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A Streamlined B2B Advertising Strategy for Small Business

The average entrepreneur is knowledgeable about their specific services and products that they offer for sale. They are usually out of their area of expertise when it comes to promoting their businesses. This article limits using the many types of advertising media and focusing on the three most productive.

The first step in creating an effective marketing strategy is building a company website. This site should describe your company’s location, the product line, and the benefits offered to the client. If you’re not skilled with websites you can hire a consulting firm to set up your site.

When the website is operational the next step is to establish a presence on social media. Social media is a vehicle to create awareness of your brand, and bring prospects to your website. Once a prospect views your site and learns about your company and its offerings you have a potential customer.

The internet offers a plethora of social media platforms, but be selective, and concentrate on just a few. For the B2B marketplace, I recommend the following three promotional tactics LinkedIn, Twitter, and Direct-Mail.

1. LinkedIn < https://business.linkedin.com/grow >

LinkedIn is without a doubt the best platform for small businesses to connect with other businesses both large and small. This provider offers you the ability to direct your message to the targeted geographic location, industry, and demographic.

2.Twitter < https://business.twitter.com/en/advertising.html >

Once you develop a following on LinkedIn you can create a list on Twitter and develop relationships with prospective customers. Twitter allows you to make frequent short announcements about new promotions and updates to your brand.

3. Direct Mail < https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/15776-direct-mail-marketing-guide-for-small-businesses.html >

Similar to Twitter this medium also gives the sender the ability to communicate directly with customers and prospects, but direct mail allows the sender to transmit more detailed promotional material. This would include eye-catching color graphics, special offers, and more product information.

This article is a brief outline of a lean strategy that most small businesses can pursue. For more details click on the website links in this article.

Website Creation by ACCULARIS < https://www.accularis.com >

The following post was copied from The Hartford’s website, Business Owners Playbook.  

https://www.thehartford.com/business-insurance/strategy/building-website/10-reasons-need-website.   

Do You Really Need a Website?

The answer is yes. There aren’t many businesses that can survive without a Web presence and there’s no reason not to have a website. Your company’s website can be a highly effective marketing tool that can be very cost-efficient. There are quite a few benefits and very little downsides.

Ten Things Your Website Can Do (for Starters)

There are many things you can do with your website, here are 10  good starting points:

1. Create a presence. Who knows about your business? Where can prospects and clients go to learn more? Your website can help establish your business as a going concern, communicate your brand value proposition and it can convey professionalism. It also extends your reach to anyone in the world.
2. Help build trust. New clients and prospects might want to know about your business history, your expertise, and your specialization. This is a great vehicle for people to learn more and attain that comfort level they seek.
3. Get listed on search engines. Build your website incorporating search engine optimization (SEO) techniques so that you can easily be found by people searching for relevant keywords. This can be an important gateway to expanding your business.
4. Point of contact. Your website provides customers an easy way to contact you and learn more about your products, services, and business.
5. Leverage social networks. Implement a social media strategy to reach a larger audience and to create more buzz about your biz. Establish your presence on Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Facebook likes and shares can drive people to your website. Links to popular or topical items from or to your website will add to its relevance.
6. Sell products. If your business lends itself to online sales, create a virtual store as an alternative or complement to a storefront or office location.
7. Share the latest news. Whenever there are new developments regarding your business, update your website. Sites that have fresh, relevant, and timely information draw users back more often.
8. Blog. Keep your website fresh and keep drawing people in with regular Blog posts. Show your expertise, share insights and provide practical tips on topics relevant to your business  or to your customers
9. Learn about customers. Learn about their needs, preferences, and interests. Establish and nurture two-way communication with prospects and clients. This will forge a deeper bond and serve them better.
10. Customer convenience. Providing customers with multiple ways to interact with your business is almost mandatory these days. Anything less could result in lost sales.

Common Concerns and Questions About Small Business Websites

It’s natural to have questions and concerns about setting up a website. Cost is a common one. Beyond an up-front fee to design the website, the ongoing costs can be minimal. And considering the long-term benefits, a website will provide, the cost to design a good website should be well worth it.

Other concerns often relate to a business not being web-oriented or that it wouldn’t sell goods online. The answer to these concerns is that a business website can provide so many more benefits. Establishing trust, strengthening your brand, forging better customer relations, and informing a wider group of people about your business’s capabilities are all key benefits.

Another common concern is that you don’t have much content to add for frequent updates or you don’t have time to blog. The short answer is that you don’t need to. Sure, more activity and frequently refreshed content can generate more interest, but any Web presence is probably better than none. Once you have a basic website, you can always add to it, as your business and resources grow.