Tip: Expose Yourself

Consumers are exposed to thousands of advertisements each day and bigger companies who are able to spend the most money on ads are often get noticed more than than the small, local business.  

Small businesses need to make a lasting impact by reaching out to their local market. Large corporations focus mostly on TV, radio, magazine, and billboards so if you are a small business trying to compete with the big guys then maybe you should stay away from these popular forms of media and focus on different ways to expose yourself.

There are plenty of inexpensive ways to promote your company starting with developing your story. Who are you and why is your product the best for customers? Consider adding some information about the history of your business and how you emerged with a solution for your industry.  Once a few people learn your story encourage them to share it with friends and family and reward shoppers with referral bonuses.  

People also love discounts so be sure to offer some type of frequent buyer program like a loyalty card that offers free product after a certain amount of purchases. If you are looking to cut costs, try printing your loyalty card on the back of your business cards but please don't hand our cards that were printed for free or ones with perforated edges that you made yourself.  It's great to save a buck but the idea is to look as big and professional as possible.

Try to accomplish this by creating a powerful brochure that impresses customers while relaying your message.  Flyers and signs can be effective if distributed properly and by properly O mean affordably. The best way to distribute such material is by personally handing it to potential customers.  Work on your "elevator pitch" so you can portray your business positively and encourage buyers in just two minutes.  Don't waste money on big mail campaigns or large print ads until your company has a following.

If you don't own your business name as a domain name, buy it now. If it is unavailable buy one that is easy to remember, easy to spell, and if possible use words that rank high in search volume which should help your rating with search engines. Some other ways to increase your effectiveness with SEO is by using meta tags in your design, including keywords in your text, maintaining a blog that is updated frequently, linking with other popular and local websites, and sign up for and add Google Analytics to each page which will both help your rating with google and help you measure website information like traffic, clicks, time on page, goal conversions and more.  

Send emails to relative websites asking to be included in their links, in their ads, or somewhere more creative on their website.  Perhaps offer buy a keyword in their text and add a hyperlink to redirect readers to your site. Writing blogs and remaining active in web forums or chat rooms other than your own are more ways to promote your site and gain readers. Be sure to include links to your site or insert extra keywords about your industry when writing online.  

There are also a number of places online that you can use to advertise for free like Craigslist.com and BackPage.com.  Please add any other free advertising sites below in the comment section so others can try them.

Small businesses should also consider offering free demonstrations of their product as local events, libraries, and establishments such as popular restaurants/bars. Advertisements played at local movie theaters are an excellent way to reach local customers.

Volunteering is another great way to gain exposure for your company while helping a cause.  Be sure to network at these events and everywhere you go because you never know when you are going to meet the right person.  Trade shows are good but can be expensive and time consuming. Try just visiting all related trade shows as a consumer and networking from the other side of the table.  

I realize that not all small businesses are local businesses, meaning they are not just looking for local customers.  Being creative is one way to compete  with big companies but do not forget the basics.  Offer free trials, guarantees, coupons, and other ways for your customers to feel special.  Get listed in as many free business directories as possible and make sure your information is correct in print and online phone books. Always keep building your list of potential clients and send personalized emails or use an auto mail system to maintain your email marketing. Create social media accounts and upload pictures, videos, and anything else that will make you look like a major player.  Be sure to respond promptly to customers when they contact you.

Small businesses can excel over big businesses in areas like customer service.   Offer things like workshops, webinars, and toll free support numbers so that you can maintain close relationships with customers.  Many people know that large well known companies are tough to compete with so they are looking for a reason to choose your small business. Find out what your customers want through surveys, polls, or email responses and give it to them. Don't forget that keeping customers can be just as important and challenging as finding new ones so be sure to have good relationships and encourage communication.  

Never stop learning and don't be afraid of change.