You are a small fish in a big pond. Your local business just opened up in a city of hundreds of thousands, or even millions of people. Spreading the word about what sets you apart from other businesses is key for the success any new business. But, how can you compete with all the other companies?
Be Different
Big companies may have bigger marketing budgets, possibly using outside firms to handle their marketing and advertising. Yet, this does not mean you cannot compete and thrive.
One advantage that you have as a small business is that you can afford to take risks. You do not have any reputation to tarnish or any shareholders to scrutinize your marketing. Use this to your advantage and be different. Any good business owner should know what their competition is doing and there is bound to be a way for you to do something different. For example, if you are starting a new bank and all the other banks in town are trying to lure deposits with cash bonuses on sign up, offer something different such as a grill or a local team jersey.
These personal touches will help you stand out from the others, aligning your message that you are local and personal unlike the competition.
Use your own image in your marketing
Why do real estate agents use pictures of themselves instead of the firm they work for?
The reason is that for many services, people want to work with a real live human rather than some ambiguous giant company where they never talk to the same person twice.
For many people, price is not the only thing they take into consideration; other factors determine whom they will utilize. Many people feel that someone they can trust is someone who has ties to the same community. Big companies can gain a bad reputation because of their lack of presence in the community, which is impossible due to their size. Step in and be the local business that customers want and your business will flourish.
Partner up
You will never see the two largest Banks in the country partner up on a charity event because they are competitors. Your small business is different though. You might be able to team up with a competitor, pooling your resources, possibly cross selling to each other’s customers. For example, authors who are constantly struggling for readers could collaborate with other authors to cross promote books.
Apply this principle in your business. If you sell cookies, partner with the local florist to include them as an option in arrangements. If you sell custom wheels, see if the local mechanic would offer to sell your product and they can increase their revenue from installing the wheels on customers’ cars.
These cross promotions are any easy, effective, and affordable method for growing your brand while obtaining customers that love what you do.
Conclusion
Nothing is harder than running a small business in a giant city. Getting the word out about your mission and product or service is vital to the long-term growth of your business. A personal, creative, and local touch in your marketing efforts will help drive the message home that you focus on each and every customers you serve.
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