Anyone who runs a small business knows how important marketing can be. But just how do you approach it? What strategies work best, and will get you the highest return? Forbes interviewed Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact, to get his insight and some answers:
Rieva Lesonsky: If small business owners need help setting and meeting their marketing goals, where can they find it?
Dave Charest: Small business owners are often surprised by how many resources are available to them. First, look to your community. Local chapters of SCORE offer free business resources, including mentors, workshops, and templates. Join your local chamber of commerce for networking, community events, assistance, and referral services. And, of course, check out online resources.
Lesonsky: The report shows that 73% of small business owners don’t have enough time to devote to marketing. How can technology give them more time?
Charest: More than half of SMBs have less than an hour to spend on marketing each day. Technology removes the burden from digital marketing and makes it easier to create, design, and deliver campaigns. Connecting their company’s marketing platform with other tools they already use, like Canva or Shopify, saves time by allowing businesses to access their creative assets and other data without interrupting workflow. Spending less time on marketing minutiae helps business owners get back to running other aspects of their businesses.
Technology can also automate the campaign development process for SMBs, which is often the most time-intensive component of marketing their companies. In seconds, you can have a complete marketing plan that includes everything from message copy to visual design and recommendations for when and where to publish those messages. This is game-changing if you feel iffy about your marketing strategy (and, as you said, 73% of SMBs do).
Lesonsky: The report shows that small business owners are overwhelmed by the number of available marketing channels. Realistically, how many channels can small businesses effectively handle?
Charest: Many small businesses experience channel overload at some point in their journeys. With regard to digital marketing, I recommend focusing on the channels where they own the direct customer relationship—channels like email and SMS marketing. Those channels put businesses in control of when and how to communicate with customers, and they allow you to control how those customers experience your brand.
As for social media channels, since they’re each a bit different, most marketers recommend that small businesses start with one channel. Learn the ins and outs of that channel and test to understand what works best for your business. Once you’ve gotten into a rhythm, introduce new channels one at a time to experiment. Often, businesses feel that they need to be everywhere at once, but that only makes marketing feel more overwhelming. When that happens, many companies either further procrastinate their marketing or end up spinning their wheels in areas that don’t impact business results.
You can read the full article here.
As your business grows, your marketing needs will likely change. Knowing how to adjust will keep your small business moving forward. Setting goals will also help keep you on track. If needed, you can consult with a professional, or consider adding a marketing member to your team.