5 Small Business Marketing Hacks that Won’t Break the Bank
I’ve spent the majority of my career working at non-profits, and I’ve come to realize there are a lot of similarities when it comes to small business marketing. As a small business owner, you are passionate about what you do, but there never seems to be enough time or money to do everything you want. Hiring an outside agency can be difficult because of the cost and the fact that they aren’t in your business every day, but you also want to look professional and marketing isn’t the main focus of your business. So, here are a few tips to take your marketing to the next level.
1. Pick a color, any color.
When you are thinking, about your business it’s important to have visual consistency. Think of any large brand, and you can most likely think of their primary branding colors. But Target, Chick-Fil-A and Wendy’s don’t all use the same red. Shades of red are endless.
One easy way to consistently use the same color is by always using the same HEX code. Whether you are designing a graphic for your social media or putting together an email, consistently using the same colors will build your visual brand so that customers will easily recognize you before they even read your content.
2. Don’t go type crazy.
A big mistake that I see people making is constantly changing fonts on their marketing materials. Again, building a visual brand is so important because people are completely inundated with information all day. Did you know the average adult’s attention span is only 8 seconds? That’s even shorter than a gold fish. So it’s important to be consistent so that your visual brand is quickly recognizable by your audience. Choose 2 to 3 fonts to use on marketing materials. This will help build brand recognition and make your materials look top notch.
3. Looks matter, baby.
Let’s just be real for a second, looks matter. And they matter for your business too. So pay attention to the imagery you are putting out there. It’s not always cost effective to hire a professional photographer for every single Instagram photo, but knowing a few things about photo composition can go a long way. Take photos that are visually interesting and compelling to your audience. Here are a few more tips for taking a great cell phone photo. It’s also important to note that sometimes it IS important to hire a professional photographer to take your look to the next level. Use a local photographer {we love Angel Pardue} to capture timeless images of your business and staff that can be used on your website, social media and marketing pieces.
4. It’s 2018. You need to be online!
Grassroots marketing is always a great way to go, but the reality is, if you’re not online, you’re missing out on a lot of opportunities. It's projected that 28,000 more people will move to Rutherford County in the next four years. Those people will most likely find you online. So be sure that you have a Google business listing, social media and website! Square space is an inexpensive web platform, but if you need more help, our friends at Adams + Swann also do great work.
5. Know Your Why
It’s hard to market your business if you don’t know why you exist. Being able to communicate your mission quickly and in a way that people understand is crucial. Simon Sinek talks about starting with your WHY, which is understanding your purpose as a business. Once you understand your why, you can craft your message as a business from there.
So, if you’ve made it to the end of this post, and you’re thinking, “that all sounds great, but this is still a lot to take in,” don’t fear! We are offering a marketing workshop at Quinn’s on June 5th and you can save your seat here.
Cheers!
Kristen