Small Business Marketing Strategy Quick Start Guide
On this page, you’ll find links to some of our most popular and informative articles about creating your marketing strategy from our Small Business Marketing Blog. For tactical marketing advice, check out our pages on small business web design and internet marketing, small business bloging, and small business search engine optimization. You may also find our Free Small Business Marketing Plan Guide and our free marketing podcasts helpful.
Small Business Marketing Overview
These articles provide a basic overview of what small business marketing is and the general mindset you need to market effectively.
- What is Marketing?
- 6 Reasons Why People Hate Marketing
- 4 Reasons Why Marketing Isn’t Common Sense
- The Importance of a Marketing Plan
- How To Write a Marketing Plan
- Corporate Identity, Brands, And Branding Defined
1 – Strategic Planning
Start planning your strategic marketing campaign by setting goals for what you want your marketing to accomplish. Goals give you benchmarks for how to measure your marketing’s success.
- Why Setting Goals Will Help You Grow Your Business More Quickly
- The Primary Way Goals are Different From Wishes
- On the Road to Success, Sometimes Quitting Is OK
- How to Set SMART Goals
- 3 Ways To Commit to Achieving Your Goals
2 – Choose a Target Market
Choosing a target market is fundamental to your marketing success. Marketing is primarily about psychology. To be most effective, you must decide who are the right people to market to, what their major concerns, motivations and frustrations are, and how best to reach them.
- How To Conduct Market Research
- 3 Reasons To Choose a Target Market
- How To Choose A Profitable Target Market
- How to Specialize for a Niche Market
- 5 Key Factors for Choosing a Niche Market
- 3 Key Benefits of Being a Specialist
- Attract More Clients by Understanding Why Prospects Buy
- How To Only Work with Ideal Clients
3 – Differentiate Your Services
The single best way to market your services is to clearly explain why your services are uniquely qualified to help your clients and why they should choose you over all the other options out there.
- 4 Steps to Creating Your Unique Selling Proposition
- Does Your Differentiating Factor Meet These 3 Requirements?
- How to Get More Clients with a Unique Selling Proposition
- Why Clever Slogans Aren’t the Secret to More Sales
- Creating A Personal Brand – 5 Questions to Ask
4 – Marketing Your Services
Once you’ve chosen your marketing niche and created your unique selling proposition, it’s time to promote your services. These articles provide a big picture overview of how to market your services effectively and affordably.
- How To Break Through The Marketing Clutter and Reach Prospects Cost-Effectively
- What You Can Learn About Marketing From The Obama 2008 Presidential Campaign
- Are You Marketing the Benefits of Your Service?
- The #1 Mistake Most Small Businesses Make with Their Marketing
- The 3 Most Effective Ways to Market Your Business
5 – Designing Effective Advertising
Spread the word about your services through advertising.
- Why Fortune 500 Advertising Doesn’t Work For Service-Based Companies
- How to Decide What Advertising Strategies to Use
- Direct Marketing Vs. Branding – Which Marketing Strategy To Use?
- How To Create A Compelling Offer and Call To Action
- Measuring ROI with Direct Response
- 7 Low Cost Local Small Business Advertising Methods
- Beware of False Advertising – An Ad or Blog Legal Checklist
6 – Selling Your Services
A good marketing strategy eliminates much of the selling process. However, if you are selling a high-end item, you will probably need to talk to your prospect face-to-face or by phone to close the deal
- Cold Calling Tips – Warm Up Leads To Avoid Rejection
- Sales Prospecting Tips – How To Handle a Non-Communicative Prospect
7 – Delivering Excellent Client Service
To generate repeat business and referrals, you must provide excellent client service.
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