Marketing & Sales Have Evolved
Every small business owner wants to get their name out into their local community. No one wants to be the best-kept secret if they want to be successful. A few decades ago, going door to door and introducing yourself was how people would get to know you. As you can imagine, this took a long time, and running a business and walking the streets is hard. Then came the yellow pages. A book with all the names and contact info for the residents and businesses of a geographical community. Business community closest to you. However, in today’s digital world, you can do a simple google search and find a business’swebsite, what services they offer, what products they sell, or make a reservation- you name it, you can do it!
While in-person networking is still necessary, especially for new businesses, sharing your information on the web is extremely important. Sharing your business information via a properly set up website, Google My Business/Google Maps, and having a presence on social media can help you be found by people looking for your services or products. But wait. You can’t just post and expect people to come to you. People want to do business with people, not just a business name. How do you make more of an impression?
Humanize Your Website
There are several ways your website can help humanize your brand and help potential customers get to know you.
- Your about us page is an opportunity for you to share your story. Talk about your passion, why you started your business, and how you help people.
- Your team page should include photos, maybe even behind-the-scenes peeks, highlighting your staff, showing off their education, and what they like to do in their free time.
- Create testimonials or reviews page, share what others think of you and encourage more reviews. People are more apt to feel you are great if others think you are great.
On every page of your website, you can share information about yourself, your business, and your community. We have one client on the way up north in Michigan, and she shares things to do and where to stay in her city. A Piece of You is a yarn store in Bay City, Michigan. She is also helping her fellow business owners by giving them a shout-out and link on her website.
Google My Business/Google Maps
Google My Business is currently transitioning to Google Maps. Make sure you claim your business, add photos to every section, complete the profile as detailed as possible, and add photos each month. There is a place to add events, specials, and general posts; by staying active on this site, you are showing Google that you are a real business which helps you rank higher in searches. While you are there, go to your favorite community businesses and give them a review. The more reviews you get, the better. Give some love, and maybe a few will reciprocate.
Facebook Business Pages
Be sure to create a Facebook Business Page for your small business. And just like with Google above, you will want to add as much information as possible to your profile. You will also share any events, specials, promotions, etc., here, but keep it only about 20% business. The rest of your posts should be educational, behind-the-scenes, funny memes, etc. And a couple of years ago, Pages added the ability to follow other brands. Follow local businesses you love, the chamber of commerce, your city page, maybe the mayor, and other complementary businesses. And then react and comment on their posts. Share their posts on your page if your customers appreciate it. Following other businesses on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest are great platforms to reach your community and get other people to be a part of it.
We just finished some pretty big Shop Small/Shop Local campaigns and events for our clients. Small businesses are the lifeblood of communities and the ones who support our local school fundraising efforts and keep our community thriving. Networking with other local businesses can help the community collectively and can help stimulate the local economy.
