3 Tips for Small Business Marketing During a Recession
There are hundreds of tips for small business marketing out there. So, what exactly are you going to learn here that’s new?
As a female-owned small business, we have scoured the internet for tips on expanding our business. As we (and probably you) have learned, it’s allllll about marketing.
But with forecasts predicting that 2023 will be a challenging year for all of us, you need to know how you can recession-proof your business.
Welcome to your Official Guide to Marketing Your Business in a Recession!
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5 Tips for Small Business Marketing During a Recession
The Census Bureau’s Business Formation Statistics reported that 5.4 million applications were filed to form new businesses in 2021 — the most of any year on record.
And while the past few years has inspired people to create their own wealth, there’s one small question that is always at the forefront of every small business owner’s mind:
Will my business survive?
Here are 3 steps you can take to make sure your business lasts through a recession and beyond.
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1. Be Smart with Social Media
We all know you should at least try social media to market your business. The problem is that most business owners don’t know where to start— so they get it wrong.
It’s easy to get lost in the sea of social networks out there. But here’s the thing: you need to know who you’re selling to and where your competitors are before you decide which social media platforms to spend time on.
It wouldn’t make sense to start marketing your Virtual Assistant business on TikTok. The demographic is too young to be able to afford your high-ticket services.
However, you’ve probably seen that there are plenty of VAs marketing themselves on Instagram. And while that may make it seem like a saturated market, that’s where the buying power is.
Be smart and start with one central social media platform. Then repurpose the rest of your content to quickly expand your digital footprint.
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2. Have Avenues That Bring You Passive Traffic
Social media is time-consuming. You might not have the bandwidth to spend a lot of time there. At least long-term.
That’s why you need a way to bring passive traffic to your website.
SEO (search engine optimization) is the best way to do this. It’s one thing to write enticing copy for your products, services, or course—b ut people, will only find it if you tell them about it on social media. Right?
Wrong!
By adding keywords related to your services or products, Google can start to recommend them. A landing page or product on Google’s Front page can generate passive traffic and sales for years. Something social media content can’t do.
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3. Build a Community
Everyone’s focus on tips for small business marketing is how to get more followers.
The problem is that followers don’t equate to success. If you don’t have an engaged community, all those hours creating content will be for nothing.
Instead of focusing on vanity metrics, focus on building an engaged community. You can do this in 3 ways:
- Engage online: Don’t wait for people to engage with your content. Try the $1.80 engagement method.
- Local networking: This is a terrific way to get word-of-mouth going. And when someone in your network sends a customer or client your way, remember to thank them with a virtual gift.
- Gifting: Giving gifts to your clients or employees is a great way to build a community. Our virtual party boxes allow you to deliver curated gift boxes all over the country. We can even hand-select gifts for you (most of which come from other small business owners)!
In short, if you want to recession-proof your business, you need people to know and remember your brand. Be active online, don’t depend on social media, and build a community through meaningful interactions.