By Sabine Leveiller, Marketing Director, VistaPrint Europe
Starting a small business is no easy feat. What starts as an exciting prospect can soon become extremely daunting when the reality sets in. With 60% of small businesses in the UK failing during their first three years, there is an army of things, from operations to marketing that need to be considered when building a business.
Creating an effective marketing strategy is essential to the survival of your small business. Recent data from VistaPrint has revealed that 71% of businesses find marketing spend to be a critical growth driver, helping to attract sales.
I’m often asked by VistaPrint customers if it is possible to market their brand effectively on a shoestring budget. My answer is always a resounding yes: less is usually best when marketing for small businesses.
Entrepreneurs are often told to invest by putting high levels of spend behind marketing to reach more customers and drive growth. However, in today’s saturated marketing landscape, if small business owners (SBOs) carefully focus their efforts on streamlined marketing, they can invest their money in creative tactics that will guarantee a high return on investment (ROI).
Make two-way communication your friend
Understanding your audience is paramount to effective marketing. In an era of information overload, consumers appreciate brands that listen and respond with intention. By focusing marketing efforts on specific channels where your audience is already active, you can foster meaningful interactions and build relationships.
Quick surveys at checkout, through newsletters or on social media can reveal a multitude of information about your customers’ preferences, and on the flip side, help you better understand if your customers know who you are. From this feedback, you can realign your messages to successfully hit all the key touch points you want them to take in from your marketing.
Trust is the foundation for all customer relationships
Trust is the bedrock of any successful customer-business relationship. A quick, easy and cost-effective way to build trust is through social media. Being present (and available) on social media allows you to break down barriers between your brand and your customers to communicate in a way that’s approachable and authentic.
Although social media presence is essential for SBOs to construct a trusting dialogue with customers, it is also important to think of your brand as an ecosystem, inclusive of both online and offline touchpoints. SBOs should not forget the value of out-of-home marketing strategies like flyers, posters and billboards. These show off a brand’s personality and reinforce your image as a reputable business.
Furthermore, leveraging social proofing – the concept that people are more likely to trust a product or service when they see others endorsing it – has been proven to significantly increase trust in a product, service or brand. Customer reviews, testimonials, and case studies are powerful tools to boost marketing engagement and instil confidence in potential customers.
Prioritising simplicity and quality
In the quest for marketing success, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the variety of tools and strategies available. However, simplicity in your marketing strategy allows you to focus on quality rather than quantity. Streamlining your efforts can help you deliver a consistent and compelling message to your target audience.
From the logo to the website and everything in between, your audience wants to see why they should choose you over another business in the market. It is easy to want to expand your marketing to keep up with larger competitors, but in reality, your focus should be on the message you are targeting to your audience. Striving for consistency over perfection will continue to bring great success to you and your brand.
Outsourcing marketing tasks to experts can also provide marketing success. Outsourcing allows you to tap into specialized skills, maximize ROI and stay ahead of competitors. In a recent VistaPrint survey, 22% of SBOs surveyed said they were unsure about the quality of their own marketing and design skills, and 1 in 10 (13%) said that external support would greatly relieve this pressure. While it may seem like an added expense, outsourcing can ultimately save you time and money by ensuring that your marketing efforts are effective and results-driven.
In the realm of small business marketing, “less is more” is not about shrinking your ambitions but about focusing your efforts on what truly matters. By embracing two-way communication, leveraging proven strategies to build trust, and prioritizing simplicity and quality in your marketing approach, you can maximise impact and achieve sustainable growth. It’s time to declutter your marketing strategy and let the power of less guide your business toward success.
