In today’s competitive business landscape, marketing is not just a luxury reserved for the big players; it’s a vital tool for small businesses looking to thrive.

While many small business owners might consider marketing a non-essential expense, especially when budgets are tight, the truth is that effective marketing can be the lifeline that propels a small business from obscurity to success.

Here’s why marketing is vital for SMEs:

 

1) Building brand awareness

For a small business, making potential customers aware of your brand is the first step toward success. Marketing helps put your brand on the map, making sure customers think of you when they need the products or services you offer. Without marketing, even the best products can go unnoticed.

2) Engaging with customers

Marketing provides a platform for small businesses to communicate and engage with their customers. Whether it’s through social media, email newsletters, or content marketing, engaging with your audience helps build relationships, foster loyalty, and encourage repeat business.

 

3) Standing out from the competition

In a crowded market, making sure your brand stands out from competitors is essential. Marketing allows you to highlight what makes your business unique, showcasing your value proposition and why customers should choose you over others.

 

4) Driving sales

Ultimately, the goal of any business is to generate revenue, and marketing is a key driver of sales. By increasing brand awareness, engaging customers, and highlighting your unique selling points, marketing will directly influence your sales numbers.

 

5) Encouraging customer retention

Acquiring a new customer often means investing in new marketing and advertising campaigns, which in reality, can be much more expensive than retaining an existing customer.

By using effective marketing strategies like email marketing and loyalty programs, small businesses can keep their existing customers engaged and encourage repeat business.

6) Growing your business

Marketing is not just about selling products or services; it’s about telling your business’ story, sharing your values, and building your brand. As your business grows, consistent marketing helps maintain momentum, attract new customers, and explore new markets.

 

7) Cost-effective strategies

Thanks to digital marketing, small businesses now have access to cost-effective marketing tools that were once available only to companies with substantial marketing budgets.

Platforms like social media, email marketing, and content marketing offer powerful ways to reach your audience without breaking the bank.

 

8) Measurable results

With the rise of digital marketing, small businesses can now track how effective their marketing campaigns are in real-time.

Tools like Google Analytics and social media insights provide valuable data on how your marketing efforts are translating into actual business results, allowing for more informed decision-making.

9) Building credibility and trust

Consistent, high-quality marketing efforts help build your business’ credibility and trust. Customers are more likely to do business with a brand that presents itself professionally and communicates clearly and consistently.

If you need marketing support, our friendly team is always happy to help.

 

For a free virtual marketing ideas session with marketing experts, call us on 01962 600 147 or email info@tlc-business.co.uk

One of the best-kept-secrets to marketing success is understanding marketing psychology – how (and why) people think and act the way they do. So you can create engaging content that connects with your audience and leads to business success.

So we’ll let you into the secret, by revealing marketing psychology that works:

Top 9 Marketing Psychology Tips

1) Priming

Priming is all about brand association. If you repeatedly show consumers positive messages or images about your product or brand, it will influence how they perceive it.

For example, if a brand always talks about how healthy its snacks are, people might think of them as a healthy choice when they see them in the store. By priming consumers with positive associations, you can make your products seem more appealing and encourage sales.

2) Reciprocity

Another interesting one is reciprocity – people feel more inclined to do something for you, if you do something for them first.

This concept by psychologist Cialdini works well in hospitality, but can work in all industries. His research found that restaurants who served a mint with the bill received better tips. With one mint, the tip increased by 3.3% and with two mints it increased by a massive 20%.

A simple giveaway or offering free trial services, will encourage your customers to take up your offers and engage with your brand.

 

3) Decoy effect

A good example of the decoy effect is in pricing, upselling your customer by offering a middle option to make the higher priced deal seem more appealing.

For instance:

• Online subscription: £59
• Print subscription: £125
• Online and print subscription: £125

A recent study found that without the middle option most people chose the cheaper option, but with the middle option added most people upgraded to the higher-priced option, perceiving it as the best value for money.

 

4) Scarcity

Scarcity is another Cialdini concept – making people aware there’s only a few left, or only a few left at this price, creates a sense of urgency and people will quickly snap up your offers.

Essentially it’s a case of supply and demand – the more rare the opportunity, content or product is, the more valuable it is.

5) The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon

The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, also known as the frequency illusion, comes into effect when you hear about a product and then start seeing it everywhere you look.

It happens when you are struck by a new product, word or concept, then you subconsciously keep an eye out for it and are surprised by how often you see it, confirming in your own mind its popularity, making you want the product more. Regular attention-grabbing email campaigns, content and adverts can trigger this phenomenon and increase brand exposure.

 

6) Social proof

Social proof, often driven by the Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO), is a powerful psychological concept in marketing. When people see others they like or trust endorsing a brand, they are more likely to try it themselves.

Creating shareable content for socials, will help to increase your followers and make your brand more visible, leveraging the power of social proof to attract new customers.

 

7) Clustering

Most people can only remember seven pieces of information at a time (give or take two). People tend to cluster words together to help remember them, like mentally grouping similar shopping list items together.

Grouping your content together in similar topics, using bullet points to make your content easier to scan can help your customers remember it.

 

8) Loss aversion

Loss aversion can be a powerful marketing tool, as once people have access to something they really don’t want to lose it.

For instance, if you offer a usually paid for service as part of a free trial, or for a limited time, people won’t want to give it up and will usually upgrade to pay for the service, instead of missing out on it.

 

9) Neuromarketing

Neuromarketing has unveiled crucial insights into consumer behaviour using brain imaging techniques like fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) and EEG (electroencephalography). Studies reveal that emotional engagement significantly influences decision-making, with specific neural pathways lighting up in response to various marketing stimuli.

Connecting with your consumer, through your storytelling and by understanding and addressing their pain points, can help form strong emotional connections, a sense of belonging and brand loyalty.

Neuromarketing research also highlights how much of consumer decision-making is subconscious. It reveals how subtle cues, such as colour, typography, imagery and language, can influence consumers’ perceptions, preferences and purchase decisions without their conscious awareness.

It just goes to show the long-lasting power the right marketing can have.

 

For a free virtual marketing ideas session with marketing experts, call us on 01962 600 147 or email info@tlc-business.co.uk

Leap years only come round once every four years. So it’s a great chance to work it into your marketing strategy and capture your audience’s attention.

 

How to use leap years to your advantage

1) Novelty factor

Capitalise on the novelty of a leap year. You can build anticipation leading up to the leap day on 29th February, with countdown campaigns.

You could tease your followers that something exciting is coming and will be revealed on this year’s leap day. Visual elements like countdown clocks work really well to grab attention and engage your audience.

 

2) Promotional events

Host special events on the leap day. Whether it’s an in-store event, online webinar, or social media live stream.

Create an experience that customers will associate with the uniqueness of leap year and want to get involved with.

3) Create limited-time offers

Leap years are a great chance to create a sense of urgency by introducing limited-time offers, discounts or promotions that are only valid on this year’s leap day.

Encourage your audience to take advantage of these exclusive deals, as if they miss it, they won’t come around for another four years!

 

4) Introduce limited edition products or services

A great way to get attention is to introduce limited edition products or services exclusively for the leap year.

It could be an exciting twist on an existing product, a special menu item, or a one-time service package. Rare and exclusive offerings always go down well.

 

5) Get noticed on social media

Use the leap year theme to engage with your audience on social media. Encourage them to share how they plan to make the most of their extra day and create a branded hashtag for the leap year.

You can even run polls related to leap year activities and create shareable content that generates buzz around your brand. This can help generate user-generated content and increase your brand’s visibility.

6) Create leap year themed content 

Develop leap year themed content for your blog, website or newsletters. This could include articles, infographics or videos that leap out to you, again centering this around exclusive leap year deals, product launches and events will quickly get people’s interest.

 

7) Personalised email campaigns

Design creative and attention-grabbing email campaigns centred around the leap year theme.

Incorporate leap year visuals, and personalise your messages, so it is clear this is a unique opportunity they wouldn’t want to miss.

 

8) Involve your employees

Get your team involved in the leap year marketing excitement. Encourage employees to share their plans for the extra day on social media, and showcase behind-the-scenes glimpses of how your company is preparing for the leap year festivities to add a personal touch.

9) Collaborations

Explore collaborations with other businesses or influencers to amplify your marketing efforts. Joint campaigns can bring in a broader audience and create a buzz around your brand during the leap year.

Through clever marketing capitalising on this year’s leap year, you can build a sense of excitement and exclusivity that will set you apart from the competition.

 

For a free virtual marketing ideas session with marketing experts, call us on 01962 600 147 or email info@tlc-business.co.uk

We’re all about helping SMEs grow and one of the best ways to do that is by getting new leads.

Often, our customers know what they want to achieve, but find it tricky to know where to start. We’re always here to help, and to get you started we have put together 10 key ways to generate new leads and grow your business:

 

1) Purchase relevant data

Contacting the right people is vital. Purchasing relevant data is an ideal way to target relevant businesses, honing in on specific job titles that you think would be beneficial to talk to.

Use market research to understand your potential customers’ needs, preferences and behaviours. This information will help to guide your sales pitches and marketing efforts.

2) Create email campaigns

Sending prospecting emails is a great way to gauge interest and generate new business. Think about your timing and recipients carefully to get the most out of your efforts.

Sending personalised offers to your existing customers and newsletters with product updates works well and is highly effective for lead generation. Our expert team is always here to run successful email campaigns for you.

 

3) Cold calling

Although it can be daunting picking up the phone and contacting someone new, it can be a great way to get an instant response and establish genuine interest in your products and services.

 

4) Networking

Attending industry events is a great way to make connections within the industry. Consider entering awards and attending award ceremonies, to get industry recognition.

Networking is a powerful tool to connect with potential leads and partners that can refer business to you.

5) Good PR

It’s a good idea to write engaging and insightful articles for industry magazines and websites to get widely seen.

Share positive reviews, customer testimonials and case studies to establish yourselves as a reputable and trusted company worth doing business with.

 

6) Collaborate

Developing partnerships or collaborations with other companies is a great way to increase your reach and access their audience too.

Gaining backlinks will give your business a great boost. Each time another website links to yours in an article, it boosts your domain authority and improves the chance of people clicking through to your website.

 

7) Improve SEO

Working to improve your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), will mean your business will appear higher on web searches and reach more people.

Writing relevant blogs will show your brand authority and help with SEO. Adding internal links will also help crawlers to find relevant content and improve your search ranking.

8) Regular social media posts

Posting regularly on social media will increase your reach. Sponsored ads and boosted posts are a great way to get seen and gain followers. Plus, targeted ads will help you reach specific demographics, driving significant traffic to your website and landing pages.

It’s also a good idea to share links to your blogs and white papers on social media to establish your authority in the industry.

 

9) Keep up-to-date

Make sure your company information is up-to-date, simple things like keeping your Business profile on Google My Business updated will mean new customers can contact you easily and you don’t miss out on any potential business.

 

10) Offer referral schemes

One of the best ways to generate new business is through word of mouth. Encourage your current customers to refer new clients to you. Offer incentives for referrals that result in new business.

Once you’ve done the hard work getting new leads, don’t forget to follow them up quickly, so you don’t lose out on potential business. Our team is always here to help with your marketing needs.

 

For a free virtual marketing ideas session with marketing experts, call us on 01962 600 147 or email info@tlc-business.co.uk