11/May/2017
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Around the world, side business sector represents a significant part for economic growth. However, if you are one of those students who are lack in capital, then give a try to the content marketing to support your business growth. In this article ill share with you several strategies that every student should consider as a part of effective marketing plan.
Master social media management;
If hand over social media management to someone on your team isn’t an option, become yourself master in content creator. There are many online courses available on Udemy that offers you the lecture on this topic just by charging $10 per. With this small amount you will be able to learn the fundamentals of digital marketing and social media and how to optimize your social media content. Empower yourself to respond quickly to customer questions on important social channels like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
If your side businesses is selling something nationally, or internationally, then you should use the Sprout Social for scheduling applications, competitive reports and more.
Take advantage of news jacking and trending hashtags;
Starting from scratch with new social media accounts means a slow in terms of audience. Don’t be discouraged if it takes time and a lot of effort to gain followers for your small/ side business, but focus your efforts first locally, to build brand awareness in your target audience.
For immediate response you can also use the hashtags and other businesses to promote your products in your community and local associations.
Stimulate user-generated content;
Small/ side businesses that advertise on social media platforms gain more traction by encouraging customers and users to create their own content. Just as product or service reviews help small businesses, so does user-generated content when shared online.
Invest in visual-content marketing;
You don’t have to be a graphic designer or professional video editor to create valuable multimedia visual content to share in your social feed. Finding the time may be a challenge for small business owners, but there are many free or low-cost smartphone apps that make it easy to create social-friendly creative posts.
Use an online-review service;
Gaining favorable customer reviews should be part of a small business marketing plan. Consider that any brand has an uphill battle to convince and convert potential customers. And favorable communication coming from the small business itself naturally has a biased opinion. The beautiful thing about customer reviews is that they hold a lot of merit with new customers, who trust the purchase or service experience of other consumers over the brand's own promises.
Some industry leaders in online reviews, like Trustpilot, are out of budget for small businesses, despite the fact that they offer a high-traffic and easy-to-use online review format. Other review providers, such as Google My Business and TestFreaks, are more budget friendly, and the ratings and comments they enable customers to leave can be embedded for the business’s website.
Proud of your service track record? Showcase it on social media and on your website as an important credibility piece, to help establish a positive online reputation. Don’t forget to design an effortless way for customers to leave your business a review, by designating a funnel on your website; and remember to respond to comments (negative and positive) in a service-focused manner.
Overall, don’t be afraid to show the personal side of your small business to your customers, on social media. Staff recognition, birthdays and charitable giving or events are all valuable from a public relations standpoint.