5 Essential Small Business Marketing Tips To Compete With Larger Companies

Running your small business is a lot like signing up for a series of challenges that just keep coming. For example, there is the perennial need for recruiting and hiring. Then, there are the joys of finances and worrying about whether scaling is a feasible option.

Then, there is all that competition from larger, better-funded companies. That one can make things seem nigh impossible, but don’t lose hope just yet. While you can’t match the spending of larger companies, there are some tactics you can deploy to level the field a little.

Keep reading for five small business marketing tips that will let you compete with your larger competition.

1. Customer Service

When you hear people complain about big companies, what’s the big thing that they’re unhappy about? It’s the lousy customer service. As a small business, you’re in an ideal position to market your outstanding customer service and deliver that service.

You aren’t beholden to a corporate playbook or a script. You can make decisions and come up with solutions that will leave your customers thrilled. That turns into priceless, positive word of mouth.

2. Social Media

If you’re not on social media, you’re missing a golden opportunity. Social media lets you play up your strengths, like personality or a great brand story. You can post a video about why you got into the business in the first place or what inspires you.

Most importantly, you don’t come off looking like a corporate mouthpiece.

3. Differentiation

One of the core bits of small business marketing advice is that you must differentiate. You must tell customers what they’ll get from you that they can’t get from anyone else.

Maybe, it’s your Grandma’s secret pasta sauce recipe. Maybe, you specialize in a very particular area of expertise. If you can’t identify that thing immediately, you must figure it out in a hurry.

4. Blog

Blogs don’t work for every single small business, but they work for most. It’s a direct line from your business to your customers. Just remember that you must offer them something relevant, useful, or valuable.

Don’t just flog your latest sale or product.

5. Get Some Help

Just because you run a small business, it doesn’t mean you must do everything yourself. That way lies burnout. Look for marketing companies that cater to small businesses, such as Collaborate. Companies like that will better understand your needs and help you devise effective strategies.

Leveraging Small Business Marketing Tips

The small business marketing tips above do fall somewhat into the category of your mileage may vary. For example, if you already blog twice a week, you probably won’t get much more value by blogging three times a week.

In the case of things like social media and customer service, it can take a little while for those things to kick in. It takes time for word to get around or for people to start following you. Keep in mind, marketing is a long game.