updated and offer valuable, relevant content to their users. A consistently updated blog fulfills both of these criteria.

According to studies, websites that publish approximately 16 blog posts per month experience a 3.5 times increase in web traffic. It is much higher compared to websites that publish fewer blog posts.

High-quality blogs are the way to get engagement with your website. It leads to enhanced brand exposure.

6. Traditional Marketing

Face-to-face interaction, print ads, or the roll-out of flyers and brochures these marketing activities matter even today.
Assuming people will step out of their homes sooner or later, they will get attracted to the traditional marketing sights.

You can also design a creative business card. It works! Keep an eye on people who have special skills and ask if they can help you in any way to market your business. There is also a lot of room for invention in guerilla marketing. Try this one along with online marketing methods.

7. Content marketing

Have you heard people say content is king? It is true. We have seen many businesses thrive because of content sharing. Content marketing could be anything- video content, audio content, written or other media content. It can help marketing campaigns phenomenally for any business.

You may be amazed to know that roughly 69% of B2B businesses use content marketing and blogging as a marketing strategy. It is a simple approach.

Infographics, podcasts, and how-to videos are part of content marketing. They can boost your brand’s reputation and bring more visitors to your website.

Experienced videos for YouTube can be costly. But it’s acceptable to create your videos or hire an aspiring filmmaker.

8. SEO Optimization

SEO, short for Search Engine Optimization, is a pivotal tool for enhancing online visibility. This process involves boosting your website’s ranking on search engines like Google. Through this, you make it easier for potential customers to discover your site.

It’s vital to include keywords and phrases with high search volumes in your website’s content for proper optimization. Furthermore, don’t overlook the technical aspects of SEO, ensuring your website is technically proficient in its search engine performance.

It is a budget-friendly marketing tactic that would work guarantee work well.

9. Pay-Per-Click

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a powerful and cost-effective marketing idea. It offers businesses a flexible way to reach their target audience and maximize their return on investment (ROI).

It is a perfect tactic because you have full control over your budget. You can set the maximum amount for each click you want to pay. PPC is a great approach for those with tight budgets. These are targeted advertising options with immediate results. There is zero upfront cost, just paying someone who clicks on the ad. It means you don’t waste money.

The brand visibility is vast through PPC, giving you an edge over competitors.

10. Strategic Email Marketing

Everyone has an email address today. Most of the population wouldn’t function without an email account since every product or service has a link to the internet. Therefore, email marketing is a powerful marketing idea for small businesses.

If you want to make the emails less spammy, try to have valuable content that appeals to the public instantly. You can send newsletters every week on behalf of your business to the subscribers on behalf of the company. There is also an option of tailoring the emails according to the customers.

You can provide a special incentive for new subscribers with a coupon code or a free eBook. It will encourage them a lot. This one is one of the best affordable marketing strategies. Try it soon.

11. Infographics

Do you know what’s instantly attractive? A powerful marketing tool like Infographics. It is an absolute visual treat if executed carefully. The colors and easy-to-understand pictures do it all. They drive the referral traffic and links.

Now, if you hire a professional designer to create a top-notch infographic, it can be expensive. But you can create your own without spending much using free tools like Adobe’s free vector kits, Canva, or our favorite, Visme.
These tools have everything you need to make a funky and shareable infographic.

12. Video Marketing

Videos are a great way to attract the attention of the audience. It is said that a human’s brain has better visual memory. So video marketing strategy would be good.

Videos are like superstars in your marketing. You can make them yourself or get experts to do it for you. Either way, they are fantastic for grabbing your audience’s attention and making your brand more well-known.

Help your business grow without spending too much money. Try different things and see which ones work best for your company and make your customers like what you do.

13. Employees as Brand Ambassadors

For many small businesses, the best way to boost sales is when people talk positively about your products or services. Research tells us that when customers hear good things from others, especially friends and family, they are more likely to buy.

You can make this happen by treating your employees well and encouraging them to advocate for your brand. Your employees genuinely care about your business, so why not use their voices and social networks to reach more people

14. LinkedIn Marketing

LinkedIn is a social media platform where users, companies, and professionals can connect to boost their views and profile. It currently has more than 700 million members. It is a powerful tool to raise a business profile if you use it correctly.

It builds connections, generates leads, creates brand awareness, and builds impressive relationships. You could use it for better website traffic, credibility, and content sharing.

LinkedIn marketing can significantly benefit businesses within the professional community. It’s a valuable tool for achieving business goals and expanding your reach in the professional world. Try this low-budget marketing tactic and see the difference.

15. Facebook Campaigns

Even if you’re working with a limited advertising budget, Facebook campaigns can be a great option. The cost per click for Facebook ads is often quite affordable.

Facebook ads are cost-effective marketing ideas and are still substantial for the audience. Facebook ads allow precise targets based on behaviors, interests, and demographics.

Since millions of people use Facebook, it will appeal to a wide and diverse audience, leading to brand exposure. You can have Facebook ads designed professionally to encourage user engagement, such as likes, shares, and comments. Use this value-for-money marketing strategy and see the difference.

16. Customer Referrals

We have seen many companies use customers in small marketing actions. So why not use it to your benefit? Create something that lets customers take the marketing initiative. For example, buying products or using services and referring them to close friends or family. Referrals work greatly.

Offer some discounts or subscriptions in exchange for referring a new person. You can also offer cashback. It is impressive marketing for small budgets.

17. Local Events or Contests

Many individuals find contests or local events as cheap marketing tactics. But we say it is a fantastic strategy to market your product or service.

They engage the community, create buzz, and showcase your product or service in a fun and interactive way. These initiatives draw local attention, promote brand loyalty, and produce positive word-of-mouth.

You can build lasting relationships and boost your business’s visibility through this marketing idea. So, don’t underestimate the power of local events and contests as effective tools to promote your offerings.

18. Press Release

Press releases, while seen as traditional, are incredibly effective in today’s digital age. They offer a cost-effective way to spread the word about your business. Building relationships with press contacts takes time.

Press releases share important updates with the industry, such as new products, awards, or structural changes.

However, the more you persist, the more attention your announcements will receive, delivering better results for your business.

19. Repurpose Content

Repurposing or recycling content is something that you could try easily. It is an affordable marketing strategy that involves reusing the existing work and turning it into a fresh piece of work. You could convert an old blog into small social media posts or use old photos from Instagram in an advertisement.

Repurposing content works well if you want to appeal to new audiences unfamiliar with the pre-existing content. You could repurpose content from various sources and amplify it across several channels.

For instance, take PPC campaigns, Facebook ads, and organic social media sharing. See what drives traffic the most on landing pages, websites, etc. In this way, you’ll know what resonates with the different audience segments.

20. Industry Networking Events

Attending events related to your industry would be a wise idea. We think that it creates a better and more cost-effective marketing option. Often, some startups create brand recognition via word-of-mouth advertisement.

Taking part in local events or sponsoring lets you spread the word about the business and create strong connections. Companies have often sponsored events on college campuses, so students learn more about the new brand or product. For instance, businesses may rent stalls during festive seasons in such areas.

All of this will lead to networking, which is much required, especially for new businesses. It can boost your business goals, like knowing about co-marketing prospects with other brands sharing the same value.

21. Give Freebies

Want to get an instant likeness for your brand or product? Try the freebie marketing technique. We think it is a great way to let your audience know about your product. It raises awareness among people and boosts sales.

For example, for customers shopping in a mall, there are items that you may give passersby for free. If it’s a food product, let them taste it for free. Typically, the majority of companies work their way through complementary products.
The goal of giving freebies is to encourage people to buy the product. Give them great deals and see the change in your sales.

These were some of the budget-friendly promotion methods that will have positive outcomes. Try implementing them correctly with the help of a professional marketing strategist. You will know what we mean.

Budget and Implementation Of Marketing Strategies

In our experience, companies face most issues during budgeting and implementation of the strategy. Since some do not get the right guidance for the whole marketing process, they remain at a loss. Let’s see what you should consider in these areas-

The Budgeting

The marketing budget and return on investment go together. Be aware of your capital and how you use it. Without a good budget plan, you may find yourself not being able to pay back certain costs for the company. It could also harm the image among customers if products are not fulfilled properly. Poor budgets create damage for everyone connected to the company.

Research the following area to establish a budget for cost effective marketing strategies-

Competitor analysis
Industry and market research
Performance records of Internet marketing
Market Auditing

What should you include in a marketing budget?
The budget should include prices that you expect to pay for every ad campaign you create-

Website development, maintenance, and SEO
Printed items and product materials
Energy and time in creating a campaign
The marketing strategy- display ads, content marketing, email marketing, PPC banners, Social media marketing, etc.

Eventually, a marketing budget doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all formula. It varies a lot from industry and business size. Know exactly what and who you are selling, so that you implement it effectively.

Marketing Implementation Process

A marketing implementation plan serves as a strategic blueprint for businesses. It effectively structures, monitors, and carries out marketing initiatives within a specified timeframe.

Creating a marketing implementation plan is crucial for turning your marketing strategy into actionable steps. If you want to know how to seamlessly put your marketing strategy into action, we can help-

Practical goals

Before implementing any marketing strategy, it’s essential to set clear and achievable goals. These goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

For example, if you’re running a social media campaign, a SMART goal might be to increase Instagram followers by 20% within three months. You could achieve this by posting daily and engaging with the audience.

Know Your Implementations

Identify the resources, tools, and assets required for your marketing initiatives. It includes budget allocation, technology, personnel, and creative assets.

For instance, if you’re planning an email marketing campaign, you need a few things to implement. It would be email marketing software, a list of subscribers, well-designed email templates, and content for your emails.
Hence, know what you need for your strategy thoroughly to implement it well.

Review the Marketing Strategy

Reviewing is an essential part of implementing a strategy. Ensure that your implementation aligns with your overall affordable marketing strategy. Regularly reviewing and revising your strategy can help to adapt to changing market conditions.

For example, if your strategy involves content marketing, assess the performance of your content pieces regularly. You can adjust your approach based on audience engagement and analytics data.

Establish Workflows for Tasks

Organize the responsibilities and tasks of the marketing activities by having a clear workflow. Define who does what, when, and how for effective implementation. Use project management tools or software to streamline collaboration.

For instance, if you’re launching a new product, create a workflow that outlines certain things about the product. It may include development, marketing collateral creation, launch event planning, and assigning responsibilities to different team members.

When there is clarity, every task becomes easy and efficient providing colorful results.

Team Communication

One might wonder why communication is so important in implementing a marketing strategy. Effective communication is crucial for successful marketing implementation. Regularly update and align your team members with your goals, progress, and any changes in the plan.

Use meetings, project management tools, and collaboration platforms to keep everyone informed. For instance, when launching a new advertising campaign, share ad performance updates, ad spending, and adjustments with your team. It will ensure everyone is on the same page.

Measure and Track Progress

It’s important to track and measure your progress throughout the implementation phase. Keep monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to assess the effectiveness of your marketing activities.

For instance, in PPC campaigns, track CTR, conversion rate, and ROAS. These will give you an idea of the campaign’s success.

Potential Challenges of Marketing Strategies

There are marketing challenges that you have to look into before deciding on a strategy straightaway. Here are a few challenges your business might face when deciding on a budget-friendly marketing strategy-

Getting new customers

Is it always possible to attract customers, whether new or old? No. When choosing one or multiple marketing strategies, keep in mind that not everyone is as gullible as you think.

Acquiring new customers can be a daunting task, especially for businesses entering a competitive market. Executing a suitable marketing strategy that focuses on attracting consumers would be nice. Think of it as an ineffective return on investment if you don’t get new customers.

Training the Team

It isn’t always that your employees will understand what to do on such occasions. A well-trained team is crucial to have a successful marketing strategy.

The team members must be trained to use social media analytics tools or know the process of the company’s marketing strategy to help in every step.

Training the team may take some time, but you have to do it as much as you can to gain positive outcomes from the affordable marketing tactics.

Staying Updated with Global Changes

Whether you are marketing on a budget or not, knowing about global changes is crucial. If you don’t know about the current trends, you won’t be able to make an appealing marketing strategy.

Cost-effective marketing ideas need to align with global trends, regulations, and market shifts. It can significantly impact marketing strategies.

An example is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union. They forced companies to adapt their data collection and privacy practices.

Brand Expansion in Other Countries

Every business aspires to expand and touch international soil. You must have thought of it too. Expanding a brand into new countries can be complex under affordable marketing strategies.

One has to research and analyze the foreign country’s taste and modify the brand advertising campaign accordingly.

For instance, when Starbucks expanded into China, it made lots of changes. It had to adjust its menu, store designs, and marketing strategies to cater to local preferences and cultural nuances.

Budgeting

Businesses are all about money and how they utilize it further. No one knows it better than us! Budget constraints can limit the scope and effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

A small startup, for instance, may not have the budget to run nationwide television advertising campaigns and might need to rely on more cost-effective online marketing channels.

Lack of Resources

Resources are required in every step of marketing strategies. Falling short of it? We think you better wait and execute the plans later.

Inadequate resources, whether in terms of personnel or technology, can hinder marketing efforts. For instance, a nonprofit organization struggles to conduct sophisticated digital marketing campaigns. It was due to a shortage of skilled personnel and limited access to the necessary tools. This poses a negative impact on their plans.

Database Management

Effective customer database management is vital for personalized marketing. If a retail company fails to maintain an accurate and up-to-date customer database there will be consequences. For instance, it may send irrelevant offers to its customers, leading to disengagement.

Standing Out

We believe the competition has become very aggressive in the past few years, especially due to swift technological upgrades. It has made it difficult for brands to stand out. Now that AI has come in, it would be massively hard for new brands to penetrate and become one of a kind.

Differentiating your brand and standing out from competitors can be challenging. For example, in the smartphone industry, companies like Apple and Samsung invest heavily in product design and marketing to distinguish themselves.

Dilution of The Message

Sometimes, to create a fantastic marketing strategy, the companies lose the original message. Brand dilution is where brands sometimes stretch out too much, creating inferior services or products that taint the image and name of the company.

One famous example is when Cadbury launched Smash, a mashed potato product. It sold well but at the expense of Cadbury’s overreaching reputation as the best chocolate brand.

Usually, dilution occurs when companies penetrate new industries or markets, not selling well.

Ensuring that your marketing message remains consistent and coherent across various channels and campaigns can be a struggle. For instance, if a fashion brand runs a campaign emphasizing sustainability while simultaneously promoting fast fashion, it may dilute the message and confuse consumers.

Elevating Your Business In Phenomenal Ways

Now that you know about the various affordable marketing strategies, we think you should research well and execute a suitable one. Marketing strategies should be such that they increase the profit margin for wholesale businesses or any other business type.

Main Street Market and Gifts is a platform for your wholesale or retail business if you want your brand to be seen and increase revenue. We remain your steadfast ally no matter what. We provide cost effective marketing strategies, pricing ideas, supplier partnerships, targeted marketing, and more.

Let us be the medium for your business’s success in a minimum time.

How To Get More Customers For My Small Business?

Posted on June 8, 2023July 6, 2023 by Admin

When you start a small business, the first thing that comes to your mind is ‘how to get the right customers?’.

Getting more potential customers is after all the only way to get success and scale your small business in the long run.

Finding and acquiring customers for your business that has just arrived on the market is not a plain sailing task. You need to ensure that your products/services and marketing approaches are relevant to attract the right customers. The continuous influx of new customers will keep your business going and helps prevent the revenue to slow down or become stagnant.

Running a small business is an exciting endeavor but it is full of challenges, and getting potential customers is the first one. It has become more challenging in today’s competitive landscape!
Small businesses now need some effective strategies to put their business at the forefront of the targeted customer segment and persuade them to choose your products.

Finding and acquiring customers for your business no matter what kind of business it is; even if it is about wholesale fashion trends, it’s no easy feat. You must ensure your products and marketing approaches align with the latest trends to attract the right customers. In today’s competitive landscape, small businesses need effective strategies to stand out and convince potential customers to choose their products.

To make your hunt for new customers easier, we have come up with this inclusive blog that explains the crucial tips to get potential customers.

Take a read through this expert guide to get many actionable tips on how to get more customers for your small business.

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What Is Customer Acquisition?

According to HubSpot,

“Customer acquisition is the process of getting potential customers to buy your products.”

It simply refers to convincing the target audience that your products are worth buying and eventually, getting them to purchase your products. So, through the process, you are bringing down the customers in the marketing funnel, i.e., from brand awareness to purchase.

Customer acquisition strategy thus involves the following stages of the marketing funnel-

1. Creating campaigns and advertisements for awareness of the products.Attracting leads.
2. Nurturing the leads until they are close to conversion.
3. Converting the leads into customers.

Why Customer Acquisition Is Important For Small Businesses?

Before you learn how to get more customers online or offline for your small business, you ought to know the significance of customer acquisition.

Having good and steady customer acquisition is indispensable for any business, regardless it is small, or large, and operating physically or online. It allows your business to consistently make revenue and grow. With proper customer acquisition, you can show evidence to your investors, sponsors, or partners that your business is healthy and growing.

What Is The Purpose Of Customer Acquisition?

The purpose of customer acquisition is to attract and convert interested people into loyal customers of your business. It is fundamental for any business to have a growing customer base to establish a position in the market and expand its customer base.

More specifically, customer acquisition is finding a methodical and surefire way of obtaining customers for your business. You simply can’t wait for the customers to naturally come to you. Even if they come, it won’t assure that you can raise money or even maintain profits.

Needless to say, the ultimate goal of acquiring customers is to increase your customers, boost sales, and drive sustainable growth. Here’s breaking up the purpose of customer acquisition in a few brief points for you.

• Achieve business expansion:

To get more customers for your small business, you have to find ways to tap into new market segments and reach a broader audience. This results in the gradual expansion of your small business, which eventually leads to increased brand recognition. In other words, it causes market penetration, opens up new avenues to gain customers, and increases revenue streams.

• Generate revenue:

Being better and faster at acquiring customers will reward you with more revenue! When you get more customers to your business steadily, there is a constant influx of sales, which is vital for sustainable small business growth in the long run.

• Attain competitive advantage:

Knowing properly how to get more customers helps your business stand out from the competition. When you successfully attain a huge number of loyal customers, who post positive reviews or acknowledge your products on your website, it differentiates your business and makes it a preferred choice in the industry.

• Assure business stability:

Relying only on a handful of loyal customers is not enough in today’s fluctuating market scenario! You need to consistently grow your customer base to enhance the stability and financial resilience of your small business.

• Contribute to brand building:

When your customer base continuously grows, it not only results in more sales and revenue but also helps in brand building. As more new customers engage or buy your products, they become the advocates of your business. If they like your products, they will contribute to your marketing and brand reputation by spreading positive words about your business.

14 Tips To Get More Customers & Spur Growth Of Your Small Business

Is the prime strategy for your small business to increase your customer base? We bet it is!
But, if you are not aware of the ways how to get new customers for your business, here are 14 tried-and-tested tips by experts for you. Have a look!

1. Define your niche customer segment

It’s called identifying what kind of people are worth attracting for your small business. To define your niche customer segment, it is essential to conduct thorough market research and analyze the needs or wants of your target audience.

Understanding the specific characteristics, preferences, and needs of your niche customer segment will help you tailor your products to better satisfy them. You can also tailor your marketing efforts to effectively reach and engage with them, which in turn assures that they get converted.

The right strategies that will help you identify your target customers are:

• Analyzing the current customer base:

It helps you to know who is already buying your products, what their purposes are to buy, who they are, what age they are, and where they live.

• Find out about your competitors:

You can learn a lot about the niche customers by analyzing your competitors. You can see who they are selling to, how they are targeting them, and whether they using online marketing modes more while understanding the benefits of online marketplace. Take cues from their success strategies to target the right customers.

• Create personas:

User personas let you know the general demographics, traits, preferences, and needs of your customers. You can create the personas based on data, surveys, and digital behavior or mobile engagement.

• Do market research and identify industry trends:

By doing thorough market research, you can find out the lacks in the existing products and try to cover up those lacks with your products. Also, look at the features of the products that are winning in the market and enhance them better in your products.

• Use Google Analytics:

This step is a must if your small business is online-based. Install the Google Analytics plug-in in your website/online store, which gives extensive and up-to-date data about the visitors to your site.

2. Get a suitable & feasible marketing approach

A marketing approach refers to the overall strategy and tactics employed by a business to promote its products or services, attract customers, nurture leads, and achieve its targeted sales goals. It encompasses well-planned activities, platforms, and channels to reach the target audience and engage with them.

We have come up with this step of creating a marketing approach for your business because of it:

• Aligns your marketing team to specific sales goals.
• Assists you to tie your marketing efforts to achieve the business objectives.
• Allows you to identify and examine what appeals to your target audience.
• Empowers you to understand the common industry trends so that you can capitalize on them for improving your products.

An effective marketing approach creates brand awareness and helps in driving conversions. To define an appropriate approach for your business, you need to underline the principles, methods, and tactics that you wish to apply in your marketing efforts.

This step of creating a suitable marketing effort should be your prime consideration when you are planning how to get more customers. It is a preliminary need that will help you define your marketing goals, better understand the potential customers, and reach them. In simple words, the marketing approach works as your long-term guide that directs your efforts and tactics for getting new customers while retaining your existing ones.

3. Join hands with relevant businesses as partners

This is perhaps one of the most underrated ways to attract new customers but it has truly been useful for small businesses. Partnering with other businesses will help you foster your network and cross-promote your products with them.

However, ensure to get into partnerships with businesses that are not your direct competitors but cater to the needs of the same customer segment. Together, both companies can contribute to each other’s sales by promoting their respective products. You can even provide special offers or discounts to the partner’s customers.

A great example that you can take for this is the partnership between a fitness gear company and a health supplement seller. When you run a store of health supplements, approach a prominent and reliable seller of fitness apparel and accessories. Ask them to add some coupons for free samples of your health supplements with each product. Any fitness freak, while purchasing fitness wear will come across the free offer of your supplements and might consider exploring more of your products, and buying them.

All the efforts of cross-promoting will go in vain if you haven’t provided a punchy or convincing sales pitch to your business partner. When the partner presents your persuasive sales pitch, it will instantly create an interest in customers about your products. When they find that the products are also useful to them, they are enticed to buy. That’s how you can get new customers by rationally partnering with a business that serves the same clientele or customer base.

4. Seek referrals from existing customers

Once you have gained sufficient loyalty from your existing customers for your small business, it’s time to put their feelings to your use. Ask your loyal customers for referrals as they are the best source to get new customers from their network or groups.

However, you can’t take just ask and wait for them to provide referrals from their friends or family groups. You need to create a definite approach to actively get referrals from your customers. For this reason, create referral-generating strategies in your sales channel.

Acknowledge the customers after their purchase through a follow-up mail. Next to that, send another mail asking for referrals. You can provide some redeemable loyalty points, discount coupons for your next purchase, or cash-back offers for every successful referral they make. These work as an incentive for the customers and ensure that every customer refers your business to others!

Loyal and repeat buyers are your biggest advertisers. Since they are contented and satisfied with your products, they are expected to say good words about your products while referring to and convincing the listener to finally buy your products.

5. Build a relationship by utilizing your business network

Being a small business owner, you ought to attend business seminars, workshops, and trade show exhibits regularly and meet other owners and visionaries. So, why not use your networking gained through these industry events to promote your products?

You need to attend these events with a positive attitude to promote your business through effective word-of-mouth marketing. Tell everyone you meet at the event briefly about your products, what is their usefulness, and in what way they are different from the competitors. However, the approach should not have a direct marketing bend. It should have the intent to do good or help the person you are approaching.

This is also called approach networking since you approach with an attitude ‘How can I help you?’ rather than going, ‘Our products are what you need’.

By intending to help them, you can foster a friendly relationship with the other attendees of the business events. As a result, they will remember your business for a long time and might decide to buy your products when they are in need.

6. Promote your products in community service events

Community service events are indispensable in every community and several events, including charity, cleanup, food/clothes distribution, and blood donation drives take place at regular intervals. It is surveyed that most people like to be a part of community service events.

So, if you are looking for some unique ways how to get more customers for your business, this is it. Participate in community events with sponsorships! People would also love to support small local businesses in those events. You can organize a little fun event like a maze run or a talent show after the community service event and give away your products as freebies to the participants.

In doing this, you get to achieve more than one thing – contribute to community service, give some moments for enjoyment to your community members, and promote your products.

7. Offer discounts or a free trial

If you are wondering how to attract more customers to your new small business when it has not yet achieved any exposure in the market, offering a free trial or discount is a fruitful way out.

More than the discounts, people are enticed by free trials! Thus if you think it is affordable for your business, then offer a free sample or trial product on your website/store. This is considered highly effective for getting the market reach for your small business because you get even hesitant customers to try your products. And, if they like it, they are surely coming back to purchase the same or try your other products. On getting the same satisfaction again, they can even refer your products to others and help your customer base to grow.

Needless to say, this is a win-win tip when you have just launched your small business into the market and have no clue how to reach more target customers and start selling. Just talk about your limited-time trial offer or discount in all your promotions, including online, social media, and print advertisements.

8. Request your happy customers to rate or review

This is one of the imperative tips on how to get more customers for small businesses. Today, online shoppers as well as offline buyers never take the risk of buying anything without learning about the experience of the existing customers from online ratings and reviews.

Take advantage of this behavior to get more new customers for your business. Request your existing customers to give ratings and post positive reviews of your products on popular online review sites.
However, you have to keep monitoring the reviews posted on the sites to quickly respond to any negative reviews or complaints.

To utilize the positive reviews posted on your website, link them to the said product page or your website’s homepage.

Reviews posted on social media also have a far-reaching effect on your business reach. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are ruled by millions, including your target customers. Thus, if you manage to get positive reviews and higher ratings on your social medial page, it would add valuable perspectives to your target customers and may even convince them to buy. Social media proofs are a powerful tool and are likely to get you more new customers. Many will be interested to try your products when they see others are talking good about them or praising them.

If you want to know how to get more customer reviews for your business, here are some effective ways.

• Enhance your customer support services quality.
• Directly ask the customers to leave reviews after a satisfactory purchase.
• Request reviews when the experience of your products is fresh in the customer’s mind.
• Provide incentives like a discount coupon or code after they post a review.
• Send reminders to the customers who haven’t left any reviews.

9. Re-connect and engage with your prior customers

It might sound like a wasted effort because why a customer who has earlier brought your products but then stopped would come back again? Makes no sense, right?

But, probably, it isn’t a waste of time! Remember, you are here for doing business, and getting more customers is only your only aim. Who knows the reason for customers to back out or switch to another business? It could be a raise in your product price, a dip in the product quality, or dissatisfactory customer service. Contact your prior customers and ask the reason why they have left! Tell them how you have improved your products and services over time.

If you want to know how to reach those one-time or lapsed customers of your business, then there’s a definite way. Create a list of customers who have left your business long ago, mostly 6 months ago. Check for their contacts and reach out through email, text, or phone calls. Simple messages like “We miss you!” or “We would like to have you back”, are likely to persuade them to once again visit your website and check your new products.

If you are determined to try this trick to get more customers for your small business, then we would suggest you greet back your former customers with more tempting messages like “Check out what you are missing”, and “Check out our new products.”

10. Nurture your relationship with potential customers

This is not just a tip for how to get more customers for your business but also to retain them. Those who have used your products one time or multiple times are your ‘potential customers’. With effective strategies, try to convert them into loyal customers and achieve consistency in your revenue stream.
Provide your potential customers with additional information about your products and help them in their decision-making. Also, greet them with a welcome mail after their first purchase. Make sure to follow up after every purchase with a friendly email saying, “Huge thanks for choosing us!”, “Don’t forget to come back”, or “Would you like to look at other products?”.

While follow-up emails are a good way of creating an impression on your customers, it’s even better when you provide discount coupons, buy-one-get-one offers, or any other offer as loyalty rewards to your repeat customers. It makes your buyers happy and tempts them to return often to purchase your products.

11. Make your website appealing and user-friendly

As the world is going digital, a majority of small businesses find it convenient to start their venture online with a well-built website. It is insanely cost-effective and also promises to help them reach more customers in a short time which is not possible when they operate a physical store. Moreover, a small business can choose from a wide range of the best things to sell online without worrying about their storage and distribution.

Since the website is your storefront, you should make sure to create a professional, visually-pleasing, and user-friendly website. Creating a website that’s easy to navigate is essential to make your value proposition clear to visitors. They would know in a few seconds that they have landed on the right website!

To make your website appealing, engaging, and user-friendly so that it is capable of converting your visitors to potential customers, keep these guidelines in mind.

• Keep your website’s or store’s theme at par with the brand theme.
• Display the products with high-resolution images and from multiple angles.
• Put clear CTAs (Call-to-actions).
• Integrate social media buttons.
• Put details for customer support services.

Apart from these, ensure to make your website mobile responsive to capture more customers.

According to recent studies by Statista, mobile phones account for over 58.33% of website traffic with desktops and tablets only generating the remaining %. The figure says it all! If you are not making your online store mobile-friendly, you are going to lose out a huge number of potential customers.

12. Create your Google Business Profile

Listing your new small business on Google is one of the best and most free ways to get more local customers. ‘Google My Business’ or simply GMB is a search engine marketing tool that helps anyone find a service or product near them in seconds.

For instance, if you are a small-scale seller of mobile accessories and have done your GMB listing, Google will show your business name among many when anyone searches with terms such as “mobile accessories near me”, “best mobile accessories seller near me”, and such phrases.

Whether it’s a physical storefront or an online business, Google gives prime importance to local listings on the search results page. So, your business is expected to get found when buyers search for your products with relevant keywords. However, ensure to optimize your Google business profile while listing it with the correct contact information, product details, and keywords. Your GMB can start getting reviews from the customers and hence, be sure to provide appropriate responses to them to make your business look professional and updated.

13. Post blogs that are valuable to your target audience

If you’re looking for some easy-peasy ways how to get more retail customers to your website, we recommend posting blogs that offer value to your audience.

Whether you launched a new product or have some crucial information to share about your existing products, talk about it in your blog. You can also discuss your challenges, success stories, business journey, and so on, to make your target audience feel connected to your small business. You can even request an influencer in your industry segment to publish your blog or link it to one of their posts.

We thought to talk about this tip here because ‘content marketing’ today generates nearly three times more leads than outbound marketing due to the widespread use of the internet. Besides, it cost much less than any form of outbound marketing. Thus, why not leverage easy, popular, and economical methods of marketing for getting new customers to your small business?

Blogs are a great way to educate your target audience while highlighting the usefulness of your products and building a connection of trust with them. By getting more subscribers for your blog, you can also continuously bring potential customers back to your website and keep your business name always in their minds. So, the next time any peer business asks you how to reach more customers effortlessly, tell them that blogs are a way!

14. Enhance your social media presence

Don’t forget about this preeminent tip while considering how to get more customers to your website! In today’s digital age, social media has become an inevitable tool for businesses that help raise awareness of their brand, promote their products/services, and acquire new customers.

By actively engaging with your audience on mass-ruled platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, you can increase brand visibility, build relationships, and attract potential customers. Regularly posting engaging content, responding to comments and messages, and running targeted ad campaigns can help you expand your reach and connect with a wider audience. By using the power of social media, you can effectively promote your products or services and ultimately drive more new customers to your business.

To leverage the social media platforms for getting more customers, what you need to do is post content, videos, polls, facts, or whatever you need regularly to engage your customers.

Also, when it comes to getting more customers online, why not use social media to post related snippets? When you link them to your blog or a product page, it increases the traffic inflow to your website and thereby, attracts new potential customers.

SOME BONUS TIPS:

While the above tips are the best elementary practices to ensure reaching and obtaining more customers, here are some more that are equally efficient.

• Build a customer loyalty program:

Follow-ups, discount coupons, and cash-back offers are okay! But ensure to create a specific rewards program to keep your loyal customers hooked to your business. Use a ‘point system’, where they earn points for every dollar spent or provide them with personalized offers on festivities and birthdays.

• Connect with local advertisement or media agencies:

Try to connect with radio stations, newspapers, magazines, billboards, or other print media agencies for advertising your products. Pitch them a truly compelling story that will sell to the audience.

• Have an advertisement plan:

Once you know who your target audience is and what their purchase intentions are, prepare a proper advertising plan and work on it. An effective advertisement plan includes all forms of online and offline marketing modes, such as inbound marketing, email marketing, social marketing, SEO, Pay-per-click advertisements, and affiliate marketing.

Start Getting More Customers With Main Street Market & Gifts!

Understanding your niche customer, their needs, and preferences is the foundation for tailoring your approach and standing out in the market. If you are a small business owner and looking for tips on how to get more customers, these tried-and-tested, easy, and economical ways are a must-try. Start employing these for your business in the right way and wait for the results to appear soon! Your business will have a continuous flow of new potential customers that will ensure you keep growing.

Nevertheless, you need to build a custom online store in a popular online wholesale marketplace for your business before applying any of these tips or tricks. With Main Street Market & Gifts, you never have to worry a bit about that! We operate an unmatched online marketplace for wholesale business bringing retail brands of different segments together in one place. Join our marketplace to create your online presence and then work on our expert tips to get more customers to your website.

In conclusion, for small business owners seeking to expand their customer base and attract new customers, leveraging the power of social media and online presence proves to be an effective way to reach potential customers and engage with existing ones. By utilizing various social media platforms, implementing targeted marketing strategies, and fostering relationships with happy and loyal customers, small businesses can create brand awareness, promote their products and services, and ultimately grow their customer base. Additionally, employing tactics such as follow-up emails, offering special discounts and free trials, and participating in industry events and community gatherings further solidify the company’s presence and reputation. By embracing these approaches, small businesses can effectively reach their target audience, establish themselves as a great example in their industry, and thrive in a competitive business landscape.