These have been tough times for many businesses thanks to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, but as we start to look forward to returning to normal, it’s worth thinking about how you will start making up for the lost time. Here are five marketing methods to give your business a boost
As the country heads out of lockdown, consider how you will promote your business to make the most of all the customers looking forward to getting back to their old ways of life.
There are many different techniques to market your business, and the best way to do it will depend on everything from the type of business you have to who you want to market to, and of course, the size of your budget.
The five marketing methods to give your business a boost covered here should give you some food for thought and get you contemplating how best to shout about why customers should choose you.
Printed products
It goes without saying that you should have a business card to hand wherever you go as you never know when you’ll meet someone interested in what you do. However, there are lots of other printed products which can also help promote what you do.
Using well-produced business stationery such as letterheads, compliment slips, labels, and envelopes will give you a more professional appearance.
You might also consider producing some flyers and brochures to distribute in your local area to invite customers back to your business.
Promotional materials such as calendars, desk pads, and pens give your customers something useful while ensuring your contact details are always to hand when they are looking for the products or services you provide.
Speak to experts like UK Print who can advise you on a range of print products to help raise your business’s profile.
Social media
A great tool at everyone’s disposable nowadays is social media. There’s loads of information available on what is the best social media to use and what to post, but the truth is it will mostly be determined by what you’re trying to promote and to whom, what you feel most comfortable using, and if you have a budget for your social media strategy.
For small businesses with a limited budget, you might be better off sticking to the social media which is most aligned to your customer’s profile.
Instead of using it to specifically advertise your products and services, use it to start conversations with potential customers. Post content they will find useful or relate to, which will raise your profile and put you at the forefront of people’s minds when looking for the things you provide.
Make the news
If your business has done something newsworthy, send out a press release to local media organisations and see if they pick it up. Getting a mention in your local newspaper, a shout-out on the radio, or even making it onto the television news is a great way to pick up some free publicity.
Promotions
While you never want to undervalue what you do or sell, the occasional promotion can be really effective.
As everything returns to life from its enforced hibernation, a promotion could be a good way to remind customers you are still there and that you would like to offer a discount, for example, to help people during these times of financial difficulty.
Blogging
As with a physical shop, you need to consider how to entice potential customers into your digital store. A great way to do this is by writing a blog.
Blogging can give your customers added value, offering information, advice, or entertainment based on the topic of your business. It also gives people the opportunity to share your content, offering you some free publicity, so come up with some creative content drive traffic to your website.
This is a great option for people with zero marketing budget but if you do have some cash to spend in this area, consider getting help from SEO experts to help your blogs go even further.
Transitioning out of this past 12 months of upheaval will look different for every business. Still, if you try to move forward with a positive attitude and share all the things that make your business special, you will put yourself in a great position to make the most of the next 12 months and beyond.