Marketing small local businesses can be tricky, as they often compete with larger and more established companies. To be successful, it is important to find effective marketing strategies that reach the right audience and increase awareness of your brand.
Unfortunately, small local businesses can easily fall for ineffective marketing strategies that do little to benefit the business. Here are eight strategies to stay away from in your marketing plan:
1. Buying Email Lists
Buying email lists from third-party companies can be incredibly expensive, and will likely result in a significant loss of money. In addition, recipients of these emails are likely to be annoyed, as they are unaware of the company and don’t want to receive the emails.
2. Frequent, Irrelevant Social Media Posts
Small, local businesses should be very cautious of posting too often or too frequently on their social media platforms. Not only is this annoying to followers, but it also takes away from the importance of their actual posts. Stick to relevant and timely posts to ensure maximum impact and engagement.
3. Advertising Without a Plan
Advertising without a plan is usually a waste of money. Businesses should set a goal of what they want the advertisement to accomplish, and determine how the advertisement will accomplish this.
4. Overlooking Lead Generation
Generating leads is an important part of marketing any business, but it is often overlooked in favor of other activities. Make sure to spend time cultivating leads in addition to other marketing efforts.
5. Ignoring Google Ads
Google Ads can often be overlooked by small local businesses, but they can be extremely effective. Google Ads are often cheaper than traditional advertising methods, and they can reach many people who may not be aware of your business otherwise.
6. Not Optimizing for Search
Optimizing your website for search engines is a crucial part of marketing any business. Taking the time to ensure your website is optimized for search can help your business get found and bring more potential customers to your website.
7. Focusing on Quantity and Not Quality
Marketing should not be about quantity, but about quality. Quality content will be more likely to be shared and engaged with, whereas low-quality content will likely be overlooked.
8. Underestimating the Power of Public Relations
Public relations can be incredibly effective for businesses of any size, but small, local businesses often underestimate its power. Taking the time to identify press opportunities and crafting well-written press releases can be a huge benefit to any business.
Being aware of these ineffective marketing strategies can help small, local businesses choose the right marketing plan for them. By avoiding these strategies, businesses will be able to spend their time and money on successful marketing activities that bring results.
