Marketing can be one of the most powerful things you can do for your small business, but it isn’t always easy to get right. This is particularly true if you are start-up that is just finding your feet.

Not all of us are natural salespeople, and so, knowing how to promote your small business may not come easily to you. With this in mind, I have put together some of the biggest tips and tricks that every start-up business needs to know when it comes to marketing.

Showcase what benefits your small business can offer

The main aim of marketing is that you are highlighting to your potential customers what makes you different to those other companies out there offering the same service as you.

There are a number of ways that you can do this, the most popular are; how you are priced, the quality you can provide and how your service excels over others. That way, people will know why they should be coming to you and not someone else.

Know your customer

Understanding exactly what your customer wants, and what is most likely to appeal to them is key. Especially when it comes to marketing. If you don’t take the time to know your customer, then you simply cannot tailor your marketing efforts to them.

This not only could mean that you won’t see the interest that you are hoping for, but that you could even waste money by spending out to market yourself. The last thing you will want when you are just starting out. Take a look at my blog on five ways to pin down your target audience for more tips!

Create a pre-emptive buzz

The majority of businesses don’t start to promote themselves until their product or service is ready to go. This could be one of the biggest mistakes that they make. You should always try to create a buzz around what you are getting ready to offer. That way, as soon as you “go live” you will already have a good level of interest in your product or service.

Be creative

Back in the day marketing had a pretty much off the shelf approach. Nowadays, the world of marketing has changed dramatically, and small businesses can think outside of the box, rather than firmly within it.

Don’t be afraid to be creative, try different things out to see if they work. You might surprise yourself by what you can do, just by allowing some great ideas to flow.

Take Deloittes, they ran a campaign that sent a series of rubber ducks to their target companies over a period of a couple of weeks. There was no branding or indication of what they were for… until the end when they revealed themselves and the slogan of getting your ducks in a row! It created a buzz and there was an air of intrigued around the campaign.

Build loyalty

Every successful small business has loyal customers. They may not return every day, but they do come back on a regular basis to buy your product or use your service. Make sure that you find a great way to reward your returning customers, and build yourself a database of those who use you time and time again.

So, if you are a brand new business, maybe you should pay attention to these tips for marketing yourself? Try them out, see what you can create and you may find that your start-up becomes something much bigger!