These days “ideas for small business marketing” has become synonymous with social media. We’re told that we need to “show up” on Instagram and TikTok to attract clients. Social media isn’t the only way that small businesses can connect with dreamy clients. In fact, it might be one of the less effective channels for some entrepreneurs. At Brancendent, we specialize in low-maintenance marketing for small businesses. Here are five of our favorite methods to connect with exciting clients.

5 Ideas for Small Business Marketing

1.Email Marketing with Nurture Sequences

A lot of entrepreneurs shy away from email marketing because they’re not sure where to start. If you’re not relying on social media do nurture connections with potential clients, email marketing can set you apart from the crowd and keep you top of mind. In fact, it gives you a chance to stand out from the white noise on social media by connecting with long-form copy. You’ll be surprised how much people feel like they know you from your emails – and how that ups your conversion rate. We nurture our audiences on multiple channels, but email marketing tends to have our highest conversion rate by far, especially for copywriting. 

If you like the idea of email marketing but don’t want to maintain a monthly or weekly newsletter, try nurture sequences. It’s one of our favorite tried and true ideas for small business marketing. These automated series of emails trigger when someone opts into your email list. Once it’s set up, everything happens automatically without you lifting a finger. We create custom nurture sequences to help entrepreneurs do just that. Reach out here to learn more.

2. Pinterest

A list of ideas for small business marketing isn’t complete without Pinterest. It’s not for everyone. To be honest, the difference between Instagram and Pinterest is blurring a bit with the introduction of Idea Pins in 2021. Both platforms are prioritizing video, but Pinterest is still primarily an optimization-driven platform. If you’re creating blog content, Pinterest is a great way to drive traffic to your website. Over 400 million users visit the site monthly, so visual creatives, especially, are well-positioned to connect with clients there. If you have a freebie for a nurture sequence, try promoting it on Pinterest. 

3. Networking

Networking gets left off a lot of roundups of ideas for small business marketing. The meaning of networking has changed quite a bit in the last decade, and that shift accelerated with the onset of the pandemic in 2020. Connecting with peers and potential clients in social settings can be incredibly helpful for many entrepreneurs. Potential clients and colleagues get a chance to see you as more than a logo and Instagram bio. Even folks who provide fully digital services can organize Zoom networking events. 

Not sure how you could network with potential clients? Try starting with collaborators in your industry. As a website copywriter, for example, Stephanie has reached out to web and brand designers. The conversations have led to client referrals as well as great working relationships with shared clients. Think about whom your clients will work with when they start looking for your services, and go from there.

4. An Engaging, Optimized Website

When social media isn’t your main marketing channel, your website can be your first chance to make an impression. Ideas for small business marketing without social media should always include intentionally crafted web copy. Good website copy keeps people moving through your site all the way to the inquiry page. It helps them see themselves inside your offers with the right balance of transparency, clarity, and emotion. 

Of course, if you want people to find your website on Google, your copy needs to be SEO-friendly. That means having a keyword strategy in place so that you show up on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). Our 2-Week Web Copy package includes done-for-you SEO keyword strategy. We’ll combine unique brand messaging with SEO for copy that connects with your dream clients. Learn more here. 

5. SEO Blogging

Optimized website copy is an important foundation for your SEO marketing, but nothing boosts SEO like blogging. SEO blogging gives you opportunities to get in front of your potential clients before they explicitly search your services. For example, a social media agency might blog about social media strategy. A wedding photographer could target wedding venues with their keywords. The idea is to choose easy-to-rank-for keywords to drive clients to your site early in their process. Our blogging clients consistently tell us that they get inquiries that mention specific blog posts. That’s the beauty of marketing with SEO blogging. You provide value that helps clients trust you before you ever speak with them.

Did you find an idea in this post that got you excited? At Brandcendent, we share ideas for small business marketing directly to our subscribers’ inboxes every week. Get tips that you can use to connect with your dream clients. Subscribe today!