9 Marketing Ideas to Grow Your Business
In today’s competitive market, finding innovative ways to grow your business is essential. Here are nine marketing ideas that can help you reach new heights and connect with your audience more effectively.
Tell Your Story
What’s your passion? Why did you open your business in the first place? Sharing the story of how it all came together can be powerful. Even share some behind-the-scenes moments while you go about your daily tasks and activities that bring your business to life. I know not everyone is super comfortable in front of the camera. You don’t have to go on there and just start spitting out your entire story. You can add photos and videos of the things that are going on around you in your business. Another one of my favorite aspects of storytelling is actually getting to know you, the business owner, or the staff, the employees. Who brings it all together? Facts tell, stories sell.
Chatbots
Chatbots are really great. I see them on Facebook a lot, and they provide instant gratification. People want to be responded to quickly and acknowledged promptly. The inception of the chatbot began with consumer behavior; they want something there immediately to greet them. Instead of having a frequently asked questions section, a person on Facebook can message your business and get instant responses. For example, if you ask, “Hey, do you want to know our hours?” and they respond to an option button in the message, your hours pop up for them. If they ask for your phone number, it pops up. It makes it super easy for them to get that information quickly without having to actually contact you because you sleep, right? You can’t always respond to them, but they get that response immediately. Take a look at a chatbot example with Manychat and Zapier
E-commerce
This is really about your consumers. They like convenience and they want it now, maybe even on the go. Having your products available online, whether that’s music to download or bathing suits to buy, provides an option for them to shop online versus offline. GoDaddy offers a website builder and features to help you do this. There’s also WordPress with WooCommerce, which offers tons of flexibility and functionality.
Video Ads
You could shoot your own video ads. Consumers prefer video over photos. You don’t have to be a professional; you can use your smartphone. Most phone cameras are amazing for shooting video. There’s an app I use called InShot, but there are plenty of others where you can edit videos on your phone. You don’t have to be super techy; you can edit your own videos. Video is really powerful and will show up more than a photo or a normal status update.
Livestream
Livestreaming is becoming more and more popular. It’s a way to instantly connect to your audience, like live TV. Instagram has put a huge focus on live TV. I’m sure you’ve seen notifications that someone is going live. Even if I’m not a huge fan, I’ll tune in because there’s something exciting about live content. You can comment directly to that person, and they can invite other people to livestream with them, so you can really get a collaboration going. Many people use their Instagram Stories or posts to promote their Instagram Live. For example, if you’re a business owner and every Tuesday at 4:00 PM you’re going live to answer your customer’s questions, promote that on IG Story, Instagram, Twitter, and everywhere else. Your audience will know that at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, you’re going live to answer their questions directly and in real-time.
Perfecting Your Social Media
Your strategy and your posts need constant evaluation. Run an audit to see how your posts are performing. Don’t just get into the habit of posting three times a week and thinking you’re crushing it on social media. Check the insights, metrics, and analytics to see how your posts are performing. Are people commenting, liking, sharing, or retweeting? If it’s crickets out there, you need to rethink your social media strategy. To perfect it, start with that audit. If you have posts that do exceptionally well, figure out what made them successful and reproduce it. Move away from posts that aren’t performing well and focus on what’s working. It’s the same principle in business: do what’s working and get rid of what’s not.
YouTube Podcasts
YouTube is the second largest search engine. How can you get your podcast on there? Bring it to life by adding video, rather than just having it sit on iTunes. Combining the two is a great way to get in front of consumers.
Offer Educational Content
You’re already an expert in what you do, so spread the love and share the knowledge. There are many great ways to do that, including social media and online courses. Turn your expertise into content. Your customers, patients, or clients will truly value that, and you’ll build rapport. If you’re thinking you’re not expert enough to talk on camera or film, remember that you are an expert. You’re at least a few chapters ahead of someone just starting out, and they can absolutely use your knowledge. People want to be entertained, educated, and enlightened or inspired.
Personal Interactions
We’re seeing more and more of a push towards personal interactions. User-generated content is a perfect example of that. Businesses leverage photos taken by their customers or reviews on Yelp and Google, and they share that on their social media for a personal touch. If I go into your business and mention you, should you respond to me? Responding to comments gives a personal touch. If you have super loyal followers who love what you do or when new products come out, you can let them be the first to know by tagging them in your post.Â
You just learned a few great marketing trends, so get out there, try them out, and I hope they help your business grow. Learn more about building a business online with a digital success course and online blueprint.