Innovative Marketing strategies and planning for Small Businesses

‘Innovation is the key to Success’ and it is rightly said so, irrespective of your organization’s size, continuous innovation keeps you ahead in the ever so dynamic field and most importantly relevant in your area of operation. So we at Zivanta Analytics have come up with some out-of-the box ideas for you to implement….maybe all might not work but even if one fits the puzzle; Voila!!! Your work is done and you are steadfast on the road for success.

But before we start, we should know that there’s no magic pill for all problems, a proper calculated and well-thought-of planning is imperative to ensure businesses’ prosperity and long term sustenance, because marketing is a channel which builds a bridge between your customer base and your core business values.

(P.C.- Unsplash, @slidebean)

Before proceeding further, it’s important to keep in mind certain points before deciphering your marketing strategy, for instance;

• Your target demographic base
• Their geographical location
• Where do they hangout online and what exactly they search for
• What influences their decision prior to buying your product or availing your services

Until and unless, there isn’t a viable and a definite answer to these questions, creating any market strategy won’t be fruitful or let’s say it sounds like ‘building castles in the air’, doesn’t it. Without further ado, here are some strategies which can be fruitful for you, if you are a small business owner or have a start-up and want your voice to reach out to the people out there:

1. Advertising on Facebook – With nearly Two millionsmall business owners using Facebook for their advertising campaigns, it shows that the popularity of Facebook as a medium to attract customer interest is huge and at the same time, it’s cost effective and attractive. The main reason behind resounding success for the use of advertising and marketing is because of their precise consumer targeting and profiling based on your product or service segmentation, thus reinforcing the fact that data analytics play a huge role in consumer targeting and we at Zivanta Analytics can help you achieve that by profiling your niche audience and saving your time, efforts and money.

 The ease of using Facebook Ad Manager makes it a no-brainer winner, but if your business is more oriented towards visual appeal, then Instagram can be a better platform for you to reach out.

2. Google Adwords- By mentioning Google, it is sufficient to assume the out-reach offered by this portal; with a mind boggling figure of approximately 40,000 queries being Googled every second on Google, the way Google reaches out is incomparable. Google Ad words are not only competitive but also expensive, but if you know the way to reach out to your audience and use the right keywords and have a planned SEO strategy in place, Google Adwords can undoubtedly help you deliver relevant search results to the users. Google has a feature of assigning a relevant quality score to your ad, dependent on CTR (Click Through Rate), ad relevance and the landing page your ad sends traffic to. The best part about Google Adwords is that it is symbiotic in nature and can be paired accordingly with other marketing channels, to rationalize cost and enhance your reach.
3. Organic Social Media – Use of Social media for interaction these days has become a non-negotiable aspect in our lives, therefore, a visible presence on Social Media of your business has to be there, and if you aren’t actively engaging on such platforms, then undoubtedly, you are giving away your share of business to your competitors!! The point of contention here is that how much actively you are using the platform and are employing suitable resources in terms of money and efforts to channelize maximum viewer attention and capture virtual audience.

The key point here is to identify whether you need to invest in such modes of interaction, for instance, using Instagram as a channel of communication is of high priority if you are in a business related to media, fashion, culinary skills, or are a social media influencer, etc. For instance during Covid many people inculcated new skills be it regarding bakery or crochet designing and opened up their business pages on Instagram and Facebook and in a short span of time have managed to amass huge popularity.

4. Webinars- Due to the pandemic forcing people to work from home, so has the need of interaction on a virtual basis increased manifold and webinar is one such medium where virtual meets/ seminars happen on a regular basis. They can be in the form of presentation, discussion and/or demonstration.

 Webinars are commonly used as lead magnets for email based marketing and choosing the right topic can attract a large batch of new subscribers to your list. As well as webinars help in building credibility amongst your audience. Webinars are more interesting and engaging than simple videos, even if they are used in exactly the same way. Just giving the feel that it is all happening in real time, i.e. the actual start time and live Q&A makes people feel like they are getting more value than watching a pre-recorded video with the exact same information.

5. Write a column as a guest writer – Possessing decent writing skills with a dose of creativity can do wonders for your business. Writing columns on different virtual platforms and even in print-media can help build great audience for your business, the best part about it is that it is cost-effective, many a times you won’t be paid and as well as you won’t be needed to pay, either. Column writing gives you an opportunity to regularly interact with an audience, creating an actual relationship with the respective publication’s readers. That develops a psychology of the audience who then believe you to be experts of your field, thereby creating authenticity and building long-term trust.
6. Being part of a local business group – Being part of local business groups offer a great opportunity to share ideas with other people having various talents and interests, share and find referrals, find talent, and identify new opportunities as well as, open new vistas of growth for you. They also act as a major propeller in expanding your professional circle around your area. Though there are a lot of general entrepreneur groups, some might also be your area specific groups and they might have regular meet-ups in your area. If seriously worked upon, then these connections tend to increase manifold, and if your group networks actively and seriously, then you can seemingly translate minor connections into significant ones. Though these groups have a presence online but meeting face-to-face still carries a lot of weight and impact, and gives relationships, the much needed personal trust.
7. E-mail Marketing- E-mail marketing still forms the touchstone of digital marketing and carries immense importance, even though various new channels have been developed. Though, it is but natural, that all the traffic that land son your website won’t convert into direct leads, but by capturing information, i.e. ‘lead nurturing’, you can use the captured data for future use and tap into the valuable target audience database which you have collected over a long time. Email marketing to attract customers, begins with a “lead magnet”. There has to be something so unique and compelling offered on your website, which shall prompt visitors to share their email address. Many ideas are there to accomplish this, for instance, giving access to a free digital download, access to a webinar, free site membership, a discount coupon, etc.

Platforms like Hubspot, offer various tools and services to promote your business and that too at no or minimal cost. These tools help you in efficiently reaching out to your target audience, as well as engage with them.

  The benefits of E-mail based marketing are many, for instance,

• Massive outreach
• Low or no cost of operation, in terms of finances involved
• Offers immediate and direct communication
• Ease of operation
• Ease of tracking and running campaigns

 These are just some of the suggestions to get you started on with your online marketing strategies; your success depends on how creatively you are able to mould your campaign and are able to profile your customers. Not all of the strategies mentioned might work for you but even if one does work out for you, then we at Zivanta Analytics shall feel happy to be a virtual part of your success…here’s wishing you all the best!!!