Marketing is very different from selling, although the two naturally go hand in hand.
Selling is about converting someone into a customer. Marketing is about making sure people know who you are, what you do and why they should consider using you. At its simplest, marketing is about creating awareness, building trust and putting your business in front of the right people. For a small business, marketing doesn’t necessarily mean spending thousands of pounds on advertising. There are many different ways to market a business, from Google Reviews and social media to partnerships, printed marketing and simply getting involved in your local business community.
What is marketing?
Marketing is the process of understanding your customers, communicating the value of your products or services and creating awareness of your business.
Good marketing starts with understanding:
- Who are your customers?
- What do they need?
- What problem can you solve for them?
- Why should they choose you rather than a competitor?
- Where do they look for the products or services you provide?
Once you understand this, you can decide how best to reach them.
What is the difference between marketing and selling?
Think of it this way.
Marketing gets you noticed. Selling gets you the order.
Someone might see your business on LinkedIn, read one of your blogs, hear about you from another business, find you on Google or receive something from you in the post. They may not buy from you immediately. But when they eventually need the product or service you provide, they may remember your name. That is the value of marketing. Marketing is often about creating a relationship with potential customers before they are ready to buy.
How can a small business market itself?
There are many different ways to market a business, and not every method will work for every company. Here are some of the marketing opportunities worth considering.
- Partnerships and collaborations
Working with complementary businesses can introduce you to an entirely new audience. This could be through collaborations, recommendations, joint promotions or simply building relationships with businesses that have customers who may need your services.
- SEO and Google
Search engine optimisation, or SEO, helps your website appear when potential customers search for the products or services you provide. Your website should answer the questions your customers are asking.
For example:
What is hot foiling?
What is embossing?
What paper is best for wedding invitations?
Creating useful content around these questions can help people discover your business.
- GEO and AI search
Marketing is changing. People are increasingly asking AI tools questions rather than simply typing a few words into Google. This means businesses should think about GEO Generative Engine Optimisation as well as traditional SEO. Clear, useful website content that directly answers customer questions can help your business become more visible across modern search and AI platforms.
- Google Reviews
Reviews are an important part of building trust. Before contacting a business, potential customers often want to know what other customers thought about their experience. Encouraging genuine customers to leave Google Reviews can therefore become an important part of your marketing strategy.
- Social media
Social media gives businesses the opportunity to show people what they do rather than simply telling them. LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram can all be useful, depending on your audience. Don’t just sell. Show your work. Share your knowledge. Introduce your team. Talk about your processes. Answer questions. Celebrate customer projects. People buy from businesses they know and trust.
- Video content
Video is another way of showing people what happens behind the scenes. For a traditional print business, for example, seeing an old printing press running can tell a much stronger story than simply saying:
“We have traditional printing machinery.”
Video can demonstrate craftsmanship, processes, people and finished products.
- Business networking
Joining organisations such as the Chamber of Commerce, BNI and local business groups can help you build relationships. Networking isn’t necessarily about walking into a room and immediately looking for customers. Sometimes your best opportunity is simply being remembered.
- Social and local events
Getting involved in your local community can also be marketing. Events, exhibitions, open days, trade shows and community activities can put your business in front of people who may never have found you online.
- Branding
Your branding is more than your logo. Think about how your business looks, sounds and feels across your website, social media, printed material, vehicles, packaging and customer communications. Consistent branding helps people recognise you.
- Paid advertising
Google Ads, social media advertising, magazine advertising and other paid campaigns can put your business directly in front of potential customers. The important thing is to understand who you are trying to reach and what you want them to do before spending the money.
- Special offers and promotions
Pricing, discounts and special offers can sometimes encourage people to try your business. However, discounting should not become your entire marketing strategy. Your aim should be to communicate value, rather than simply being the cheapest.
- Email marketing
Email marketing can be a very effective way of keeping your business in front of existing and potential customers. Newsletters, new product announcements, useful information and special offers can all form part of an email marketing strategy. The key is to give people a reason to open your emails.
- Direct marketing
Don’t forget the power of physical marketing. Printed postcards, brochures, letters, sample packs and other direct mail can make your business stand out, particularly in a world where so much communication happens digitally.
- Magazine articles and PR
Getting your business featured in a magazine, newspaper, trade publication or online article can help establish credibility. It also gives you something you can share across your website and social media channels.
- Vehicle advertising
Your van or company car can become a moving advertisement. A clear logo, website address and description of what you do can turn every journey into another opportunity for people to see your business.
- Signage and roadside advertising
Depending on your location, shop signage, roadside banners and other local advertising can help increase awareness among people who live or work nearby.
- New business platforms
Platforms such as Etsy and other specialist marketplaces can provide another route to market for businesses selling suitable products. The important thing is to choose platforms where your potential customers are actually looking.
- Recommendations
Never underestimate word of mouth. A recommendation from an existing customer, supplier or another business can be incredibly powerful because it comes with an element of trust.
- Artificial Intelligence
AI is becoming another marketing tool for businesses. It can help with ideas, research, content creation, customer questions, planning and understanding what people are searching for. But AI shouldn’t replace your own knowledge and personality. Your experience is what makes your content different from everyone else’s.
- Be consistent
Perhaps one of the most important parts of marketing is consistency. You don’t need to do everything. It is better to choose a few marketing channels that work for your business and keep using them than to try everything for a few weeks and then stop. Marketing is rarely an overnight success.It is about being seen repeatedly, becoming recognised and building trust over time.
Marketing doesn’t have to be complicated
There is no single formula for marketing a business. For one company, LinkedIn may produce excellent results. For another, Google searches and reviews may be more important. Someone else may generate most of their business through recommendations and networking. The key is understanding your customers and where they spend their time. Marketing is about creating the awareness that eventually gives your sales process something to work with. So, perhaps the simplest way of looking at it is:
Marketing gets your business noticed.
Good marketing gets your business remembered.
Great marketing gives people a reason to choose you.
And ultimately, that is where marketing and selling come together.
