27 Feb Marketing tips for small business by Joseph Ashford
Do you run a small business but are not where you want to be? Then read up on our marketing tips for small business article now. Joseph Ashford has years of experience in running and marketing businesses of all levels in different sectors. He has kindly provided his expertise to help businesses like yours achieve your goals and dreams today.
Super small business marketing tips
Joseph Ashford has many years of experience in running businesses and knows that marketing for small business is an essential requirement. Joseph Ashford has recognised that many businesses especially those on a smaller scale often neglect marketing as they are so concentrated on business. This is a short-sighted approach that will not increase revenue or business growth in the long-run.
To help businesses like yours, we sat down with Joe Ashford who has kindly offered to help businesses like yours create marketing strategies that help business. Keep reading for more information.
Creating the right impression
Much like human interaction, your business has to create the right impression. Consistency is key here, but you should not be afraid of having fun as Joe Ashford pointed out, “Too many companies focus on being professional which comes across boring and staid.” Of course, in certain industries, there must be a high level of professionalism, but for matters like social media, people respond to companies like Innocent Smoothies very well.
Joe Ashford knows that having the right voice in your marketing materials will also impact on how your business comes across. You can maintain a level of professionalism very easy, take a look at Shark Tank’s Twitter account. With so many different scenarios and businesses, it will be worthy of another blog post to cover this topic.
Be present on social media
Social media has revolutionised the world and has become a must-have tool whether it used for personal or business reasons. Joseph Ashford has recognised that some businesses are afraid to go on social media and be creative with it as they are afraid of putting a foot wrong. Let your business have a voice on social media and speak to your audience.
Joe Ashford recommends the following social media channels: 
It is important to realise that not all social media channels are created equal and not all will be right for your business. When you find the right social media channel for you, it will be an important aspect of your business that must be tended to on a regular basis. Customers will start interacting with your social media and expect a reply; interaction is key and will endear your business to clients which leads us onto our next point from Joe Ashford.
Communicate not only with your audience, but also with your current customer group
Marketing is all about communication says Joseph Ashford, and it is imperative that you communicate on all levels and all channels. Whether it is a MailChimp, new brochure, advert or even a post on social media – communication is vital. Simple communication isn’t enough as it has to be tailored to that individual customer or customer group.
Joe Ashford recommends that you analyse all communications so that you know who your current group of customers are so that you can keep them on board with tailored communications. If you wish to expand your business in the future, knowing the target group is vital.
To illustrate the above point, Joseph Ashford provided us with an example of a marketing campaign. The aim was to gather younger customers but retain the older audience that the business had built up over the years. The aim was achieved through a combination of tactics that included:
- Powerful graphics
- Lots of colours
- Direct language
- Videos
So how did this all work? Well, the combination of different media ensured that not one audience group was left out. Take a look at this link for further examples of marketing campaigns.
Networking
Ah networking, that old chestnut remarked Joe Ashford when we posed the question to him. Our discussion covered a lot of what networking is, was and can be today and for the future. The same principles of networking still go, but we know you are probably thinking “How does this relate to marketing for small business?”
As a small business, you do not have the reach or budget of big businesses, yet you should not falter in your mission to become a success. The saying of ‘It’s not what you know, it is who you know’ rings true in small business circles. By reaching out to people who are interested in your services and using your contacts, you have the chance to snowball your way to the top. A great tool Joseph Ashford recommends is LinkedIn, a serious network tool.
Final words
The meeting with our marketing guru Joseph Ashford had to end as he had a day full of small business marketing meetings. Before Joe ran off, we asked him for a few words to help end this article.
“Being a small business is hard-work and can seem like there is no reward for the work and efforts you put in. Do not despair and keep working and thinking smart. One of my favourite generals once said – If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.”