Small Business Marketing Doesn't Have to Suck
Online marketing for small businesses can be TRICKY to navigate.
WHERE should you show up?
HOW should you show up?
And WHAT is worth your time?
How to Create a Small Business Marketing Strategy
When you’re creating your small business marketing strategy, you have to think about three MAJOR components.
WHERE your ideal clients or customers are
WHAT strategic moves to make while you’re there
HOW to enjoy showing up in those places
I am going to break these down for you so that YOU realize why your small business marketing has been sucking and how to help it stop 😂
1. Figuring out WHERE your ideal clients or customers are
A BIG part of choosing where to spend your time marketing your business, you have to think about WHO your ideal clients or customers are and make sure you’re capitalizing on those platforms where they actually are present.
This Sprout Social article has a LOT of great data for demographics based on social media platforms in 2024:
Breakdown of social media usage by age range:
18-29 years
Snapchat (41%), TikTok (35%), Instagram (32%)
30-39 years
LinkedIn (34%), X/Twitter (34%), Snapchat (33%), Instagram (32%)
40-49 years
LinkedIn (25%), Facebook (22%), X/Twitter (21%)
50-59 years
Facebook (29%), LinkedIn (24%), Pinterest (24%)
This is only the AGE demographic, but figuring out WHERE your people are gives you a better chance of reaching them and converting them to clients or customers!
2. WHAT strategic moves do you need to make once you know where to be
As a small business owner, marketing moves can feel overwhelming. Even IF you know where to be and where to spend your time, knowing WHAT to do there is another whole process. But I’m here to make it easy.
Think back to your last ideal clients or customers.
Where did you connect with them? Was it on social media or at a networking event?
If it was on social media, what platform?
If it was Instagram, what started the conversation?
Was it a Reel? Was it an Instagram story?
Take a moment to go back in time and work backwards to see WHERE and WHAT started the journey between you and your ideal client or customer.
This gives you a clear guideline for what moves YOU SPECIFICALLY need to be making where, not just trying multiple strategies and crossing your fingers and hoping it works out.
3. How to enjoy marketing and showing up where your ideal clients and customers are
This part is so overlooked and I truly believe it’s why so many struggle with marketing their small business.
A BIG part of staying consistent with your marketing efforts is to see results. If you aren’t seeing results from your efforts, your motivation to continue to show up is slim, but that makes sense! If you’re not getting the results you want, why keep going?
3 Tips to Actually Enjoy Marketing Your Business:
Patience
Emotionally detach from analytics
Be willing to trial and error
Things suck a LOT less when you see every marketing move you make as an experiment. You either win or you learn. Tweaking, testing, and adjusting are KEY components to finding a strategy that works for you and your business AND makes it more fun!
Still wondering how to market your small business?
If you are still LOST with your small business marketing strategy, that is something Shannon McKinstrie and I help our Social Squad Society members with! The Social Squad Society is a monthly membership created to support you marketing your business and surviving the rollercoaster of owning your own business.
You Don’t Have to Market Your Small Business Alone
If marketing your small business has felt confusing or frustrating, remember that it’s all about finding the right mix of small business marketing strategy, effort, and patience. By understanding where your ideal clients are, knowing what actions to take, and focusing on making the process enjoyable, you’ll set yourself up for long-term success.
And if you need extra support, tools, or guidance, you don’t have to do it alone—resources like the Social Squad Society are here to help you navigate your way through this process.
Your dream clients and customers are out there—let’s help them find YOU!