Marketing a small business can feel overwhelming — from digital ads to social media, it’s easy to try everything and end up seeing little return. But here’s the truth: you only need one well-executed channel to start seeing real growth. Here’s how to pick it.
Know Your Audience
The most important part of marketing is to know your audience and that doesn’t require lots of money to get demographic and psychographic data, expensive 3rd party analysis, or other ways to analyze a customer base. Start simple –
- Post-purchase surveys: ask your customers what they like about you and your business. Keep it simple with a four or five question survey with an open ended, non-required, field at the end for them to add their own words
- Email your customers: Ask for feedback using the above survey. Offer a discount or special of some kind if you want to incentive more responses
- Watch behavior, not just opinions: Use Google Analytics, Meta, Microsoft Clarity, and other tools to see what users are doing on your website. Actions speak louder than words – user surveys can sometimes lead you down a wrong path
Match The Channel to Your Strengths
You don’t have to be a marketing expert to get started but you should begin in a space where you feel comfortable. Match the channel to your natural strengths. The key to picking your first channel is to understand your own strengths and weaknesses and then dip your toe in the water.
- Hate being on video? Skip YouTube and TikTok for now.
- Do you like writing – start a blog and learn a bit about SEO
- Have friends and family on a local Facebook group – get permission to post there and become involved in the community (DO NOT ADVERTISE)
Business Urgency and Budget
How quickly do you want to see results? There are hundreds of marketing channels, with some taking months or years to mature while others can show results almost instantly. If your situation includes a sizable marketing budget, but you want quick results, maybe paid search is your first channel. If you have a small budget, but plenty of time to wait for success, then SEO might be your best bet. Analyze your budget and timing to narrow down your channel list even further. If you’re working with a tight budget, you might also want to check out these free marketing ideas for local businesses to help stretch your reach without stretching your wallet.
Commit to the Game Plan
Marketing takes time – even paid search, probably the quickest channel, will start off slow and build up to a mature channel. Some tips for your one channel –
- Patience is a virtue – give your one channel 30-60 days before changing the strategy or testing a new channel
- Consistency is king – don’t post on social once a week and ignore it. Spend time thinking through a full game plan for your one channel and make sure you put in time daily, even if you’re not actively publishing content. Monitoring KPI’s, testing messaging, or brainstorming next steps is forward progress.
- Failure isn’t a stop sign – learn from your early mistakes and make smart adjustments based on customer feedback, website data, and your list of ideas for the channel
Picking the right channel doesn’t mean you’re stuck with it forever. Create a solid game plan using audience data, select the channel that makes you most comfortable, and then consistently own that marketing channel for enough time to measure results effectively. Need help with choosing a marketing channel for your small business – contact Robert Drumm now.