Top 10 Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses in Nigeria
Having the best product/service is not a guarantee that you would make massive sales. Bold statement, right?
Well, wonder why we light a candle and put it on a candlestick, instead of under the bed? It is because no matter how bright that candlelight is; if it is not in a visible place, it would not lighten up the house.
And this also applies to your business. Having a great business idea is not enough, putting in strategies to make it visible through marketing is more important.
So, marketing is one of the core aspects of every business that mustn’t be taken lightly. And in this article, we discuss 10 marketing strategies that every small business owner can adopt to go from hustle to portfolio.
However, before then, let’s examine what marketing is.
What is Marketing?
Marketing refers to the activities involved in the promotion and selling of products/services. It is the process of getting potential buyers interested in your business, to make them buy your products/services. It is the key to getting the word out about your business to a specific audience.
Now, marketing is usually thought to be very expensive and time-consuming. However, there are low-cost marketing strategies you can apply to promote your business.
So, how do you effectively market your business while on a budget? Here are 10 marketing strategies that will work for every small business, without fail:
1. Social Media Marketing
The amount of time internet users spend on social media is now higher than ever — capped at 151 minutes per day — Sproutsocial
This shows how effective social media marketing can be for small business owners. And these days, most businesses use it to achieve wider coverage and reach millions of people online.
Now, to use social media as a marketing strategy, you need to research each social media platform, to see if your audience is there. Also, check the advantages of using each of them, the content that works on each platform, and how you can grow a business page or account on them.
In addition, you must create compelling content that would be used in attracting your target audience. And this should come from your content strategy. You can send a message to us at hello@triiftafrica.com if you need help with creating a content strategy for your business.
To add, don’t be shy about creating compelling video content that explains your product or service. Compelling in the sense that the videos not only inform but are relatable and also entertaining.
Now, it takes time and consistency to grow on social media. However, it can be achieved if time and effort are put into it. You can also use this guide to learn how to market your growing business online.
2. Promote your business at every opportunity you have
Small business owners have the opportunity to meet prospective customers on a daily basis, without doing much. So, for every conversation you have, meetings, workshops, or even conferences you attend, you must learn how to talk about your business.
Learn a 30 seconds pitch about your business, get complimentary cards, a branded shirt, etc. for your business. This will help put your business in front of people.
Consistently talking about your business ensures that you are the first person that comes to the mind of your customers, when in need of your service or product.
3. Blogging
Blogging is a way of sharing ideas and content in an organized way about a particular topic or niche.
To succeed with blogging, as a marketing strategy, you need to decide your focus topics and research them. Understand the topics, follow people who already write about these topics, and learn from them.
For example, if you are a baker, you can blog on topics like the best recipe for chocolate cake, 10 must-have tools for every baker, how to choose the best cake for your event, a step-by-step guide to baking a Red Velvet cake, etc.
For small businesses, this is a great way to show your expertise, get people to know your business, and earn their trust. And remember, people only buy from people they Know, Like, and Trust.
4. Use Buddy Marketing
Buddy marketing involves running a marketing campaign with a business or businesses that offer complimentary services as you do.
This means that two or more businesses put their resources together to market their products/services; helping them reach a wide audience of people. This marketing strategy is cost-effective and also a great way to make sales.
The idea of buddy marketing is to reach out to a business that has a customer base that will be interested in buying your product or service. For example, if you sell small chops, you can reach out to a business owner who sells mocktail drinks. Then collaborate with them to market both products to the target audience.
5. Email Marketing
Email marketing is another great means of marketing your small business, while on a low budget.
To do this, build an email list with the names and emails of prospective customers that are interested in your product and service. Then send targeted messages to them at intervals, to get them to buy.
To succeed with email marketing, ensure that you do not spam your contacts. Instead, focus on delivering relevant, unique, and valuable messages to their inbox. This will build loyalty, drive sales and cut other costs.
6. Personal Brand
Your personal brand as a business owner is another marketing strategy you can take advantage of. People relate more with individuals that they know; so, you need to leverage your personality to grow your business brand.
And this is why it is important to always show yourself as the face of your brand when marketing anywhere. Be it on social media, email, on your blog, etc.
So, what is your personal brand like? What does your personal social media page look like? What are you known for? What are the testimonies of the people that worked with you before? Your business will rely on these things to grow.
Most customers will not trust your small business because it is still growing. However, once they can connect you with the business, it is a game changer.
To succeed with this, get recommendations from past customers, display certifications to show what you are learning, etc. Just make sure you have something that shows your growth and builds your personal brand.
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7. Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing involves the use of celebrity endorsement and product placements from influencers. This strategy makes use of influencers on different social media platforms to endorse or make use of a product/service
And though it is not cost-effective, still, it is guaranteed to bring in sales and revenues for businesses.
So, for small businesses, you can make use of influencers who do not charge so much or those who would accept your products as payment. This strategy ensures your products and services reach a wide range of audiences and fosters brand trust.
8. Referrals
One of the best ways to avoid marketing altogether is by using referrals. A referred customer is 18% more loyal than a customer acquired by other means — Annex Cloud.
So, you need to create a system where your customers trust your products and services enough, to be willing to tell others about them. This system could be in the little things like how good your response time is, your integrity in dealing with your customers, your exceptional customer relation skills, or even the convenience your product or service affords your customers.
You can also run a referral program as part of your brand marketing strategy. This could be to give customers a discount or gift for referring someone to buy your products and service.
9. Use of Small Vehicles
Doreen makes and sells shawarma, hotdogs, and small chops. She originally sold it from her home but realized that moving around in a vehicle would give her wider reach.
So, she decided to make use of her vehicle as a stall for her business. This made it easier for Doreen to move about and also deliver to people who wanted her small chops at home or in the office.
Making use of your vehicle saves you the cost of getting a shop and also helps people know your brand better. In using this strategy, ensure you have a sticker or notice on your vehicle that shows the name of your business and what it is all about. This helps everyone recognize your business and get familiar with it.
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10. Traditional Marketing
The traditional form of marketing is any marketing that uses offline media to reach an audience. Examples of this include radio, billboards, television, and physical flyers.
Traditional marketing helps small businesses reach people who might not be on social media or who do not consistently use these platforms. And while most people think this strategy is outdated, many businesses still make sales from it.
Bottomline
Marketing your small business to reach a wide range of audience involves a lot of work. However, with consistency, you would get results.
In all, ensure to carry out great research on your customers, to be able to know the marketing strategies that would work well to convince them. Also, make sure you create a budget for your marketing efforts, however small it may be. As this would help you get results that would move your business forward.
Need help with marketing your business to boost sales and foster business growth? Then send a message to us at hello@triiftafrica.com or visit our website.
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