Can Small Business Successfully Adopt The Marketing Styles of Mega-Corporations?
By Fletcher FinnLarge companies can do things smaller business simply cannot. After all, they usually have more employees, more customers, and more financial resources to work with, thus allowing them to make a greater impact. Be that as it may, any small business with the desire to flourish can adopt the marketing tactics of a big corporation and garner success. All it takes is a great strategy.
Build An Online Presence
Even if you have a successful establishment out in the real world, you should still be making efforts to build a presence for your small business online. Big companies from Target and Wal-Mart to McDonalds and South West Airlines have all migrated to the internet to expose their offerings to a global audience. So how do you build a presence online?
There are many options available to you, but obtaining a website is one that should be considered a necessity. You could also start up a blog, create a profile on one of the many social networks, or invest in some online advertising. If you are not sure what to do, take a look at what a few of the big brands are doing to get some ideas.
Connect With Your Audience
Large corporations are successful because they have relationships with consumers. This is the very reason why Bill purchases a brand new pair of Nikes every six months and Jane always comes back to purchase books from Amazon to get her reading fix. You may not have the reach and resources of these companies, but you can form the same bonds with your audience.
In fact, you may be able to do this even better as the CEO of a major corporation rarely has time to communicate with consumers on a personal level. The key to doing this effectively is having conversations with your audience instead of always trying to force a product or service down their throats. Over time, these conversations will build relationships and create loyalty to your business.
Reward Loyalty
What do Kmart, Meijers, and Sears all have a common? They are all well established brands that reward customers for their loyalty. Even if it is only a small bonus, they give their customers just enough to keep coming back. Small businesses can easily do the same. Your reward program may consist of discounts, occasional gifts, or free access to the premium membership area of your site.
The point here is offering a little something every now and then that shows your customers how much you appreciate their support. If you take anything from the mega-corporations, it should be that happy customers result in repeat business.
Seize the Moment
We are not suggesting that you load up your guns to go against a company the size of Facebook or Google and try to blow them out of the water, but your small business can operate like the big fish and make a splash. The internet has leveled the playing field so if you play your cards right, you could grab a comfortable spot in your market no matter how large or small it may be.
About the Author Fletcher is a best practices activist and advocate for a leading Web and permission-based email marketing solutions.
Website URL http://www.twitter.com/fletcherfinn
