Small business marketing is vital to getting your company off the ground and making it a successful business. With the amount of competition small businesses are facing today, optimizing your marketing can be the difference between growing your customer base, churning out new sales, or disappearing into obscurity. Marketing for a small business doesn’t have to be overwhelming. In fact, there’s a lot that you can do to drive traffic and generate sales that won’t break the bank. Today we’re going to look what we call “Marketing Essentials for Small Business”
Business Signage
We’ve all experienced a moment where we had a hard time finding a business. Next time that happens, consider the reasons why you’re struggling. More often than not, it’s because you can’t find the sign. That’s why it’s imperative to use effective business signage. We suggest always using your most current logo, stay on brand, and utilize signage methods that may clarify what your business offers. Such as the image we’ve included, they’re indicating they specialize in coatings.
Your business may also need many exterior signs depending on the size of your business, type of business, and location such as a strip mall, shopping center, or large building. No matter where those signs are, it’s imperative to ensure your business signage is effective, useful, and easy to see.
Window & Vinyl Graphics
Window and vinyl graphics are extremely versatile and a cost effective option for marketing. They are easy to install and are a great way to add a little something extra to stand out. Many of the businesses we’ve worked with use them to expand their reach and accompany promotions.
Here are our some ways you can use window and vinyl graphics to expand your marketing and reach:
- Reinforce your business messaging by including areas of expertise and/or products and services your business offers.
- Extend your marketing efforts by promoting a current marketing campaign, promotion, or advertisement.
- Add a QR code that leads to a website, landing page, or social media accounts.
- Include associations your business is affiliated with, brands your business carries or uses, hours of operation, and other valuable information you want known.
The Marketing Power of Vehicle Wraps
Vehicle wraps are just what they sound like: they’re full-on advertisements that cover your entire car. And there are lots of ways to do it—from simple logos to full-blown illustrations or photos of your products or services. They are a “must have” for businesses.
Vehicle wraps get attention: No matter where you go, people are going to see your car and know who it belongs to. That means they are going to be thinking of your business every time they see that vehicle on the road. If your business provides a product or service they are interested in, they could be more likely to seek out those services from your business. 
Vehicle wraps build trust: When someone sees an ad about your business or contacts you for products or services, showing up in a vehicle that identifies your business reinforces legitimacy.
Brochures & Business Cards: The Classic Marketing Tool
Business cards and brochures are an extension of your brand. They are one of the most classic versions of marketing that helps boost your business’s visibility. When designed well, they can make a lasting impression when you give them to potential clients, customers, or partnering businesses.
Our first suggestion would be to explore the many types of paper, finishes, and techniques like embossing that can make your business card and brochures truly unique. Next, keep in mind what’s most important in business “quality and personalization”. We strongly recommend to have your materials professionally designed and printed locally. Not only will you be more likely to receive the desired product and result, you won’t have to deal with the problems that come from ordering online. This can include poor materials and printing that leads to cracking, chipping, fading, or mismatched color. When you print local, you can see and touch samples, and see a proof before the full order is printed.
Stationary to Maintain Brand Consistency
Business stationery is important because it can be used to print invoices, thank you letters, and proposals. If you are a small business owner, you know that having a strong brand is crucial to success. Business stationery can help you create the image that you want for your company in a variety of ways. Not only will it make your business more professional looking, but it will also help customers identify your brand as an authority, which is an essential part of marketing.
Digital Marketing Essentials
Marketing is a customer journey. Studies have shown it take up to FIVE interactions for potential customer to convert. That’s why it is so important to remain consistent where ever you are found. We’ll cover digital marketing essentials in a future blog post, but for the meantime, you’ll want to make sure that you remain consistent in these areas online:
- Website
- Social Media Channels
- Search Engine & Online Directory Listings
- Email Address with your business domain name
- Email Signature
Bringing Your Brand to Life
Here at BPI Color, our goal is to help you bring your brand to life. We’ve helped many small businesses develop their essentials for marketing their business. If you’re missing any of these marketing tools, maybe it’s time to start considering them. It’s always good to know what those options are and what is possible for your budget right now or in the future. We’re always here to provide answers to your questions and plan for your business’s successful future.
