| Before the Internet came along and changed | | | | Let's face it, growing a business is easy if |
| human behavior forever, small business | | | | you know how, but giving your business a |
| marketing was pretty straightforward. An | | | | unique identity amidst all the competition in |
| entrepreneur had merely to focus his or her | | | | your market is tough. Here's where branding |
| efforts on offline marketing strategies to | | | | can lend a helping hand, personifying your |
| maximize returns. | | | | business by leveraging on brand awareness to |
| | | | build stronger relationships with your |
| With the introduction of the Internet, | | | | customers. |
| however, entrepreneurs have now been | | | | |
| presented with a piece of technology that has | | | | Ideally, your brand should influence every |
| already begun to revolutionize the way | | | | aspect of your business operation because the |
| businesses market and sell their products and | | | | successful brands of today will be those |
| services. It has become the quintessential | | | | capable of producing customer-centric |
| medium for entrepreneurs to gain better | | | | business models consistently. |
| competitive advantage and stronger economic | | | | |
| footing in their marketplace. | | | | 4. Targeted Traffic |
| | | | |
| As exciting as the Internet is for | | | | Getting traffic to your business is obviously |
| entrepreneurs, however, it inevitably poses a | | | | a must for survival. No business can survive |
| new set of challenges for small businesses, | | | | without traffic, whether it be online or |
| specifically in marketing. So, if you're a | | | | offline. But the key to outsmarting your |
| tad bit confused about creating your | | | | competitors is attracting targeted traffic, |
| marketing strategy to fit today's global | | | | which pose a much higher chance of converting |
| marketplace, then here are 7 small business | | | | to paying customers. |
| marketing strategies that you and every other | | | | |
| entrepreneur should know about: | | | | Attracting targeted online traffic is a much |
| | | | faster and more cost-effective way of growing |
| 1. Start A Blog | | | | a small business and can be achieved by |
| | | | utilizing strategies such as search engine |
| You know a marketing strategy is working | | | | optimization, buying traffic (using PPC, CPA, |
| extremely well if Microsoft is using it. The | | | | or banners), recommending affiliate programs |
| revolution of the Internet made websites | | | | and syndicating content. |
| mandatory for any business seeking an online | | | | |
| presence, but the evolution of the Internet | | | | 5. PR |
| has made it mandatory for entrepreneurs to | | | | |
| start blogging. There's a lot that should be | | | | Want to spark a buying frenzy for your |
| said about blogging, but in a nutshell, it is | | | | products or services in a flash? Then, |
| a distributed media that entrepreneurs create | | | | nothing comes quite as close as landing a |
| and relinquish control to their audience | | | | press coverage about your business or about |
| (prospects and customers) to establish a | | | | your success as an entrepreneur. Yes, |
| long-lasting customer relationship. | | | | advertising in papers or magazines has its |
| | | | perks, but consumers know that these can be |
| Blogs are probably the quickest way to create | | | | biased. Gaining publicity via a news |
| awareness and draw attention to your | | | | release, on the other hand, lends huge |
| business, building trust with your prospects | | | | credibility to your business and should only |
| and removing perceived risk by tearing down | | | | serve to boost your sales for the long term. |
| communication barriers. It puts a human face | | | | |
| to your business, illuminating an element of | | | | 6. Writing Articles |
| business transparency your customers can | | | | |
| easily identify with. | | | | The Internet has made it extremely easy for |
| | | | anyone to establish themselves as an author |
| 2. Network Online And Offline | | | | and information publisher. Take advantage of |
| | | | this by writing articles promoting your |
| Networking is seldom referred to as a | | | | business. Why? Because as an entrepreneur, |
| marketing strategy and those who undervalue | | | | writing articles makes you an authority in |
| its potential to grow a business couldn't be | | | | the eyes of your customers, a marketing |
| more wrong. The proof of this is in the | | | | strategy often used by CEOs of Fortune 500s |
| popularity of social networking sites like | | | | to garner a following of pre-sold prospects |
| and So popular are these digital networking | | | | for easy sales. |
| sites in today's Web 2.0 era that there is | | | | |
| practically a site created around every | | | | 7. Public Speaking |
| interest imaginable. | | | | |
| | | | Probably the hardest strategy for the |
| Networking sites like and are specifically | | | | publicity shy, but speaking to promote your |
| centered on like-minded small-business | | | | business is a critical marketing strategy. |
| entrepreneurs like you and are perfect | | | | Communication experts list speaking and |
| platforms for seeking out new business | | | | writing as the two most important skills to |
| opportunities and partnerships. | | | | develop as an entrepreneur due to the instant |
| | | | recognition that these skills contribute to |
| Let's not forget the traditional methods of | | | | your business. |
| networking as well, such as attending | | | | |
| seminars and business events which, although | | | | Small businesses experiencing a growth spurt |
| outshone by the current frenzy of online | | | | on the Internet can be attributed to one |
| social networks, still play a huge role in | | | | common factor: a successful marriage of both |
| carving out big chunks of business | | | | online and offline marketing strategies. So |
| opportunities. | | | | put these 7 marketing strategies into |
| | | | practice and watch your business takeoff from |
| 3. Branding | | | | a whole new level. |
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