“You should spend at least an hour a day on business promotion or planning how to promote your business (and more is better, if you can fit the time in)!” – The Balance

Promoting your business tends to take a back seat in the minds of small business owners as performing daily operations reigns as the top priority.  However, regular promotional activity is necessary to drive new business and improve customer loyalty.  Catering to the customer experience and managing the reputation of your business are key considerations when developing your small business promotions.

Sponsor Local Sports Teams

“There is a growing trend in consumers looking to support local and choosing a company that also invests in their community.” – PGI Printers

Sponsoring local sporting events can put your brand in front of a large audience of potential customers and help improve your standing in the community.  Not every business can afford to purchase uniforms and equipment for an entire team.  Simply having a banner hanging at a baseball game or your company logo on a scoreboard can bring about a tremendous amount of exposure.  Think about how many times you look at the scoreboard during a sporting event.  Each glance is like a commercial for your business.

Social Media Promotions

“Every social media profile you add to your marketing mix is a gateway to your website, and every piece of content you post is another opportunity to acquire a new customer.” – Blue Fountain Media

Creating educational and fun content and promoting it through social media will drive visitors to your website and enhance your online presence.  But that’s not the only way to use social media.  Engaging in conversations with your customers, offering special promotions available only to your followers and encouraging reviews are all ways you can grow your small business with social media.

Marketing Videos

“Facebook generates 8 billion video views on average per day which means people are really responding to video content.” – Rialto Mobile Marketing

Video has become a necessary ingredient in promoting your small business as it drives social media engagement and helps to humanize your brand.  Although it can be, video doesn’t have to be overly expensive.  While you do want to portray a positive image of your brand, this doesn’t need to be a Hollywood production.  Product demos, company overviews and funny videos can all offer a unique perspective of your company.  With personalization and the customer experience being so vital to success in today’s market, video has become an essential component of any effective marketing plan.

Leverage Holidays

“While no local business wants to wait until the very end of the year to meet their sales goals, the fact remains that 20-40% of yearly retailer sales take place during the last two months of the year.” - Vivial

The holidays can make or break a small business.  Preparing your promotions throughout the year will ensure you make the most out of them.  Sales, contests, raffles, events and entertainment can all help drive revenue during the holidays.  A variety of tactics should be used to communicate your holiday promotions including, but not limited to, direct mail, email, social media posts, in-store advertising, flyers and even TV commercials.  Be sure to involve your team when developing your holiday promotional ideas.

New Website

“Beginning with your website, consumers are passing judgement and making decisions about whether or not they will even visit your store, restaurant or office.” - Forbes

You company website acts as your online storefront and the same care and attention should be paid to it as your brick and mortar establishment.  If you don’t currently have a website, you’re overdue.  If you have a website that hasn’t been updated in more than 3 years, it’s time for a new look.  Continuing to build your website with blog posts, landing pages and special offers will help turn your site into a lead generation tool.

Setting aside time to brainstorm, develop and implement small business promotions is a requirement for owners looking to grow. 

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