If you are still holding onto traditional marketing techniques to promote your small business, it may be time for a new approach. Business mentor Mohamed Majapa shares 5 useful tips to promote your business and get the traction you need to turn leads into sales.Promoting your small business must be a conscious exercise done intentionally and with a clear plan of action and outcomes. For small businesses especially, this exercise does not need to be expensive but it must be done as part of a clear routine and within appropriate channel.

BUDGETED EXERCISE

Set a budget, however small, to be used in all promotional activities and material. This has two main advantages; firstly, it subconsciously creates a mental drive to consider a promotional activity as a proper operational activity carrying its own cost and providing its own return. Secondly, it highlights the time commitment expected whether or not such activities are done internally or externally (outsourced).

CONSTANT AND CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION

Make sure all aspects of your branding, from logo to social medial channels, are all utilizing correct contact details with accurate brand identity materials across the board. From emailing to physical meeting, to online media, make sure business details are clearly highlighted. Also ensure whenever you communicate, through business or personal medium, you attach a promotional material identifying your business or its offerings.

CONTENT DISTRIBUTION

Depending on the nature of your business, place promotional material at mediums that can be seen by your target market to enhance brand visibility. This could be vehicle branding, personal, business, close colleagues or otherwise, supermarkets and malls or other accessible platforms with high potential to magnify your brand visibility.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Provided that you have a clear plan and time commitment, social media can be a good, inexpensive medium to promote your business. Content can be designed and produced easily, and distribution managed in a routine consistent with your action plan. Social media is also a great platform to interact with your potential customers and as such, act as a great customer acquision tool.

ARTICLES, NEWSLETTERS AND BLOGS

Written content tends to be ideal when shared and published on high traffic sites. Blogs, articles and newsletters can be written in advance and shared in a specific routine (weekly or monthly). This is a chance to share experiences and product knowledge with the market and must be distributed on platforms that have good potential to improve your reach. These are also good when shared to your existing customer database to strengthen retention.Free sample and promotional gifts can also go a long way in attracting brand awareness and buzz by allowing your target market to access your product or service for free and use the opportunity to build a track record or marketing traction.Give these tips a try and let us know which marketing tools worked for you. Email [email protected]