There are several stages in a small business’s lifecycle when they may require the services of a marketing agency or freelance professional. The first two most common reasons for outsourcing your small business marketing are:
- When a small business has grown and can no longer carry out the basic marketing services themselves.
- When a small business needs to take their marketing to the next level in order to scale.
Let’s dive into these reasons a little deeper and discuss what options are available.
When you can no longer rely on reputation alone
In its infancy, a small business often operate on reputation alone. Construction companies are a fine example of this. They start out by winning a few jobs off the back of another. Then they land larger contracts, which causes them to invest in more people, equipment etc.
Suddenly they have gone from a one or two person operation to a company with employees and a large wage bill each month. Not to mention the other costs that have increased for equipment, vans, storage facilities, tools. Before they know it, they have grown and there is this added pressure to keep those contracts coming in.
In order to win the projects, the business need to focus on providing a great service. However, you also want a steady flow of enquiries to keep your business going. Its at this point, reputation remains key, yet extra marketing support is required to generate leads. It now time to seek out a marketing agency or freelance professional.
Small Business Marketing Helps You Grow
While there are formulas every small business can follow to keep their brand alive, the focus of any professional marketing strategy will always be:
- Your goals and what you want to achieve
- How to you reach your target customer
- How to turn those target customers into sales
Any small business marketing is trying to appeal to the target customer’s likes, wants, needs and preferences. These are all unique, so you need a clear marketing strategy that will focus your marketing efforts in the right direction.
What is a Small Business Marketing Strategy?
You’re small business marketing strategy is your very own instruction manual for growing your business. It needs careful thought, background research and a methodology that will target your core customer. A typical marketing strategy will include:
- Brand messages – clear and brief descriptions of your business, its USPs and why customer will benefit
- Target customer details – who they are and a brief profile
- Your services – an overview of what you offer
- Competition – who are your rivals and why are you different
- The methods for reaching your target audience to market your business. Some examples include:
- Social media – choose the right platform for your target audience. You can research this using various metrics supplied by the platforms, such as ages, gender, demographic and interests.
- Website showcasing your business to generate leads, or an ecommerce website where customers can instantly purchase a product or service.
- Search engines. Use paid advertising or organic SEO to put your business in front of your customers at the most opportune moment; when they are search for your business activity or a similar.
- Direct mail– target your existing or lost customers with email updates of new products and services, or send them news and offers in the post depending on their GDPR preferences.
- Events and networking where you meet your target customer face to face.
- Print advertising – billboards, signage, leaflets, posters etc.
- Broadcast media – advertise your business on the TV, radio or stream online.
- Public relations – share news of your business with the regional or national news agents or popular entertainment platforms.
- Influencers engagement can promote your business.
- How you will measure your success. Examples include revenue, ROI, engagement with audience using analytics and other insight/measuring tools.
What a marketing agency or freelance professional will do for a small business?
Small businesses use marketing agencies and freelance professionals in different ways. It will depend on your goals and your available marketing spend.
Here are three ways a small business can ask for marketing support from an agency or freelancer:
1. Request a marketing review and strategy
You may have someone who is already carrying out marketing activities in house, but you just need a push in the right direction. An agency or freelancer can provide a detailed review and strategy to help your inhouse team/employee reach your desired goals.
2. Request ongoing marketing support
An agency or freelancer can usually offer some level of ongoing marketing support to help you reach your goals. Through regular communication, they will act as extension to your team and follow marketing plan that comprises activities, such as social media posts, blogs and email campaigns, that align with your strategy.
Ongoing marketing support is usually charged on a retainer basis and is budgeted to meet your affordability. Not every agency is suited to small businesses, so it’s best to do some research in advance.
3. Request adhoc support
As a small business marketing agency, we have clients that simply want a one off marketing project so they can generate leads or promote their business. The adhoc projects might include:
- Artwork for a leaflet, poster, exhibition stand, brochure or business cards
- Press release to announce some news
- Case study for their website
- Email campaign to existing customers
- Video or animation for social media or POS
- Website
- Social media revamp and post templates
- PowerPoint for a new business pitch
- Copywriting
There are many adhoc projects that a marketing agency can offer, you just need to ask the question.
Why Choose Little B Marketing?
At Little B Marketing we are the same as you – a small business taking those steps to growth. We understand how precious your time is and how you seek value for your investment. That’s why we focus on delivering genuine support.
To find out more say hello to Little B Marketing