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Even if you’re a smaller company, you can use these marketing ideas to make your business look bigger than it is and keep up with your competition.

For many new and existing small business owners, a common challenge is having to compete in a market in which your competitors are much larger than your own business. You may not have the money to pay a marketing agency thousands of dollars, and that’s ok! There are many marketing ideas which you can implement right now to appear large and successful while still growing your business.

​Scale Your Social Media Following

Nowadays, the number of social media followers is a reflection of the success and legitimacy of your business. If you’re lacking real followers, consider incentivizing new follows by conducting a drawing.

For each like and share of your business’ social media page, gather up the names of those that participate and enter them in a drawing. At the end of the contest, record a video of the drawing for all your page followers to see!

Once you gain followers, make sure that you’re keeping them engaged. Post content that is relevant to your target customer base to drive interaction and new business.

Send a Newsletter

Keep your customers and prospective buyers in the loop with the good news at your business. This will help you and your business build awareness in your community.

Do you have some product or service updates or monthly specials you wish to share? How about tips and expert knowledge? Include it in your newsletter for all to see! This is an easy marketing idea to implement since there are many affordable newsletter software on the market to choose from.

marketing ideas

Create a Referral Program

There are many marketing ideas out there but this one may be the easiest:

Referrals are an essential revenue source for any business small or large. However, if your business is new, the first step to gain new referrals is by asking for them! If you don’t have time to call each and everyone one of your customers, consider automating some of the processes using sales software.

Sales software like Blitz can send automated emails and schedule call reminders for you. The automated emails you send could include details on your referral rewards program along with a link to submit them. Be sure to make the incentive appealing so that it’s engaging to all your customers!

Business Phone System

Are you using your personal cell phone to conduct business? This can cause prospects to question your professional legitimacy and make you feel like you’re captive to your customers 24/7.

Using your personal cell phone means that clients might call you at any hour of the day or night. This can make you feel obligated to speak with them even when you don’t want to. With a VoIP system, you can choose when you want to receive calls with set operation times.

Also, if you plan to add employees, using your personal cell phone for business purposes is not built to scale. Since clients know your cell phone as the business number, down the road it can be a difficult decision to decide if you want that number to be your permanent business number or if you should get an entirely new one.

With a VoIP system like Aline, you can have a phone system that is separate from your personal cell phone number. All employees will be able to send and receive calls using that number. You can even take your business phone anywhere with a mobile app and record a professional voicemail when you’re not available to receive calls. This makes you and your business appear much more credible to prospects and customers.

On Hold Commercials

Do you work in an environment where inbound callers often have to be put on hold? If so, you could be using these occasions to advertise products or services and brand your business.

There are services that will record professional on-hold commercials at an affordable rate. For instance, Aline Phone Systems even offers them along with their monthly VoIP service. On hold commercials are typically viewed as a feature for larger organizations, so if you use them, customers may perceive you to be a larger company and this will help you generate more business.

​Create a Logo

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

If you want the public to perceive your business as legitimate and successful, a polished logo that spreads brand awareness can do just that. Use this logo in as many places as possible including your website, social media posts, and your email signature.

If you’re not sure what your logo should be, consider engaging your customers and social media followers with a logo design contest. You can even allow your followers to vote on the logo and have a prize for the winning logo designer. Make sure that you create a set of logo requirements so that the ideas are appropriate and correlate with your market.

Have an Attractive Website

Nowadays, your website is the face of your business. Out of all marketing ideas, this one should be a top priority. In fact, did you know that 42% of consumers won’t buy from a poorly designed website? Your buyers will go to your website before they even visit your location or decide to do business with you.  

If you’re not sure how your website should look, analyze your competitors. See what they are and are not doing. What images and content do they have on their website? Ask yourself: how can I make my website stand out amongst the competition? If you don’t have the money to afford a professional web designer, tap into your network or research online. There are plenty of reputable freelancers looking for a side hustle.

marketing ideas

Establish a Blog

Research has shown that companies with blogs tend to get 67% more leads than those who don’t have an updated or optimized blog. If you’re not blogging, then you’re missing out on an additional lead source.

Take a look at your competitor’s websites. Many of them are writing blogs. They position themselves as subject matter experts to potential buyers. A stream of blog content on your website can make you appear to be an expert and make your business seem larger than it actually is.

In order to gain readers, leads, and eventually customers, the trick is to do keyword research before you write so that you can rank higher in Google. The higher you rank, the more likely that your article will be viewed and convert a new lead.

Conclusion

Sales and marketing go hand in hand. If you have marketing ideas that help you to keep up with your larger competitors, the leads will rush to you. Which of these small business marketing ideas will you be implementing? Drop us a line. Also, be sure to contact Aline Phone Systems today to get started on a professional phone system for your business.