When you are running a small business, every aspect of marketing becomes more critical. You need to ensure that you are reaching the right audience with the right message and you need to measure the success of your efforts. With so much on your plate, it’s easy to see why many businesses fail before they find their feet. You can’t afford to make the same mistakes as the rest, so here are some tried and tested tools that can help.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is still one of the most effective forms of marketing. When someone signs up to receive email updates from your business, they are implicitly telling you that they are interested in your product or service. From there, you can engage with them and further stimulate interest in your business.

With email marketing, you can implement several marketing strategies all within one platform. You can send out welcome emails with useful information. You can nurture leads and convert them into paying customers. You can even automate email marketing campaigns to have more time to focus on growing your business.

However, if you want to effectively use email marketing, you need to remember a couple of things. First, make sure that you are sending out quality content that will interest your audience. There are plenty of junk email marketing platforms where you can send out bulk email campaigns that are devoid of any real value. Second, make sure that you are using a trusted email provider. As a business owner, you are responsible for the conduct of your company. If you send out spam, you could find yourself in trouble with the relevant authorities.

Social Media Marketing

In today’s world, social media is a crucial aspect of any marketing plan. With over 250 million monthly active users on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, it is the perfect place to advertise your product. Plus, being online means that your potential audience is virtually limitless. You can’t put a figure on the value of online marketing. Even small businesses with limited budgets can benefit from the power of social media.

With social media, you can build a community of interested buyers. On social media sites, users engage with brands in a way that is natural and authentic. In the right spaces, you can find enthusiasts that are willing to become brand advocates for your product or service. By engaging with your audience on social media, you can allow them to feel a part of the process. This is crucial in creating a loyal following and establishing trust with your target audience.

Display Advertising

One of the first places that your potential customers will see your brand is in the local media. Whether you have a storefront or not, your business will have to appear in some sort of media to be considered relevant. In today’s world, local search is the first step to a successful online search. The more reviews you have, the more opportunities for someone to find you. While traditional advertising such as radio and newspaper ads still have their place, display advertising on the web has proven to be an effective tool for reaching a target audience.

When you put up a display advertisement on your website, you are essentially creating a virtual storefront. When someone clicks on that link and makes a purchase, you will earn a small commission. However, in exchange for that commission, you are showing that advertiser’s product or service to thousands of people who might be interested in that product or service. Display advertising is a slow process, but it is a proven way to gain some early traction in your business. It is also a lot less expensive than other traditional marketing strategies.

Product Sales

Even after you have established yourself as a reliable source of valuable information, if you want to grow your business, you will need to start making sales. So, how do you go about making actual products or providing a service and then turning a profit from these transactions?

A popular method among entrepreneurs is to start a store. Whether you are selling a product that you make yourself or purchase from a manufacturer, having your own store gives you the flexibility to purchase quality goods at wholesale prices. You don’t have to worry about finding a wholesaler that will work with you. Plus, having a physical store that your customers can visit is a great way to establish credibility. Especially if you are a new or emerging business, having a physical storefront is a great way to gain trust.

Affiliate Marketing

With affiliate marketing, you are essentially paying for the referral of potential customers. Let’s say, for example, that you found a product that you thought would be a great fit for your audience. You can then use a tool like Uber Affiliate to track affiliate sales. When someone clicks on a product or service that you recommend and makes a purchase, you will earn a small commission. This can be a passive income stream that you can rely on.

There are a variety of affiliate marketing platforms that you can integrate with. You can use a tool like HubSpot to connect with potential customers and get them to click on your affiliate links. You can even get a tool like Quick Sprout to do all the work for you. As a business owner, you can build your own customized affiliate dashboard and get notifications whenever someone purchases a product via one of your affiliate links.

Pay-Per-Click Advertising

If you have a budget and you want to try new forms of advertising, you have a variety of options. One of the simplest and most effective ways to gain credibility with your customers is to experiment with pay-per-click advertising. Basically, with this strategy, you will pay for each click on your ads that lead to a purchase. You will also need to set a budget and decide how much you are willing to spend daily.

The great thing about this form of advertising is that you can test different bids to find the best value for your platform. Moreover, you can always pause the campaign at any time if you decide that it isn’t beneficial to your business. You will need to keep track of your spent money to ensure that you properly record all the expenditures related to pay-per-click advertising.