5 Small Business Marketing Ideas to Increase Your Client Base

You’ve been in the industry for a few years and built up a decent-sized client base. Now, it’s time to work on reaching even more people.

We’re talking about marketing, specifically digital marketing

As of mid-2019, about 90% of Americans used the internet on a consistent basis. That’s why it’s the perfect place to recruit new customers.

The problem?

It’s not as easy for small and medium businesses to generate as many leads as larger ones.

Because of that, a strong digital marketing strategy is key.

Now, we’re about to reveal some effective SMB marketing tactics. This guide will help you develop a strong marketing strategy and expand your customer base.

1. Optimizing Your Website for Search Engines

Just about every major business has a website.

A good website will give your leads all the information they need to learn about your company and hire you.

But there’s a problem:

Simply making a website for your business doesn’t guarantee that you’ll show up in search results.

That’s why search engine optimization (SEO) is key when it comes to small business marketing.

The Benefits of SEO

You’ve probably heard of SEO (search engine optimization). Yet, you might think it’s just a strategy that bloggers use when trying to get more site traffic.

That’s true, but there’s much more to it.

SEO can drive lots of traffic to your site, but it can also help you increase brand awareness, which is important for marketing.

When optimizing your site for search engines, one thing you should do is include relevant “keywords” on your site. These are phrases that your potential clients will type into Google when searching for information related to your industry.

In order to have your site show up in Google searches, you need to make sure that your website includes keywords related to your business. That way, Google will recognize what your site is about.

Then, you’ll have to get backlinks from other sites, so that Google knows your site is a reputable resource. If you can get other sites to link to yours, you’ll increase your chances of ranking high in Google searches.

The higher you rank, the more visible your site will be. Increased visibility can lead to more clicks, which can generate more customers.

Creating a Blog

You obviously want your clients to turn to your site for contact information. Yet, you also want them to catch a glimpse of what you do in your business.

So, you should use your website to show that you’re an expert in your field or industry.

That means it’s time to create a blog for your business’s website.

A blog is a great way to target certain SEO keywords. A blog also gives you the opportunity to show off your knowledge about your field.

The general population loves to learn. So, try to write blog posts that offer information relevant to the people who visit your site.

For example, a photographer might write posts like 7 Ways to Capture the Perfect Photo With Your iPhone or How to Find the Best Wedding Photographer.

Other SEO Practices

Think about other ways people in 2020 like to learn. (Hint: It’s not always reading long articles.)

We’re talking about video content and case studies.

Video content is a great way to teach the general public about your industry without forcing them to sit down and read a blog post. Most people would rather watch an informational webinar, especially if it’s interesting and easy to find on YouTube.

Plus, posting a transcript of your video with the keywords you’re targeting can be great for driving web traffic.

Case studies are more about sharing data that has an impact on your industry. People are driven by numbers and data, especially when it’s new or surprising.

The great thing about case studies is that they don’t have to be long and boring. Through the inclusion of infographics, you can present data in a fun, engaging format.

If your website visitors see your site as trustworthy and informative, they’re more likely to give your business a chance!

2. Building Your Social Media Presence

Content marketing is a great way to drive traffic toward your website. But, there’s another way to acquire customers online:

Social media marketing.

Roughly 80% of Americans have at least one social media profile. So, you need to create profiles for your company on every social media platform if you want to reach the widest possible audience.

That means Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more!

Advertising on Social Media

Facebook and Instagram Ads make it easy to market on social media. You can use these ads to earn followers, drive traffic to your website, and encourage potential clients to contact you.

Yet, what’s even better is that you can create targeted ads to reach a specific niche or demographic.

For example, you can set your ads to target people in a certain geographical area. Or, you can direct your ad towards people who follow certain accounts.

Of course, in order to use these features effectively, you’ll need to have a strong familiarity with your target market. That way, you can design your campaign to reach the people who are most likely to buy your product.

Related: How to Create a Customer Profile Template

Using Your Interactions as Marketing

You can’t just set up a social media profile and leave it dormant. Interacting with your audience is an important part of any social media marketing plan.

Make a point to respond to your followers’ comments. You might also want to follow people back and like and comment on their posts. Engaging with your audience can help to build trust and secure future clients.

Consistency is crucial, too. It’s a good idea to create a publication schedule for your social media posts.

That gives your leads and clients more content to interact with and ensures that your followers don’t forget about you. After all, in the age of endless distraction, it’s important to stay on peoples’ minds!

3. Establishing Your Business on LinkedIn

Some people use LinkedIn to network and look for job openings. And for a while, LinkedIn was the perfect way to share your resume and apply for jobs.

Nowadays, the site has broadened its horizons. Small businesses can now make their own profiles, which can do wonders for your marketing efforts.

How to Create an Effective LinkedIn Business Profile

Just having a LinkedIn profile isn’t going to be enough to attract clients. You need to put some thought into it.

You’ll want to include your company’s name, location, and a logo that people can associate with your business. But your company description is even more important.

If you use relevant keywords in it, just as you would on your website, this can boost your profile traffic. More visitors can lead to more customers!

Related: The Best Apps for Independent Contractors

Creating LinkedIn Content

LinkedIn is a great place to share videos, blog articles, and other content. If you create informative content that’s relative to people in your industry, you’ll attract new followers and scale your network.

So, take some time to write an article or two about topics that you know a lot about. Or, at the very least, share some useful posts that you’ve discovered online from other users.

Either way, you want your profile to be more than about making sales.

Your LinkedIn profile should be an informative place where clients and other professionals can learn about your industry. Plus, you can use LinkedIn to connect with other professionals who might benefit from your business.

For example, if you’re a photographer, you might want to connect with local real estate agents or even a local animal shelter. These types of partnerships can secure long-term business and repeat clients.

4. Advertising Locally Online

These days, many businesses operate strictly online. If you’re a freelance photo editor or a copywriter, for example, you might work with clients from all around the world.

However, some businesses still operate on a local level. If you’re a wedding photographer, for instance, you probably cater to people in a specific city or state.

If you run a local business, it’s important to advertise to the people in your area. And one of the best places to do that is on the internet.

Using Google My Business

When it comes to marketing, Google My Business is very useful. This is the Google feature that you unknowingly use when you search for something like photographers near me or photographers in Orlando, FL.

Your Google My Business profile appears when people in your city or neighborhood search for a business like yours in the area. It displays your company name, location, phone number, and website link. It may also include ratings and reviews from past customers.

For customers, this simplifies the process of finding a skilled professional. It also helps them to find a trustworthy professional with good ratings.

Better yet, everything is visible right then and there. That means your clients don’t have to scour your website looking for your email address or phone number.

Using Google Ads

The thing about SEO and getting your business to the top of the Google search results is that it takes a long time.

That’s especially the case if you have a lot of local competition.

The good news is that Google Ads will bring your company’s name and website front and center to those looking for your services.

Google allows you to choose keywords and a location that you want to target with your ads. When a customer in your area searches for your targeted words, your Google Ad will show up as a listing at the top of the search page.

Now, this ad is clearly labeled as an ad, and you’ll have to pay a fee whenever someone clicks on the ads. But this can still be a valuable marketing tool if you approach it the right way.

5. Starting an Email Campaign

As a business owner, you might find that a lot of your marketing tactics are “passive.”

You create advertisements and share posts online pretty regularly. But how often are you actively reaching out to your leads and clients to generate more business?

It might be time to start an email marketing campaign.

This is a great way to keep your clients in the know about what’s going on with your business.

How to Collect Email Addresses

An email marketing campaign doesn’t exist without recipients. So, the first thing you need to do is build an email list.

One way to do this is to offer gated content on your website. Gated content is anything that’s hidden from online visitors until they sign up with their contact information. It might be anything from an ebook to a white paper.

This is a subtle way to lock down email addresses while providing something in exchange.

It shows your clients that giving up their email address might just be worth it on your site. That’s especially the case if you’ve already proven yourself to be knowledgeable in your field.

Setting Up Your Email Campaign

Once you have an email list, you need to figure out what you want to send out.

Perhaps you want to start an email campaign just to get your name out there and to remind people that your business is still around.

Or, maybe you’d rather advertise deals or promotions for clients on your email list.

Either way, you want to share something that encourages your leads to do business with you.

Using a CRM to Optimize Your Email Marketing Campaign

Starting an email marketing campaign is easier than ever with CRM apps like Bloom.

This service stores all of your client contact information in one place. That means your entire email list is at your fingertips.

What you’ll find most useful is Bloom’s automated email function.

With the simple click of a button, you can send an email to your entire client base and lead pool. Or, you can create a campaign targeted toward clients with specific interests or needs.

What’s even better is that you can automate your marketing campaigns and schedule them far in advance. That way, you can spend your time on other things. Just schedule it and wait as the clients trickle in!

Try Bloom for free today!

Conclusion

All of the tactics above work well for SMB marketing plans. They can be useful when it comes to generating leads and interest in your business.

Then, it’s your job to turn those leads into clients.

As long as you’re able to take advantage of the right tools and maintain your client relationships, you’ll scale your business in no time!

Now that you’ve got more clients, get them to book more work!