Focused Online Marketing Ideas For Small Business

Archer

I'm not a believer in magic bullets when it comes to getting your business noticed online, or offline for that matter. Even if there was a magic bullet , it'd be a bit like the element of surprise; really good once, but what then?

But, if push comes to shove, and you really need one key idea to get you going, I would say:

When it comes to online marketing ideas for small business, be focused, be consistent and be persistent.

Are your marketing attempts like shooting arrows at the wind?

Most people approach their marketing like shooting arrows at the wind. Just keep shooting, and eventually you'll hit something, right? Well hopefully it's something you want to hit! But, to hit a bullseye you have to focus. It takes practise and it takes time to learn to do it every time you line up the target. Narrow your target to one specific thing and go for it. Perfect that one little thing and then find a new target and focus. Perfect that, find a new target, and... repeat and rinse.

If you want to attract  a certain type of buyer to your business, start by defining them. Find out everything you can about them, their wants and needs, their problems and issues, and target your message directly at them.

Here's a cheeky little example:

Buyer: Plumbers
Problem: Plumber's cleavage

Well, I did say it was cheeky 😛

Now let's say you sell underwear. All types, all colours, all sizes. You have a lot of competitors. They also sell all types, colours and sizes. How do you compete?

If your marketing is all about underwear of all types, colours and sizes, it's like shooting arrows at the wind. You'll hit some, but you'll miss most by a mile! And you'll get lost in a storm of arrows that your competitors are also shooting at the wind.

But you're clever, a lateral thinker. Over time you've noticed that a number of your clients are plumbers with a unique problem - yep, plumber's cleavage. So being savvy, you've developed a line of underwear that solves this issue and at the same time provides a marketing opportunity for the plumber: underwear that covers up, stays up, and has a nice little advertising panel on the band for phone numbers, or websites, or whatever...

Now you take this one single focused idea and you market it to plumbers and plumbing supply companies. You write snappy little catch phrases, like "Don't let opportunity fall between the cracks while you're hard at work!", or "Advertise while you're advertising ;-)"

You optimise your website for phrases like: underwear for plumbers, advertising ideas for plumbers, etc... You write articles on how to cover your marketing while covering up, or how to solve the plumber's cleavage crisis... You promote this unique solution on social media, and in your newsletters, and so on...

Now you're standing out from the crowd. Now you're focused! Now when you loose an arrow, it will fly straight and true, and there's every chance you'll hit that plumber fair between the...

So, no magic bullet, and no shooting arrows at the wind. Just focused, clear, targeted messages that are consistent and persistent.

Happy hunting!

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