Marketing trends for small business owners

Marketing Trends for Small Business Owners

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Marketing your small business is just one of the many tasks on your plate. Leaning into these marketing trends for small business owners can help you make the most of the time and money you invest in your marketing. Here are some things to consider for your current marketing plans.

Define the Person Behind the Brand

Consumers want to know about more than the products and services offered by your brand. They research your company actions and the people behind it.

When a prospect heads to your website or social media channels, what will they find? Do your profiles tell them what you do, who you serve and why? Is your personal brand in alignment with your business brand?

Any disconnect leads people to question your authenticity. These doubts can discourage them from doing business with you.

Focus on Content that Your Audience Wants

We know that content is king, but small business owners can’t rely on guesswork when deciding what type and medium of content to produce. To maximize your marketing budget, power your decisions with data. Dig in to learn who your prospects are, what they want and how best to reach them.

Build Networks

People trust businesses that are referred to them by people they trust. Small business owners need to tap into this reality by building a strong relationship with clients and prospects. You want to be top of mind when someone is asked “who should I contact for…”

Speaking at a professional conference and writing a book based on your subject-matter expertise is also a great way to build your network, especially if you provide professional services. Both allow you to reach new audiences who may not be familiar with your work and heighten your visibility and expertise.

Professional networks are equally important. Research shows that most of us are just six degrees from a potential business partner or contact who can change the trajectory of our business. The problem is that you don’t know the other five people between you and them!

Networking with your peers can help you discover and cement alliances to help get the word out and grow your business.

Leverage Meaningful Influencers

Audiences rely on influencers for recommendations, and small business owners need to connect with engaged audiences that want their products or services. You may not be able to get an A-list celebrity to endorse your product or service, but you can get an influencer.

Not all influencers have the same audience connection. When evaluating an influencer for your business, consider their:

  • Relevance. What does your product or service mean to them? Are they promoting something similar?
  • Reach. How many people will they be able to reach with their message?
  • Engagement. Do their fans interact with their posts?
  • Authenticity. Is the influencer authentic?

For some small business owners, niche influencers with small but highly engaged audiences are the better option for their marketing dollars.