These days, it seems like everyone has caught the bug of big ideas and late-night business dreams. But, how many of them are actually using smart small business marketing ideas to get noticed?
Your story deserves to be seen, but the real challenge is this: Small businesses often have the best stuff, but they talk to people like they already know what it’s about.
This article shows 10 ways to fix that, backed by brands that kept it raw and painfully honest. Let’s talk about how these genuinely useful strategies allowed small businesses to make a name for themselves, even when the odds are stacked against them. It’s only a matter of time before your brand reaps the fruits of your labor, and people finally see what you’re here for.
Build Trust with Content Marketing
The term "content marketing" is the kind of phrase that gets tossed around quite a lot by “LinkedIn gurus” and online coaches. But don’t let that hold you back – there’s something in there worth peeling back if you’re willing enough.
It can look like:
- A corner bakery posting short videos on making homemade sourdough
- A local candle brand crafting specific playlists for different moods, or
- A local gym sends weekly emails of 5-minute beginner workouts
Example: River Pools answered every consumer question about their product through content.
Let’s talk about how River Pools, a fiberglass pool company, turned its blog into a library of answers. They did not shy away from answering even the most potentially damaging of questions, turning topics like problems of fiberglass pools and the costs involved into a blog post.
To be the only honest voice in a sea of polite lies was a terrifying move, but talking about things that their competitors refused to talk about made it the most visited pool company website in the world.
2.Rank Higher with SEO Strategies
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, can be described as the art of using the right word choices to get search engines to trust you more. Even better, bring a potential convert a step closer to you.
Example: Removal.AI targets niche, high-intent SEO keywords with practical, design-focused content to attract and convert users.
Removal.AI’s ascent to a company of authority can be credited not to some stroke of luck but to a precise understanding of SEO principles.
Long-tail keywords like "remove image background," "make picture transparent," or "free photo background remover" were preferred to address underlying demands.
They also featured the following as part of their strategy:
- A compelling free tool as an SEO magnet
- Highly descriptive domain name
- Fast, intuitive, and mobile-friendly experience
Because the platform understood that users weren’t always searching for complex photo editing software, focusing on a segment of that audience looking for free, last-minute solutions to very specific visual concerns was a smart way to secure an audience.
3.Engage Your Audience Through Social Media
Social media marketing for small business endeavors is a lot like deciding where to host a really important conversation. Before pulling all the stops to launch a product on possibly all online platforms you can think of, visualize the kind of space that will get your audience to listen.
Example: Berocca shared value-driven content first (tips, challenges, stories) before introducing product mentions.
Like any compelling storyteller, value-driven content in the form of energy tips, daily challenges, and authentic transformation stories from people was offered throughout this campaign 70% of the time. Only after this foundation was built did product mentions appear, earning Berocca a well-deserved Bronze for “Most Engaging Mobile Campaign” at the 2022 Mob-Ex Awards
4.Collaborate with Influencers and Micro-Creators
While you can’t outspend your competitors, you don’t have to look far and wide to plug your product into the world. Influencer marketing for small business ideas is a hidden weapon, so trust that both micro and macro-influencers have their way of building your reputation from the ground up.
Example: Bemz partnered with real product owners instead of influencers to drive authentic engagement and sales.
Bemz, a Swedish brand selling covers for IKEA furniture, could’ve chased down big home design influencers for instant exposure, but they chose to partner with people who already had IKEA sofas inside their homes. The rejection of manufactured experiences in favor of featuring real, everyday people who have grown attached to the product was all it took for the company to generate an additional revenue of $1.65 M.
5.Grow Your Email List and Use Referral Campaigns
Email marketing for small businesses is your love letter to potential customers. Unlike the unpredictable, fleeting nature of social media, you don’t need permission from Facebook or Instagram to talk to your audience with an email list, because as soon as someone subscribes, all means of communication are in the palm of your hand.
Example: Cafely used story-driven emails to share culture and drive revenue instead of transactional promos.
Cafely, a premium Vietnamese coffee brand, understood the assignment of email marketing when they started treating customer emails less like a to-do list and more like a guest list. Doing away with the generic and transactional modes of promotion, they gambled on a story-first email strategy that aimed to paint the Vietnamese coffee culture as a rich and poetic tradition meant to share with coffee lovers. With just a few scrolls and clicks, email brought in over 20% of the brand’s total income.
Conclusion
Look at your current resources and see how each strategy may fare for you. Enjoy visuals, but feel awkward selling? Try dipping your toes in user-generated content or soft launches on Instagram. Have a knack for words but would never dare step in front of a camera? Email marketing or dabbling with small business SEO strategies might just be where you’ll find your footing.
Just start with one thing that makes the most sense to you, and whatever you choose, trust the quiet momentum within you. The plan won’t always go perfectly, but if you don’t move, it’ll always just be a plan.
