Sales Promotions For The Small Business

Sales promotions are meant to encourage the customer to spend their money on your product or service. They bring awareness to the brand. Before you market your business you must determine your target market. Small businesses do not usually have big business budgets for promotions so they sometimes have to be creative with budget friendly marketing ideas.There are more inexpensive and sometimes free promotional ideas than you may think. Some of these are referrals, brochures, social media, blogs, creative logos, and simply remembering that you are your business.

Referrals

Referrals are a huge way to build your business. Do not assume that you will automatically get word of mouth from clients. Ask for it. Maybe ask for them to hand out your business cards.

Brochures

Brochures can help you get some attention for your product or service even with today's technology. You can use this brochure to refer back to your social media advertising or your website for more information. Brochures must be organized, concise, and stand out to get attention.

Social Media

Social media is a great way you can get free advertising. The balance.com makes a very good point that free advertising is as good as money in the bank. They say that if you want some free publicity you need an angle that makes a story (Ward). Things like how the business impacts the community and grand openings can do this. If you have a blog, social media can bring attention to it. 

Blogging

Blogging can be a very effective and even fun way to bring interest to your business. Sherri Lonon on thebalance.com notes that blogs can bring more traffic for your website and that it can improve a site's search rankings. Blogger and WordPress offer free blog hosting domains.

Creative Logos

Having creative logos is a branding strategy that can make your business stand out from the rest. Karen Saunders on thebalance.com states that it is the first key element to branding. She also notes that you give your company name a lot of  attention so you need to match it with a strong graphic design that is not cluttered (Saunders). She also says that a good tag line should accompany your logo and communicate what you want your customers to remember about you (Saunders).

Remember You Are Your Business!

Business writer Susan Ward stresses that you are your business (It Pays to PAK Your Small Business Image). She says too often we forget this and she says that promotion can be all in how you present yourself. We should work for a positive first impression. PAK stands for Pleasant, attractive, and knowledgeable. Ward says these keys will help you build your credibility.

Sources Cited

Lonon, Sherri, How to Create a Blog, www.thebalance.com, 27 Oct. 2016

Saunders, Karen, Creating a Great Business Logo and Tag Line, www.thebalance.com, 27 Oct 2016

Ward, Susan, How To Get Free Publicity For Your Business, www.thebalance.com, 9 Sept. 2016

Ward, Susan, It Pays to PAK Your Small Business Image, www.thebalance.com, 15 Feb. 2017

Can Small Business Have Competitive Advantages

Can Small Business Have Competitive Advantages

Is there any competitive advantages in being a small business or home-based business? A competitive advantage is defined as the advantage that a company or business has over the competition to get more sales and customers. There are several benefits that a small business may have over a large business or corporation. There is a personal touch to a small business that a larger one just does not have. The contact your business has with customers is more personal, easier, and more accessible. Most small business are not going to have a long list of keypad options you have to go through before you can speak with an actual person. When you communicate with the business you are speaking with the owner or employee and not just a call service. Small businesses may offer less services or products than a larger one but those options can be more specialized, offering the image of quality over quantity. Small business can make their choices much easier and faster. If a small business owner decides that they need to implement something that is going to benefit their business, they do not have to have the same agreements and permissions as larger businesses or corporations do. Being a small business is a competitive advantage.