3 Ways Your Small Business Can Level the Playing Field
You’ve got big dreams for your small business, but getting there might feel like an insurmountable task. Fortunately, we’re in a season well-suited for modern entrepreneurs. Widely available internet access gives you portability on work location. Cloud-based software offers high-end solutions to business challenges at an economical price. And education and information on how to navigate business today is more available than ever.
As you plot out your growth plan, one challenge you may be keenly aware of is your corporate competitors. With years of experience, large teams, and brand recognition on their side, competing for market share is no small task. But you’ve created something worth getting in front of your customers who crave your product or solution. All you’ve got to do is leverage the tools available to you as a modern entrepreneur.
1. Outsource Complex Components to Expert Partners
Most entrepreneurs are running their business solo, often pursuing their dreams during the evening hours. If responding to customers, packaging orders, and updating inventory are preventing growth, it’s time for a change. You may not have the cash flow to hire additional help, but there are options to outsource.
If you’re actively filling orders for products, you could benefit from a complete e-commerce solution. Instead of purchasing and storing your inventory, you can outsource a warehousing solution. Your customers can purchase your products online, just as they always have. With an e-commerce solution in place, your provider will fulfill the order and deliver it to your happy customer.
You’ll gain much-needed time to source products, improve your website, and analyze your sales. Most providers supply you with data on sales trends, supply, and emerging opportunities. Instead of printing labels and packaging orders, you can focus on growth and identifying solutions for your customers.
2. Optimize Your Content to Expand Your Reach
Having a great product or solution isn’t going to create a successful business if no one knows about it. That’s why sharp, engaging content, delivered at the right time and in the right place is non-negotiable. Think about the “so what” that the average consumer will drum up at the mention of your offering. Then, back into the answer with dynamic content solutions, customized for the platforms where your customers frequent.
Start by developing parent content that breaks down your business, the problems it solves, and what makes you unique. Go deep and wide with this exercise, elaborating on everything you want your target audience to know, understand, and care about. Now, identify the stories within the facts and figures that are important to you. Storytelling resonates with humans more so than data points on a chart. Aim to appeal to the heart, even if your audience traditionally isn’t seen as emotionally engaged.
Set aside time each week to draft new content, create graphics, and edit images. This content library will be your solo-marketing department, so don’t skip this step. Everything you create can be used on your website, distributed to media outlets, and used on social channels. As a small operation, your use of stories and compelling content will set you apart from the legacy brand competition.
3. Use Social Media to Create an Army of Fans
Now that you’ve developed content, plot out where you’ll share it on social media. As a voice-driven vehicle for storytelling and brand building, you’ll want to show up authentically and often. Monitor how your competitors operate in this space and take notes on what’s working. Look at successful brands for potential takeaways and strategies to deploy, even if your offerings are vastly different.
Tap into the social media planning tools made available for business profiles to increase your efficiency. Set each of your accounts to the business setting to gain access to valuable tools and insights, often at no additional cost. Schedule posts for the times each platform suggests to be the most effective but don’t check out completely. Customers can tell the difference between an engaged business and an automated one. The key here is to show up authentically and often, focusing on connecting and creating relationships with your customers.
Monitor your performance and engage with target customers to create a conversation that converts into sales. Offer discounts and rewards for followers, encouraging them to share their reviews and experiences with your products. While not every review is guaranteed to be glowing, peer sharing creates conversations that can build and reinforce trust. Potential buyers can look to candid reviews for real experiences that resonate more than marketing materials ever could.
Think Big, Even if Your Operation is Still Small
Starting something new is a major accomplishment, especially when customers have so many options available to them. As you work on your business, establish a growth strategy that helps ensure that your daily efforts move you forward. For example, setting up an online store and claiming social sites are great initial steps. But if you’re without a strategy to identify target customers and connect with them, you may be wasting your energy.
Close the loop on what you offer by identifying the who and determining the how. Outsourcing time and resource-intensive tasks and workflows can increase your mental and physical bandwidth. Creative and engaging content can resonate with customers, making them choose you over more established peers. And your social media following can help close the sale, but it’s up to you to take the first step. Level the playing field by working smart and leveraging the most powerful business tools for groundbreaking entrepreneurs like you.