Why You Need to Rethink and Challenge Your Ideas of the Right Kind of Marketing
This article will make you rethink your preconceived notions about what kind of advertising will work for your type of business. Using solutions from Business Circle, we’re sharing ideas on how switching up your marketing can bring in more sales and customers. More specifically, we’ll talk about online marketing strategies that can bring customers to your physical store and offline marketing that can be used by online businesses.
Impactful Social Media Promotional Images
Businesses that have a physical location should not focus exclusively on offline marketing. Online marketing techniques can also bring customers in the door – especially social media, which is effective and inexpensive.
This solution from Chelle Neff explains how you can use free and inexpensive tools to create better promotional signage on your social media channel. Chelle is the owner of a salon and she runs a new promotion each month, such as buy one get one free specials and “enter to win” promotions. In her biz solution, she details how she uses her smart phone and photo editing software to create professional designs that include the monthly promotion and branding elements. This promo signage can then be used across multiple social media platforms, creating buzz and driving customers to visit her salon offline.
Mobile Coupons to Trigger Repeat Business
Another online marketing technique that can drive people to your offline business is mobile coupons, which are growing in popularity and making paper coupons seem old-fashioned.
This solution from Brittany D details how her local market, which focuses on healthy food and other products, used two different mobile coupon platforms to bring in new customers. In the solution, Brittany talks about using both the Groupon Works app and the Yowza app to create mobile promotions for customers. In particular, Yowza was able to target nearby customers by sending coupons to their mobile phones. This proximity-based mobile coupon program helped bring customers through the door – even those who weren’t planning on stopping until they got the coupon.
Direct Mail Postcards for Online Businesses
Now let’s flip the situation and look at online businesses. If you fall into this category, you probably think offline marketing strategies don’t apply to you. This Business Circle solution may have you rethinking that.
The solution from Ami Albernaz describes how businesses can design their own direct-mail postcards to use for promotional purposes. While you can always hire a direct-mail marketing company or a graphic designer, her solution details how you can use Vistaprint to create your promotional postcards on a small business budget.
It is unclear whether Ami’s business is online or offline, but this technique can and has been used by online businesses. I recently made an online purchase at a small pet shop (based several states away), and two weeks later I was surprised to find a postcard from them in my mailbox with a handwritten note. This kind of personal gesture greatly increases the probability that I will shop there in the future – and it can work for your online business as well.
[Tweet “New #business solutions from @ATTSmallBiz will make you rethink how you’re #marketing your #smb.”]These business solutions show that when you challenge your ideas about the ‘appropriate’ form of advertising for your business, you can achieve great results. Try implementing these innovative ideas in your own business, and for more business and marketing solutions, visit the Business Circle website.
Smart Hustle Magazine shares this content in partnership with AT&T Business Solutions. Smart Hustle Magazine is compensated for their time, but the opinions expressed in the article are those of the author and not AT&T. For more great small business information, visit AT&T Business Circle Solutions site at https://bizcircle.att.com/circle-solutions/
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