40 Marketing Ideas For Your Business
Hopefully your marketing game is already going strong, but we all know that getting your business out there is a never-ending process.
I, for one, put a lot more emphasis on web-based marketing and could probably benefit from some of the ideas that involve local or face-to-face marketing.
In case you need some fresh ideas, here are 40 marketing tips and suggestions that you can implement in your business:
Basics and old school marketing
1. Conduct a competitor analysis to layout your position in your market
2. Narrow your niche + create a customer avatar
3. Cold email potential clients
4. Develop a referral program and share it with past clients
5. Create a strategic website that works for you 24/7
6. Ask for testimonials then share them on your website + social media accounts
7. Send past clients thoughtful gifts
8. Leave flyers about your products and services at local coffee shops
Community + collaboration
9. Host (or co-host) a webinar
10. Guest post on an influential blog
11. Cross-promote with a biz bestie
12. Make sure you’re seen! Comment on other’s blog posts, Instagram feeds + Facebook group questions
13. Find a non-competitor with similar clients and team up on a collaboration
14. Ask a leader in your industry if they’ll refer their waitlist to you
15. Find discussion threads on something relevant to your business then use your expertise to solve a problem and show your value
16. Host a workshop or in-person event
Social media marketing
17. Focus on 1-2 social media platforms and develop a solid strategy for them
18. Create a business page for on Facebook
19. List your business as your workplace on your personal Facebook page
20. Join Facebook groups and answer questions (people will see your business page when they click your profile to find out more about you)
21. Promote other people’s content on Twitter
22. Look for questions directed at your industry on Twitter (via keyword search)
23. Edit your Pinterest boards so they’re specific to your niche
24. Create Pinterest infographics related to your services, products and email opt-ins, then link to relevant pages on your website (you’re not limited to only pinning your blog posts!)
Content marketing
25. Create blog posts of lists or how-to’s specific to your niche
26. Create a “101” guide for newbies in your industry
27. Offer free content upgrades + resources
28. Send out weekly emails
29. Film a quick video explaining your services or frequently asked questions
30. Give a behind the scenes peek of your process
31. Show or talk about a work in progress
32. Think about your visuals - use them in a way that makes your content more digestible and easily absorbed (break up paragraphs, create an infographic, use icons or photos, etc)
Promotional marketing
33. Use the content you create and make versions of it that can be shared across all platforms you’re on (blog, email list, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, etc)
34. Host a challenge
35. Create bundled versions of your products + services
36. Hold a flash sale or pay-what-you-can for a product or service
37. Make sure you have promotional materials (i.e., business cards) on you at all times
38. Host a giveaway
39. Give out exclusive offers to your email list or people who share your content
40. Create a hashtag that people can use for a chance to have their photo or content shared by you
Final thoughts:
I think the important thing to remember with marketing is that you'll always make progress with your efforts if you're thinking about your audience and figuring out how you can help, educate or inspire them. How will someone become better, wiser or more confident versions of him or herself because of what you've created? That's the secret sauce!
I'd love to here any tactics that have worked especially well for your business! Let me know in the comments or hit me up @melanieannelea
