As a small business owner you have lots of responsibility. I get it. I own a small business myself. If you are like me, there is a good chance you wear more than one hat – from Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Operating Officer (COO) to Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). That’s a lot of hats for just one head. Naturally, as the CEO and CFO budget and profitability top the list of your business concerns. But trust me, to truly achieve success, you can’t neglect your CMO responsibilities.

Here are a few small business marketing tips I’ve implemented that have helped me and my clients focus on promoting our businesses in a way that is budget-friendly, productive and profitable. And by the way, this applies to Nonprofit Agencies just the same.

Tell your own UNIQUE brand story:

Telling a brand story is like telling your life story. It should be emotional, relatable, and authentic reflecting what your brand represents.  This is your chance to share why you are a small business owner, what your business can do for your customer and what your business stands for. Your story should engage your customers and draw them in making them feel part of your brand.

Create the right content:

You have heard it before . . . content is king. Well, it’s true. Once you have created your brand story, content is the conduit to sharing your story via your website and social media platforms. There are a few things I always consider when creating content.

Know what type of content your audience wants. This is can be guided by what your product/service offers. In general, customers want to understand the benefits of your product/service. But just listing the benefits isn’t enough.

Remember that brand story? Make sure the tone and type of your content aligns with your story. Everyone is inundated with information (and choices) these days. Make sure your content is relevant, reliable, educational, and even entertaining. Having the right content differentiates your business making it stand out.

Focus on the most powerful marketing channels:

As a small business owner, you know that you can’t be everywhere at once. The same goes for marketing your small business or nonprofit. Rather being on every social media platform, go where the majority of your customers are.

If your product/service is focused on business owners (in other words, you are a B2B company), LinkedIn is a good bet. If you have a bakery, Instagram could be the perfect channel to showcase images of your delicious creations. Or, if you have a Food Truck or provide a service, Facebook might be the best way to actively and frequently update your customers on special offers. When planning my social media strategy, I allow audience, content and budget drive the social media channels I use to market my business. 

Bring your brand to life via video:

Video content is a great way to bring your brand to life. By nature, we are visual creatures – why else do we spend so much time entertaining ourselves by watching videos of animals, life hacks, and people doing generally ridiculous things?

Video allows you to connect with your audience in a very direct way allowing your customers to get to know your product/service and you! This brings us back to content. While it is important for your video to be engaging and entertaining, the content should also relay specific information such as product/service information or educational information to help your customers.

Marketing isn’t difficult, but it is multifaceted. Building the right marketing mix means that all of these elements must come together; they don’t work well independently. If you are reading this and thinking, “What do I do with this information?” email me or give me a call at  904.524.0170. Together, we can determine the smart move for your small business.