Imagup General Magazine 2024
Small businesses live in constant distress with big dreams and, often, tiny marketing budgets. It’s like a perfect storm scenario on a daily basis. Yes, there are a lot of upsides, and they are motivated by a lot of perks, like being your own boss, doing what you’re passionate about, financial independence, freedom to create exceptional customer service or a unique product. But, the downsides are also very impressive, some might even say frightening. New York Enterprise Report published a survey that showed small business owners working twice as much when compared to regular workers. And Gallup’s small business survey found that almost 40% of the SB owners worked well over 60 hours a week.
Though a lot of things that are affecting small businesses are impossible to control, like the economy, market fluctuation, employee turnover, tax laws or pandemics, there is still a lot within our reach. So, let’s look at our tools and tips for a better small business marketing campaign with a moderate budget.
ONE: Use video content
There are countless benefits of incorporating video content into small business marketing. Video continues to be one of the most popular, not to mention, effective tools we have today. There is no marketing in 2024 without professional video content, it’s no secret that video has become a staple for all of us.
According to HubSpot, 72% of customers prefer learning about products and services in a video. Video content is extremely memorable: 95% of people remember a video brand message, and only 10% will recall a written post or an ad (Insivia). Competition-wise, more than 80% of businesses prioritize video in their marketing, so if you’re not one of them, you’re already losing.
TWO: Use Vimeo. Create app to produce professional SM videos
An awesome new app for small business was revealed just last month by Vimeo Video platform. Unprofessional, low-quality video content can really hurt any business, big or small. The main reason for producing videos is to attract and engage customers, get your message across, and ultimately earn money.
Following the logic, a poorly made video content will lose money for your business. Vimeo.Create is available across the web, iOS, and Android mobile apps. It’s a fast, user-friendly and intuitive solution for every small business owner who wants to grow their business with video content. For those with limited budgets for video production, this can be a perfect app.
THREE: Use Admixer video ad server for precise targeting
We’ve already established that video advertising is one of the most effective marketing tools. Thus, finding a professional ad server is especially essential if you are a startup or small business. Admixer is awesome for a few key reasons. First and foremost, they are an innovation first company, so you can expect an intelligent approach to every option they offer. But mainly, small businesses can’t really afford to annoy and aggravate any clients with unwanted ads. Admixer’s precise targeting based on the widest possible range of options will help to keep customer satisfaction on point .
Their ad serving can include or exclude any geolocation, they’ll comply with all of the URL rules to deliver rich media ad campaigns and will run your video ad campaigns on desktop or mobile. Definitely check out their video ad server page, read about their video ad formats, and the unbelievable real-time campaign statistics and analytics they have. You can visit admixer.com website or give their customer service a call for more information.
FOUR: Employ chatbots
Social media marketing is one of the most efficient and cost-effective tools we have today for small businesses. For growing businesses, it’s hard to be everywhere at one time, and AI-powered SM chatbots might just be the answer. Consumers love chatbots for many reasons – they get an instant response 24/7, they quickly resolve complaints and give consistent answers. Meanwhile, businesses can improve customer satisfaction with good customer service, save costs, boost sales, attract new customers and be present on all of the messaging platforms at once. Another noteworthy perk: chatbots can meticulously and scrupulously collect customer insights, systemize and analyze them to then improve products or services. Moreover, advanced chatbots are designed to track purchasing patterns and consumer behaviors. This data then helps to decide if there’s a need for a different marketing approach or to determine if redevelopment and re-launch are in order.
FIVE: Use MailChimp
Email marketing is one of the best marketing tools for any business, let alone for those with limited resources. And the statistics are quite staggering: email marketing tech is used by more than 80% of B2B and B2C companies. Last year we saw 3.9 billion email users worldwide and this number will grow to 4.3 billion in just three years according to Statista. So, half of the Earth’s population. Email marketing will definitely help you grow your business. Today more than 80% of SMBs still rely on email for attracting and engaging new customers. Lastly, for every dollar you spend on your email marketing, you can expect a whopping ROI of $42.
SIX: Use the Facebook messenger app
Facebook messenger app should be a priority to anyone who wants to keep on selling and profiting. Facebook messenger is one of the most important communication tools for businesses to stay in touch with their customers around the world.
Have you looked at the stats? 20 billion messages are exchanged between different businesses and customers on FM every single month. Moreover, Facebook is constantly updating the messenger and adding new features and functions. Nowadays, Facebook Messenger for business is a great alternative way to engage customers, attract new ones, earn loyalty and improve social reach. Just last year, FB came out with a new Facebook Messenger initiative to help SMBs generate leads and improve appointment booking on FM.
SEVEN: Use UGC as much as possible
This one should be a small business favorite: effective customer engagement with $0 spent. User-generated content has long been helping brands to effectively market their products and services and 2024 will be no different. Shopify says that UGC ads have 4 times higher CTR and a 50% drop in CPC when compared to average ads.
Engagement-wise a standard social media post by any business will lose out to UGC every time: when users create and share content on social media, they get 28% higher engagement. 84% of millennial consumers have stated that user-generated content on businesses’ websites actually influences their shopping. Those websites have actually recorded a jaw-dropping 90% increase in time spent on their sites. Furthermore, 70% of consumers look at UGC reviews and customer product ratings before making a purchasing decision. Even when standing in a brick-and-mortar store next to trained consultants they’ll go online and read reviews.
