We all know that social media is a fantastic tool for small business owners—it's cost-effective, easy to use, and provides access to a vast audience.

However, it’s not perfect (what is?!) so it’s important to diversifying your marketing efforts beyond social media. In this post we’ll look at three different ways to connect with your target audience and build your brand further all while complementing your social media efforts.

The Risks of Solely Relying on Social Media

I know when you’re a small business owner that you have a lot of plates spinning so just spreading the word on socials about your business might seem like a great way to save time BUT relying solely on social has its pitfalls.

1. Ownership and Control

   You don’t own your social media accounts; the platforms do. If a platform decides to suspend your account or faces an outage, you lose your primary means of reaching your audience. Plus, it can leave you vulnerable to things like hacks and changes in platform popularity.

2. Algorithm Changes

   Social media platforms frequently update their algorithms and whilst the reasons behind it is good it can drastically affect the visibility of your content, even if you have a large following.

3. Audience Limitations

   Not all your potential customers are active on social media. People have jobs, lives, and sometimes prefer to stay offline. Relying heavily on social media means you could potentially be missing out on a broader audience who might not be as engaged online.

So how do we broaden our reach and reduce our vulnerability?

Telling your story

First up PR, so despite what the TV’s and Media portray PR isn’t all air kisses, swanky events and champers … I mean it is sometimes but its predominantly about telling your brand story in the right places to engage your ideal audience.

Now PR can feel a little like a thing that big brands do but actually it works really well for small brands to because it’s all about showcasing your personality and expertise.

But PR isn’t just about magazines there are lots of things that fall under the PR umbrella.

Types of PR:

• Newsjacking & commentary on trending subjects

• podcasts

• speaking at events

• awards

• guest blog spots

• thought leadership pieces

• press releases

Starting with PR:

• Press Pack:

  Create a press pack that includes your website and social handles, high-resolution images, a bio, company blurb, press clippings, testimonials, case studies, and brochures.

• Know Your Audience:

  Understand your ideal customer’s interests, values, and content consumption habits. This will help you identify the types of publications to target.

• Expertise and Personal Stories:

  Highlight your industry expertise and personal stories that make you relatable. Not every story has to be about your business; human interest pieces help to show your brand personality.

• Check out #JournoRequests:

  And see if there are any stories that align with your brand and goals that you can offer comment or content for.

Stay in touch with your audience

Email marketing is a powerful tool for nurturing relationships and moving customers further down your marketing funnel. Unlike social media, you own your email list, giving you more control over your communication strategy.

Getting started…

1. Offer Irresistible Lead Magnets: provide valuable content like how-to guides, promo codes, or exclusive webinars in exchange for email sign-ups.

2. Easy Subscription: place opt-in forms on high-traffic areas of your website and ensure your call-to-action is compelling.

3. Build Relationships: segment your email list so it’s easier to send personalised and relevant email content to your subscribers. Think about creating a good mix of newsletter, knowledge-sharing emails and promotional emails to strengthen your relationships with your audience.

4. Use retargeting emails: to keep your brand top of mind for those who’ve already interacted with your content.

Get your customers marketing for you

Referral programs leverage your existing satisfied customers to attract new ones, capitalising on the trust they’ve already built with their networks. Referred customers are four times more likely to buy, making this a highly effective strategy.

Things to consider:

• Objectives

  Determine whether your goal is to increase loyalty, generate new leads, or both.

• Incentives

  Offer rewards for both the referrer and the new customer, such as discounts, freebies, or exclusive add-ons.

• Clear Communication

  Make it easy for customers to understand the benefits, rules, and sign-up process and where they are in relation to their next reward.

Improve your reach and visibility …

We've only scratched the surface with these three strategies, but there are many ways to connect with your ideal customers beyond social media.

The key to a brand success is not to put all your marketing eggs in one basket but diversify your marketing efforts so you have a more resilient and effective strategy for your business.

GUEST BLOGGER AUTHOR:

JULES BRIM