Our Tried & Proven 5 Steps to Unbeatable Advertising for Small Businesses including Web Designers
We took time out to rethink our marketing strategy going forward, and have been mapping it all out with our coach. So this is day #1 of us serving your needs. Based on the questions you ask us on our social media channels. The first is; What are the Unbeatable Advertising Steps for a Small Business? This question was asked by a fellow Web designer and client, just starting out. We loved that he is focused on the right things for a business: Marketing and Promotion. So let’s dive right in, but before we do, we also promised to share our Online Marketing Cheatsheet.
What I love about this Cheatsheet is that it lays out all the tried and tested links to the resources we have used and still use to build our business online. Most of them are 100% Free. It is Free for you to download as well and implement immediately to build the success you desire. These tools have helped us to create the success you see from Juleskalpauli.com since 2016 to what you see today as Kalungi Group.
And now to the 5 unbeatable marketing steps…
1. Unbeatable Advertising – Negotiate
Ever noticed that some people seem to always get the best deals? On the other hand, you seem to always pay full price. And you thought you did OK until they show up with the same thing, only they paid several hundred dollars less.
I don’t know about you, but that really gets my goat! Even though I know that mindset isn’t the best to get what they got.
So, how do they do it?
They’re not afraid to ask for an extra discount! Simple huh!!!
Yes, it is that simple. I have learned to ask this question:
“Is that your best price for this product/service? What needs to happen for us to get to £XYZ price?” (XYZ being my preferred price)
You would be surprised how many people/brands are willing to work with you to succeed. People want you to succeed. Yes, they do.
I remember back in 2016 when my coach was selling a blogging SEO product at $500 for a limited time. Somehow, I missed the window of the sale and the price had doubled when I next checked. I sent him an email explaining my circumstances and that I was willing to pay the $500 if he allowed me to, despite the now doubled price.
Well, blimey he agreed, sent me a special link, and I got to access one of the best SEO courses that helped catapult our blog from mediocre to one of the ranked sites in the Online Marketing space.
Imagine if I had chickened out of asking!
So, don’t sell yourself short because you didn’t ASK the next time your advertising/marketing your services/product. Even if you’re already getting a discount, ask for a bigger one. Even the bible says:
You have not…because you ask not.
2. Simple Marketing Hacks – Trim
Bigger is always better…or is it? When it comes to advertising, don’t be surprised if some of your short ads meet with more success than larger more expansive, and more costly ads. Trimming down on the size and cost of advertising doesn’t mean you’ll be trimming the results!
Homework: go check out your keyword on Google and focus on the Ads at the top of your page and the side panel! See what I mean?
In this case; less is definitely more.
3. Do You Exploit WoM and Freebies?
I know that in the digital space, knowledge has become super cheap. Anything and everything you want is at your fingertips if you simply search and scroll!
Thus, what’s the difference between advertising and publicity? …who’s doing the talking.
Yeah, when you sell yourself, it’s advertising.
When someone else is selling you Word of Mouth – WoM, it’s publicity…This generates credibility and interest that you don’t want to miss out on, ever.
Like someone once said, if I say I am great 1000 times it may not be as effective as, if 1000 people say I am great. THAT is the best advertising that we all want.
Think about the different ways you can get your business in the spotlight. Do you have some news… Write a press release.
Write some “how to” articles with a short byline at the end and release them to ezines, magazines, newspapers, and other publishers.
How about you promote the product of a complimentary product – a non-competitor in return for them promoting yours…think of the totally different market they have access to!
More so, if you give each other an affiliate link, so you both get some leads/moolah from any sales too. 2 birds, 1 stone. * (No birds were harmed in the writing of this article) 😉
Yep, there are a lot of ways out there to get free advertisement that will benefit your business. Of course, you cannot rely solely on freebies and Word of Mouth, because they are also usually not scalable! That said hey, you can get a little extra for nothing!
4. Pssst – Improve Your Offer
I mean; is your deal too good to pass up?
If yes, then tweak your marketing strategy. Talk more about your clients, and customers’ experience, as Dr. Kyeyune of Mwoyo experience would advise you to do. People truly do buy what other people are buying.
Are you sharing your products in the right circles? Then, remember, your deal is as good as the results it generates…So something is missing…
If you agree with the above, then you need to improve your offer.
By the way, I’m not talking about cutting prices even more… You’ve still got to make a profit, right? You can make the deal sweeter just by increasing your audience’s knowledge of the value of the product/service or adding bonuses that are perceived as valuable but cost you little.
Perception Is Everything in business and Marketing.
Therefore, motivate your potential buyers with expirations, Fear of Missing Out – FOMO.
Yeah, in the digital space and offline too; an open-ended always available offer encourages procrastination…which leads …yep, nowhere.
When a customer knows she has until Saturday to purchase an item she’ll pay more for on Sunday, she’ll make it a priority to buy way before the deadline.
Plus, advertising doesn’t have to wipe out your bank account to be effective. I normally invest £50/week on my Promoted Pins and get massive views and clickthrough rates.
When you learn to negotiate, know when smaller ads are as effective as large ads, ask for discounts, and create an irresistible offer, you’re on your way to skyrocketing profit margins!
Bonus Tip
Obviously, we are in the middle of a digital revolution, so your online presence or lack of it may be the reason your marketing isn’t producing the best results. I always recommend that you, get a Website Built for you by professionals.
Thereafter, do what most website owners miss out on. Make sure you get your new website digitally launched. What I mean is: get some Local SEO done so that it has a higher chance of reaching your local inbound market, before you tackle the global space.
And then ensure you keep a small budget to top up that SEO even once a year. It will do wonders for your sales both locally and beyond.
Julie Syl Kalungi
I am a Business Transformational Strategist. An International Best Selling Author of Six+ books, including The Art of Pinterest Profits and The Winning Planner. Each week, I send out a free newsletter with my best tips on Social media and Digital Marketing, Personal Branding, and a Winning or Leadership mindset to help your business or enterprise succeed.
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