Small and mid-sized business has always been the backbone of commerce. The personal connection factor of local business marketing cannot be ignored or over-emphasized. Large companies know this, which is why they invest millions of dollars to appear small and personable to their customers. 

Small businesses can still leverage powerful marketing tools to achieve big business revenue. Examine the four questions we will answer as they apply to your small business niche and location. Some examples are provided for application; but in the end, how you glean from these questions for your small business marketing plan is up to you. 

Which Social Media Platforms are Best for My Small Business? 

Small businesses that are strapped for time and money cannot waste any efforts trying to reach their core audience. As part of our onboarding process here at Cast Influence, we ask new clients to identify what their target audience is reading, listening to, and watching. In this day and time, there are multiple ways to consume media. 

Everyone knows about the huge social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest. But what if your target audience spends more time on niche social platforms? These communities could provide much more value and much less competition. That means your return on investment as you spend time there is much greater. 

Here are some examples: 

• If you are a blockchain tech business, you must be on Telegram. 
• If you’re a realtor, you want to be on Nextdoor. 
• If you target nonprofits, you should be involved with ASAE. 
• If you’re a designer, you need a Dribbble profile through which to share and profile your work. 
• Are you a plastic surgeon? You should be on RealSelf. 

What are some other niche social media communities that would fit your target audience? 

‍How Can I Raise My Small Business’ Local Profile and Acquire New Customers? 

‍Online advertising and social media promotion with a local bent is always a good idea. Even locals turn to the internet when searching for something in their hometown, so you certainly want to be found there. But how about some other ways to raise your awareness level in your city? Here are a few suggestions: 

• Sponsor a local sporting team
• Sponsor a local sporting event 
• Sponsor a local event that resonates with your target audience (A fourth of July festival or a race)
• Give to local schools 
• Sponsor/provide goods/services to the local homeless shelter or animal shelter and include your sphere of influence

‍Developing PR relationships locally can be huge

Here at Cast Influence, our PR gurus recommend that small and medium businesses invest in relationships with local reporters. Offer to meet over coffee, listen to their current projects, and learn how you can become a resource for them. Share your industry know-how and proactively share your point of view on current news that relates to your area of expertise. Building honest relationships in this way allows a true value exchange. Once you’ve established a relationship with a reporter, a news feature or profile piece is easier to obtain. And public relations is much less expensive than advertising, and it builds more consumer trust.

What is one unique way you could raise awareness of your business locally? 

‍What are Some Referral Incentives that Would be Good for My Small Business? 

‍Incentives and partner promotions with other businesses are tried and true methods to win new customers. Remember when Uber launched in 2009 and offered free rides for new users? Today Uber is valued at $50 billion. People will always want something for free—incentives work.For B2B and service businesses, there is no better way to earn new clients than through referral incentives. Depending on what your goals are, referral incentives can be used to grow your social following, attract new talent, and win new business. Often, referral incentives are much less expensive than advertising, email marketing, or even content marketing. Here are some suggestions: 

• Customers receive discounts for referring other customers to you 
• Cross-promotions with another business that shares the same customer demographics (ie: a content marketing writer and a web designer could not only trade referrals but offer a combo package deal utilizing both their services). 
• Sponsor a seasonal online photo contest related to your industry and award the best photo a free item, service, or discount. 
• Challenge customers to post a short Instagram Live video to their page using your product/service and tag you in it. Choose a random winner to receive free items or services. 

What is a referral incentive that would be great for your small business? 

‍How Can My Small or Medium Business Stretch Marketing Dollars to Gain New Customers Through Social Media? 

‍The first section above about social media platforms is worth reviewing here. A smaller, niche community can be filled with potential customers who want what you do/sell, and for much less cost to advertise. Plus, the competition will be less, since they are a smaller, niche type of platform. Try using scheduling apps to manage your social media presence. For X, Instagram, and Facebook, we like Buffer and Hootsuite for scheduling and managing the distribution of real-time communications and promotions. These tools also allow you to follow up on your posts, evaluating which ones were most effective, and why they were effective. Experiment with others to see what works best for you, especially for other social media platforms. 

A live-chat messaging platform like Tidio, Drift, or Intercom can be easily integrated into your website to provide real-time Q&A with customers looking to purchase your product or service. By implementing live chat into our customer websites here at Cast Influence, we’ve seen some reach as much as 30% of all incoming new business. Cautioning that you have to be willing to properly manage this or risk a bad experience for your customers/users.

When thinking about small to medium sized business marketing, work smarter, not harder. Look for ways you can leverage your dollars for better communication with your customers. After all, the big hook for small business is the personal connection you have with your customers and audience. 

If you need more help with small business marketing, drop us a line here at Cast Influence. We can help your advertising and marketing dollars drive real revenue for your small business.