Why do small business owners struggle with marketing their business? There are several reasons. Smaller businesses don’t have a big budget for advertising. You might not have a large team of experts to create an advertising campaign. Time is also an issue for small business owners who are spending most of their time and energy servicing or selling customers.
All of these are valid reasons, but there are effective methods of spreading the word about your business. Many small businesses have turned to a grassroots approach to reaching new, potential customers. Many of these don’t require much effort and can add new customers to your business.
Word of Mouth
Word of mouth is probably the best way to reach new customers, but how do you get the word out on the street? First, you have to provide excellent products and services. No one is going to tell their friends about an average product or average service. But if you provide a product that they love and can’t live without or a service that makes their life easier, then they will tell their friends.
Now that you have provided a great product or service, ask for referrals from your existing customers. You can even incentivize them with a discount or coupon for every referred customer they send to you. Every business needs to figure out for themselves what a good referral incentive would be for your customers.
Try the Sampler
An easy way to create grassroots consumer interest is to offer free products. Product giveaway events can be used to generate interest. As word spreads, more and more excitement is sparked for the next product giveaway event, especially when the event is promoted well. Keep in mind that product giveaways can become expensive for the small business owner, but it’s one of the easiest ways to get the word out about your product.
Takeaway
I’ll continue with more suggestions on how to begin grassroots marketing in part 2, which will be posted on February 15. If you need help with your business, Tommy House Studios is here for you. THS offers services in website design, social media management, SEO and more. We are dedicated to you, the customer, with a 100% Customer Satisfaction Guarantee. You can contact us to discuss your specific needs and to receive a free quote. Call us at 877-246-1315 or email at info@tommyhouse.com and let us help your business.