Marketing Strategy Tips for Small Business Owners

Marketing strategy doesn't need to be so confusing

There's so much mystery around marketing, but most of it really is just common sense. If you're a small business owner then budgets can be tight and so too can time. We've rounded up some tips that are easy to implement and in terms of the effort that you'll need to put in, yield big results. If you're looking for fail safe marketing advice then get your notepad and pen out because you'll want to remember this.

Reviews, Reviews, Reviews
Getting good reviews for your business is some of the best marketing that you can do. Think about it like handing a CV over to a prospective employer, versus having an excellent reference and a recommendation from somebody that they know. People trust other people more than they trust your business, especially if you're just starting out. So, if you've got happy customers then get them to shout about your product.

If you're struggling for customer reviews, or you've taken them as far as you think you can then the other way to do this is to get professionally reviewed. The online gaming sector relies heavily on getting good reviews in order to help one site stand out from the crowd. Customer reviews are always a good start, but sometimes getting listed on a professional review site is an even more effective method of getting noticed. For example, this list of the best UK casino sites from VegasSlotsOnline will not only direct customers to the top sites through clicks, the sites that are listed will also benefit from improved Search Engine Optimization. This is because they've appeared on a reputable site, that has information that directly relates to their own website. VegasSlotsOnline specifically mentions safety and security features, as well as the variety of games available and what deposit methods players can make. All of these terms will be useful in helping each site climb up the search rankings. So, if you're hoping to get the maximum you can from reviews, then a professional one with a website listing might be the way to go.

Search Engine Optimization
We know, the term is everywhere and almost anyone who didn't grow up as part of the internet generation shudders when they hear it. The truth is though, that SEO isn't as hard as you think. If you want to hire an expert then that's absolutely your prerogative and they ought to do a good job for you. However, if you're feeling up to the challenge then you might be surprised at just how much you can actually do yourself.

The great thing about how far search engines have come since their introduction is that the way that SEO works has become incredibly sophisticated. That is to say, search engine crawlers are now so adept at looking for quality websites that they work almost like people do. Technology is here to help good businesses to stand out. Whereas a decade ago, having a whole slew of keywords on your website in a huge heading font would gain you a few places, nowadays the opposite is true. Having good quality writing on your site, with relevant images (tagged of course), links to trustworthy sources, as well as links from trustworthy sources and unique content on each page, will get you a long way towards where you need to be. Don't forget to include relevant search terms in your headings as well, without making them spammy. Once you've got the hang of it and seen some results, you'll be amazed at how much people get paid for this and how much you can save by doing it yourself.

Join Forces With The Competition

Not only can you achieve more as a team, you'll be adding to your business network by collaborating

Sometimes there's truth in a saying and in the case of ‘if you can't beat them join them' there's a whole lot of it. Of course, differentiating yourself from the competition is important, but in some cases, there's more to be gained by working as a team than there is by battling against one another. If both of your businesses have the exact same unique selling point, occupy the same space (either physically or online) and are both gunning for the same target market, then you might struggle to make it work. However, if there are subtle differences between your brands, then there's every chance that a bit of team marketing might show you just how complimentary you could be to one another.

A good example would be when brands collaborate on photoshoots. It could be that a fashion designer, an accessories designer and a homeware designer bring all of their pieces together to create a stunning editorial shoot. Not only have they saved on the cost of a photographer, but they can also club together to have it printed in a magazine. Some industries will be able to do this more literally than others, but generally speaking, it's always possible to collaborate. Take some time to think about how this idea might work for your business and remember, you'll be doing some brilliant networking at the same time too.