There are few businesses on Earth who have no competition at all. In fact, many small businesses are actually competing with huge corporations that have massive marketing budgets. That doesn’t mean the small business is destined to fail – in fact, there are marketing techniques which can help them find great success. This article details what you need to know to beat the competition.
The first step is learning all you can. You need to educate yourself about how to use reputation management to your advantage. That means understanding all of the platforms available, from Facebook to blogging to banner ads, and how they are best used. This article is just a start, so continue reading blogs, checking out podcasts and even following the social media accounts of other markets to keep on top of what the best strategies are.
Next, brand your business. It is hugely important that people know that your brand is connected with whatever you are selling. When people hear the name of your business, they have to understand what it means. Every page you have online, from LinkedIn to your website to your social media accounts must look and feel the same. The same goes for your reputation management campaigns – use the same color scheme, logo and general content style to link them all together in the minds of your viewers.
Focus on who you are and what you do. Your customers will choose you over the big corporations because you are a small business run by people who actually care. You need to not be faceless, you have to present yourself to your customers and leads. Show them a photo of yourself, tell them about what you stand for and explain exactly why choosing you over the competition is the best bet for their needs.
If you want people to choose you, you have to offer what your competition does not. Be unique and exceptional in all aspects of your business. For example, personalized service with follow-up customer care is something big companies often don’t offer. Service with a smile is something all customers want, and you have the ability to offer it. If you have to, get down to the smallest detail that shows exactly how you are better than the rest. Let the world know that you have better services and/or products and your customer base should begin to swell.
Watching your statistics is the best way to figure out which reputation management campaigns are keepers and which should be buried. Using Google Analytics, you can easily see how many people followed your call to action. Install it on your website and use it within your reputation management campaigns for maximum results tracking. The more you know about past campaigns, the better off you are when it comes to building new ones.
You can beat the big boys when it comes to marketing online. You just have to find your niche and get the word out. Not only will you gain new customers, you might even steal some from the competition!