Marketing a small business can be very challenging. Many small business owners and their employees have to dedicate all of their time to running the business, and there is little focus on bringing in new customers. Gaining new customers can often times be more difficult and more expensive than retaining current ones, so with a small budget (if any) and minimal resources to dedicate to marketing, you have to be creative in finding ways to get your business some exposure and bring in new customers.
Our suggestion: word of mouth marketing. With the help of local search and review sites like Yelp, Google My Business, and even social media websites, you can encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews that will influence potential customers. The vast majority of US households now use the internet when shopping locally for products and services, and 72% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations from real people (Search Engine Land), so it’s important to make sure they’re going to want to become your customer based on what they find.
Check out our infographic to find out more about how word of mouth marketing can benefit your small business.
