All business owners have the same goal: grow the business and save money. The two simplest ways to increase profits is to make more money or spend less money.
It’s all so much easier said than done.
Promoting your business can be a difficult task. There are so many different options out there that you might be overwhelmed by the choices. Some are high-risk, high-reward. Others are low-risk, low-reward. For others, the jury is still out.
If you’re looking to expand and promote your small business without really putting a strain on your wallet, then start with some of these tips before moving on.
Getting Online
In this day and age, people are Googling everything they want to know and moving on if they can’t find the information they need. Most people are going to spend about 15 seconds looking at a webpage before deciding if it’s relevant or important to them.
That’s why you need to have your content ready to go and in front of people’s faces from the beginning.
The two most important ways to maximize this are by creating a Google Business Account and jumping on social media. With your Google account, you’ll be able to register your business, update hours and respond to reviews. It’s the easiest way to make your business visible immediately.
Social media is king, and making sure your business has a social media page is part of the ruling process. Be sure to have your page updated with deals, promotions and information about products. With half of the world’s population on social media, it’s important to be grabbing their attention.
Partnering With Influencers
Everyone loves an endorsement, so look for local influencers or online accounts that can help grow your brand and business.
With a partnership, you’ll be getting a cross-promotion and reaching an audience that you might not have been able to reach before. Every like, comment and share is important to spreading your business through your endorsements.
Partner With Other Businesses
Plenty of businesses are competing with one another, but there are others that just work well together. A used car salesman and mechanic would benefit from cross-promoting each other, having literature in each other’s shops.
The only cost would be printing the information out to leave in other people’s stores. If you want, you can even offer discounts for those that go too and from your respective stores.
Attend Networking Events
You never know what handshake or introduction can lead to business growth or an opportunity, but you’re more likely to find that big moment when heading to networking events.
If you’re a shy person, it’s time to press the extrovert button hidden somewhere inside you. These events are for people to meet and greet one another, so start working on that handshake and handing out business cards.
Conferences and Trade Shows
Look for various conferences and trade shows in your area and try to attend as many as you can. Similar to any meet and greet or event, you never know whom you may run into or what could happen after.
Make sure you have your company’s name on items you can hand out or pass around. Everyone always like free stuff!
Offer a Promotion
One of the more common phrases in business is you have to spend money to make money, and it’s definitely true for this next step.
Offer a promotion of some kind to encourage people to come to your store or visit your business. It could be something as simple as buy one get one free at the coffee shop, or rotating four tires for the price of three. It’s hard to resist a really good deal.
Turn to Local Media
While people aren’t reading the local paper as much as they used to, there are still plenty of local media outlets that you can turn to.
Small towns or cities are always looking for a story and if you reach out, you might be able to grab a spot in the newspaper, magazine or the evening news. It’s a win-win for both outlets, as they have a story and you are able to promote your business with very little expense.
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