As a small business, you don’t have a huge marketing budget.
And traditional marketing tactics — like print marketing, TV and radio ads, and direct mail — can add up quickly.
How can you reach new customers without breaking the bank?
With newer online marketing channels, small businesses have never had more access to cost-effective, trackable marketing tools.
Need some ideas to ramp up your online marketing? Here are six easy ways that successful businesses are reaching new customers online.
1. Encourage people to join your email list
Email marketing isn’t the newest marketing channel around, but it continues to be one of the most effective. With an average return of $38 for every dollar spent, email outperforms digital marketing tactics like social media and paid search.
If you’re new to email marketing, getting starting is easy. Sign up for an email marketing provider, gather contacts online by adding a sign-up form to your website, and start sending professional messages using a mobile-responsive email template.
Businesses like By Paige convert website visitors into customers by offering email subscribers 10 percent off their first order. How could your business entice new customers to join your email list and make a purchase?
2. Start a blog
Easier said than done, right? You’re not a writer and you don’t have the time.
But what if you thought of your blog as a written record of the questions your customers ask you all the time? Wouldn’t that actually be a time-saver if you had a resource at the ready to point to?
On the Constant Contact Blog, we answer frequently asked questions like What is email marketing? or What’s the Best Length for My Email Newsletter?
Publishing helpful posts gives you an easy way to show off your expertise and reach new customers when they search for answers online. Blogs are also a great way for people to find out more about your business and the products and services you offer.
If you’re really strapped for time, see if a staff member or loyal customer would be interested in contributing some articles.
Oftentimes, a business can very successfully ask their fans to write a short post about an experience with the company, how they use certain products or other relevant topics.
Brainstorm some blog post ideas and ask a few fans if they’d like to contribute their perspective. There’s a good chance they’ll be excited to get involved, and once their post is published, they’ll be eager to share it with their own audience.
3. Host a photo contest
No one likes to miss out on something fun. If you encourage your current customers to share photos of themselves enjoying an experience, their friends will be soon to follow.
This is a great way to reach new people without a lot of effort. Create a timely contest that’s easy for people to participate in like Tasty Burger. They held a holiday photo contest and offered an enticing reward to encourage participation.
Think about how you could run a timely photo contest to get your customers to generate some hype for your business.
4. Encourage reviews
Does your business have a presence on review sites like Yelp, Foursquare, or Angie’s List?
Expanding your number of reviews can be one of the best ways to make a great first impression on potential customers. Of course, you’ll want to collect authentic reviews from customers who love frequenting your business.
Post a call to action on your Facebook page and in your next email blast to ask loyal fans to share a review. Often all it takes is a reminder to your fans that they can help you by adding their own personal review.
5. Ask for referrals
When was the last time you asked your existing customers to refer your business?
Word of mouth referrals are some of the most effective ways to reach new customers, but many businesses shy away from making an ask.
Don’t let the fear of rejection stand in the way of reaching new customers! Even if only a couple people say yes, you’ll get in front of some valuable new customers.
Make it easy on yourself by sending a personal appeal to your loyal email list.
Marketing consultant, Bryan Caplan, recently sent the email appeal below to his email list and received 26 total referrals. Ask and you shall receive!
6. Write a survey or poll
Reaching new customers often starts with understanding your current customers.
Do you know how most of your customers found out about you? Do you know what products, services, or topics they’re most interested in?
You can write a survey or send them a quick poll to get a better sense of their interests and behavior. For example, if you learn many of your customers found out about you through a specific review site, consider doubling down on your efforts there so you can continue attracting new customers through that specific channel.
Now you can reach new customers with ease
Ready to expand your audience on a small business budget? Combine cost-effective online marketing tools with the support of your existing customer base and you’ll be unstoppable.
Get started today by sending an email to your customers and telling them one easy way they can help you grow your business.
Who knows? They might just introduce you to your next best customer.
You want to drive business by sending visually appealing emails that get delivered. This means you’re going to need an Email Service Provider (ESP) — a company or service that allows you to send marketing emails and track your results.
But not all Email Service Providers are created equal. With multiple ESPs in the market today, it can be hard to differentiate between them and find out which company is the best for your business.
How can you choose the best Email Service Provider for your business?
To help you out, look for these five key factors when choosing an ESP: A great product, world-class customer support, a proven history of success, a plan to help you succeed, and a fair price.
1. A great product
First and foremost, you need the product to actually help you deliver emails and drive business. Within the product, make sure the ESP offers the features you need to succeed, including customizable mobile responsive email templates, contact management, email automation, and reporting tools.
Customizable mobile responsive templates – Don’t leave your emails being read to chance. By making sure your ESP offers customizable mobile responsive templates, you ensure that your email will look great on any screen size.
Contact management – The best ESPs tend to have the best contact management capabilities, letting you easily group your contacts into targeted lists. This lets you always send the most relevant emails to the most interested recipients.
Email automation – Set it and forget it. Find an ESP that lets you automatically send the right message at the right time using an autoresponder. When you add new contacts to your automated list, they’ll start receiving a scheduled series of emails. Your audience stays engaged and ready to take action.
Reporting tools – Make sure your ESP offers email tracking tools that tell you who’s opening, clicking, and sharing your emails in real time, so you can plan your next steps.
Wondering how Constant Contact stacks up? Check out our features page to find out.
2. World-class customer support
Whether you’re an experienced email marketer or trying it out for the first time, there are going to be times when you’ll need to speak with a support representative.
An ESP offering phone support is more than just a luxury — it’s essential.
In addition to phone support, an ideal ESP should offer social media support, a vibrant community forum, a dedicated email address for helping customers, a blog bursting with email marketing best practices, and a knowledge base made to answer every question imaginable.
No matter your communication preference when receiving support, your ESP should be there to help you.
3. A history of success
While ‘newer’ might seem better, you want an ESP that has been around long enough to know what works and what doesn’t. Look for a company with a track record of adapting to industry changes.
What matters most is what a company’s customers say. Read reviews, look for testimonials, and ask your friends currently using the ESP.
4. A plan to help you succeed
Good ESPs succeed themselves. Great ESPs help you succeed. The best ESPs give you an easy-to-follow plan that makes your email marketing success almost inevitable.
An email marketing plan helps you stay focused, motivated, and accountable.
This means you never have to wonder what and when you’re going to send.
Tip: Check out Constant Contact’s Email Marketing Guide to start sending business-driving emails today!
5. A fair price
Email marketing doesn’t have to break the bank. The best ESPs are affordable and should always bring in far more revenue than they cost you.
As one of the most cost-effective marketing channels, email marketing should provide a return of $42 for every one dollar spent.
Be wary of ESPs that claim they won’t ever charge you. If they sound too good to be true, they probably are.
Instead, find a provider that allows you to choose from multiple plan options so you only pay for the features that your business really needs.
The bottom line?
In the end, you want an ESP that will reliably help you drive business.
This requires a superior product with the support to help you make the most of it.
You want an ESP who puts its customers first, and whose customers recognize them for that. And lastly, you want a plan to make sure your emails are the best they could possibly be — all for a fair and transparent price.