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Top 13 Marketing Ideas For Small Businesses:
1. Partnership with Other Businesses
Partnering with local businesses targeting the same audience is a low-cost and effective way to market your business. You can tap into their existing customer base and offer your services to a new group of potential customers who could potentially be interested in your product or services.
Example of business partnerships:
A local physiotherapist could partner with a local gym to offer exclusive discounts to each other's customers.
Some ways to partner:
- Offer discounts to the partner’s audience (e.g., 10% off for first-time users)
- Co-host webinars or online events
- Shout out to each other on social media
- Incentivise successful referrals
- Split costs for a pop-up store or market stall
Benefits: Partnerships allow you to expand your reach without the high costs of traditional advertising while targeting a highly relevant audience to your business.
2. Organic Social Media Marketing
Organic social media marketing is a great and cost-effective way to engage with a larger audience who might have not heard about your business. Creating fun, relevant and engaging contents can help you build brand awareness and build brand equity.
Examples of Small Businesses Doing Well on Social:
Tips to do well on social media marketing:
- Focus on short-form video content, which is currently favoured by social media algorithms.
- Be relevant - the algorithm favours contents that are user-generated and are not heavily edited
3. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Blog Content
SEO and blogging go hand in hand. Most experts would agree that SEO is 70% content creation and 30% optimisation. Google ranks websites based on E.A.T (Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness), so creating valuable content can position your business as an expert in your industry.
What You Can Do
- Optimise: Research relevant keywords for your business and ensure your website pages are optimised for them. For example, a barbershop might target “Barbershop in Melbourne CBD”.
- Create "Good and Relevant" Content: Write informative blog posts that help your audience find the services they need. For example, “Your Guide to the Top Barbershops in Melbourne”.
4. Google My Business (GMB)
Claiming and optimising your Google My Business (GMB) profile is essential for local businesses looking to gain local traction. It boosts visibility in local search results, making it easier for potential clients and customers to find you. For instance, someone who is searching for "barbershop near me" will move likely be directed to relevant results on GMB.
What Can Do:
- Set up your GMB account and fill out all necessary details
- Optimise for location-based keywords, like “Electrician in Richmond”
- Encourage customer reviews and respond to them
- Add photos of your business and services to your profile
- Use automation tools like Flytree or Birdeye to request reviews from customers.
5.Google Ads
Google Ads is a powerful digital advertising platform that enables businesses to reach to high intent potential customers across various channels, including:
- Paid Search (Search Ads): Appear at the top of Google search results when users search for keywords related to your product or service.
- Display Ads: Show visually engaging ads (images, banners) on websites, blogs, and apps within the Google Display Network.
- YouTube Ads: Reach audiences with video content before, during, or after YouTube videos, helping build brand recognition or promote special offers.
Targeting Options:
Google Ads offers advanced targeting tools such as:
- Keywords
- Locations - City, Suburb, States and even Country
- Demographics - Age and Gender
- Interests
- Custom audiences
- Remarketing (retargeting past visitors to your site)
Google Ads is especially effective for small businesses that want fast results and full control over who sees their ads and how much they want to spend.
6. Email Marketing
Running email marketing campaigns allows you to retain and nurture your existing customer base. By sending regular updates, personalised offers, and relevant contents, you can build stronger relationships with your customers and increase loyalty.
Tips for Effective Email Marketing:
- Offer incentives for customers to join your email list, such as a discount on their next purchase.
- Segment your email list based on customer interests or past purchases to personalise your messages.
- Use email campaigns to promote new products or services.
7. Referral Program
A referral program can help you generate new prospects by leveraging the effectiveness of word-of-mouth marketing. You can offer incentives to existing loyal customers to refer new customers to your business.
How to run an effective referral program
- Reward referrers with points or discounts.
- Offer incentives for customers who sign up via a referral link. Example: AMEX’s Referral Program
Benefits: Referral programs can help you acquire new customers at a low cost, building trust through existing customer relationships.
8. Paid Social Media Ads
With the increase in social media usage, paid ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn offer a great way to get your products and services in front of your target audience.
What You Can Do:
- Create ads that showcase your products' core benefits.
- Offer special promotions or discounts to encourage traffic to your website or store
- CTA link to a landing page with a solid offer for your product or services
Tip: Target your ads to a specific audience segment based on demographics, interests, or behaviours.
9. Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing involves partnering with influencers who have a large following within your target market. This can help you gain exposure and build trust with a wider audience.
Example: A restaurant could partner with a food influencer to promote its menu or special events.
Benefits: Influencers provide social proof, helping you reach a larger, more engaged audience.
10. Apply for Business Awards
Applying for business awards can boost your credibility and increase your visibility. Winning or being nominated as a finalist for these awards can help you stand out against other competitors and provide valuable marketing material for your business.
Benefits: Business awards offer recognition and social proof, which can attract new customers and enhance your reputation.
11. Join Industry Events
Participating in industry events is a great way to network with other businesses and directly engage with potential customers. Whether you sponsor an event or set up a booth, you can increase your visibility and establish your brand within your industry.
Example: A surf shop could sponsor a local surfing event to engage with their target audience.
Benefits: Industry events help you gain credibility and build relationships with customers and other businesses in your industry.
12. Run Competitions
Competitions can be a fun and engaging way to attract customers and build excitement around your brand. Offer prizes, discounts, or freebies to encourage participation.
Benefits: Competitions help create buzz around your business and encourage potential customers to engage with your brand.
Example: You could run an online competition where customers can enter by following your social media pages, tagging friends, or sharing your content.
13. Merchandise
Selling branded merchandise or giving it away as part of a promotion can help you increase brand awareness and engage with your customers in a fun way.
Benefits: Merchandise acts as a walking advertisement and can help reinforce your brand identity.
Example: T-shirts, hats, or mugs with your company logo can serve as both a marketing tool and a way to thank your loyal customers.
Conclusion
Marketing your small business is inexpensive and simple. Whether you're running Google Ads, joining local events, or launching creative promotions, these marketing ideas can help you attract the right customers and grow your business. The key to make these ideas effetive is to be consistent, creative and aligning with your marketing goals.
Need help putting these ideas into action?
👉 Explore our Small Business Marketing Services — we’ll help you create a tailored marketing plan that delivers results.
