Sales and Marketing - Jen Jordan
Jen Jordan brings a wealth of life and leadership experiences to her writing. After 10 years creating a variety of content for a nonprofit, Jen decided to establish her own writing business. She specializes in creating high quality blog and website content for small businesses. When she's not writing, Jen is a competitive triathlete with a goal of completing a triathlon in all 50 states.
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3 Creative Marketing Strategies Small Businesses Should Use In 2021Marketing is anything your small business does to establish (or build) a relationship between you and your ideal customers. This expanded definition of marketing is more critical now than ever, especially as consumers increasingly expect businesses to be engaged and accessible. The pandemic and economic turmoil forced many small businesses to experiment with a wide range of marketing strategies to attract new customers and clients. One of the best things you can do for your business is to develop a marketing plan that will set you apart from your competition. We want to help you get beyond the marketing basics and incorporate some strategies to build a relationship with your audience and expand your business in 2021. Create Educational Content Did you know that 77% of B2B marketers use educational content to build trust with current and potential clients? Educational content can take almost any form, from blogs and videos to checklists and buyer’s guides. If you’re answering questions your audience is (or should be) asking and empowering them to make wise purchases, then it’s valuable content marketing! Some of the most popular and effective types of educational content include:
Every small business should create relevant, authoritative content to educate its audience. For example, a lawn care company can create a blog series addressing specific issues plaguing local homeowner’s lawns or a lawn care checklist for each season. Gather 5-Star Reviews If you spend any time shopping online for goods or services, you likely read at least one or two reviews. Most customers use reviews to help them make a purchasing decision for everything, from sneakers to plumbers. Ninety-one percent of 18 to 34-year-old shoppers say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Your business needs excellent online reviews of your products or services. Make sure people can leave a review on your Google My Business page, website, and social media accounts. When you receive a review (positive or negative), respond to it! Eighty-nine percent of shoppers say they read the businesses’ response to reviews. When you respond to a review, you’re continuing to build a positive customer relationship or helping win over a dissatisfied customer. Commit to reaching out to your customers and asking them to leave reviews going forward. One great way to make this process easier is to use a CRM system with feedback collection features. Use Video and Livestream Livestream and video content were already on the rise in 2019, long before the COVID-19 pandemic forced so much online. It’s free, takes very little time to produce, and attracts a broader target audience. Also, the Google algorithm tends to favor websites with video content. The options for video content are nearly endless! Try making “how-to” videos that demonstrate your products at work or teaches your audience how to do something. For example, a lawn care company might create a video explaining the process of preparing a lawn for winter or spring. Or an accountant might make some “how-to” videos to help people fill out tricky parts of their tax returns. It doesn’t have to all be educational. Next time your team does a service project, do a short Livestream to show what you’re up to! Or ask your loyal customers to share videos of how they use your products. There are many other creative “outside-the-box” marketing strategies that you can use to grow your business in 2021. The key is to create a strategy and follow through with your plan. https://www.thebalancesmb.com/small-business-marketing-ideas-2951688 https://blog.capterra.com/small-business-marketing-ideas/ https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2020/01/07/best-marketing-strategies |
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