Marketing for small business – Avoid these mistakes

Most marketing for small business is a complete disaster. It simply doesn't make any money and if you're a small business owner then you know you can't afford to lose money. Which is why many small businesses fail... they don't achieve the marketing results they need.

That's why small business owners have to become marketing experts if they want their business to succeed. Marketing is the most critical activity of a business because it brings clients in the front door and ensures they're kept as loyal clients for as long as possible. The one thing you can't afford to put off until tomorrow is marketing.

What's different about marketing for small business

If you look at large companies and their marketing you'll notice they focus largely on brand marketing. This means trying to get their name in front of you and make you remember it. This is why they enjoy creating cutesy ads that get your attention... but forget to ask you to buy anything.

Luckily for them they have large budgets that can be thrown out the window and because of their size they still manage to survive... usually. But small businesses aren't the same. If your business doesn't have effective marketing no one will buy from you and you'll go out of business quicker than you can say "brand awareness."

What's the solution?

All your marketing must be effective. This means for every dollar you spend on marketing you get more back in sales. It's not a difficult formula but can revolutionise the results of your business.

But deciding to have effective marketing is only the first step... then you have to actually do it. It's easy to put an ad in the paper but it's not as easy to have it bring you sales. There are a few tricks to follow though.

Small business marketing keys

Your marketing must:

1. Get attention
2. Explain the benefits
3. Make an irresistible offer
4. Include proof
5. Guarantee your result
6. Provide a deadline

By following these 6 components of selling - as I call them - your marketing will make a significant increase in effectiveness. This means your marketing will make money.

One last thing - stop being a small business

Calling yourself a small business is limiting your business' growth right from the start. If you want to be successful you need to think like a big business from day one. This means having a vision for what your business will look like when it's finished.

By having an ultimate vision for your business you're 100 times more likely to reach your dreams. And if you resign yourself to being a small business owner you'll never have a successful business... it's as simple as that.

I've been involved in many start-up businesses over the years... but never any small ones. Evenif it was only me working part time I never considered my business small. I was just a start-up on the way to becoming the big business in my head.

What you do next

Apply the 6 components of selling to your marketing and start measuring your results. To have them explained in more depth grab your free copy of the Guide to Great Marketing.