In a crowded and highly competitive marketplace, it is vitally important that small businesses can make themselves heard.
Consumers have a wider range of options than ever before when it comes to buying goods and services – if they do not wish to use a local provider, they can simply go online.
And while this can make it harder for firms to retain customers based in their local areas, it gives them the chance to cast a much wider net.
Small firms need to think about ways of marketing their activities to a wide audience, in a way that builds trust and encourages people to interact with their brand.
Realistically, they will not be able to compete with the likes of Tesco, John Lewis and Amazon – firms which have multi-million pound advertising budgets.
But entrepreneurs can use other tactics to establish a voice, such as positioning themselves as an industry thought leader.
Writing insightful, entertaining and informative blogs is one of the easiest, and cheapest, ways to do this.
They cost very little to create – other than a little time and effort – and are inexpensive to host.
Providing businesspeople can provide quality content and attract online viewers to the blog – using social media and forums can be a good way to get started – they can establish a nice little niche for themselves.
Web users will look forward to reading their latest musings on a topic relevant to the business, and soon enough, this may translate into new orders for the company and a healthier bottom line.
Posted by the Secret Businessman