SME success: three tips for marketing your business

Running a business is fantastic, but it's even better if people hear about it!

This is where marketing comes in – the art of promoting your business to those who would pay for your goods and services.

Understandably, if marketing isn’t your day job, it can feel daunting.

Don’t worry! We’re here to equip you with the skills needed so you can begin confidently marketing your business.

To start, we’ll explain how to make a great first impression with a website, befriend your customer base via social media and harness review platforms.

How to create a marketing strategy

Before we jump to the exciting parts of marketing, all good things start with a plan; frankly, marketing without a plan is most likely time and money down the drain.

The good news is your plan doesn’t have to be elaborate – it can start with a handful of questions which will then guide you:

1. Who is your target audience?
2. What makes you different from your competitors?
3. What are your objectives?
4. What short-term wins can you achieve?
5. Can you do anything more with your existing customers?

With your answers ready, let’s get the wheels turning on your marketing machine, beginning with your website.

How to make a great impression with a website

When someone needs something, where do they go? Google.

As a result, websites are often people’s first impression of a business, so you must get it right.

We go into far more detail in our complete guide, which you can find here, but these are the important things you’ll want to consider early on:

• Get your web address sorted (also known as your domain or URL)
• Choose your website provider, which will house your website and its data on the web
• Select a Content Management System (CMS) which will allow you to arrange your words and images into a fantastic, impactful experience
• Design your webpage – make sure the homepage explains what you do and contact details are easy to find

Once your website is up and running, the next job is to get people visiting.

Time for the fun part: social media!

How to use social media for marketing

Social media can be fun, but it is a commitment; to make social media work, you have to post pretty much every day, if you can. 

To make sure you’re not wasting your time, effort and maybe even advertising budget, think carefully about which social media sites are right for you.

Where do your customers and clients visit?

For example, Gen X (born between 1965 to 1980) are likely to be found on LinkedIn, while Gen Z (born in the mid-to-late 90s) are on TikTok and Instagram.

Top tip: if you’re still stuck, there’s no shame in investigating what platforms your competitors and similar businesses use.

The power of YOU

Once you've chosen your platform, it’s time to start posting.

The best advice we can offer is to not fear showing your personality on social media.

People form relationships with people, so make sure your posts are authentic, relatable and coming from a human rather than a business.

Show what’s behind the scenes, and get your team involved.

Share success with customer reviews

It’s all well and good to say your product or service is the best, but who doesn’t say that about their own business? The proof is in the pudding.

The more genuine positive reviews you can get, the more trust future customers will have in you.

But word of mouth certainly isn’t as prevalent now, so in a digital world, how do you get reviews?

Various online review platforms now exist.

Whether you list your business on Google, and people leave reviews there, or you opt for dedicated websites such as Trustpilot, a plethora of digital options are available, so it’s worth asking your customers for feedback.

Top tip: if you get negative reviews, don’t panic. This is a fantastic opportunity to respond and show you’re listening – you’re not only turning this relationship around but showing other potential customers that if something goes wrong (and it might), you’ll do everything you can to make it right.

Become a marketing maestro

Want to know more?

Our FREE guide – How to get attracting new business right – is now available!

You will find our complete guide to marketing, including how to make the most of paid advertising, use email marketing and solidify your business strategy.