More people are quitting their 9-to-5 to turn their hobby into a successful business. Although opening a shop is easier now more than ever thanks to the internet, running a business is still risky. There are so many other competitors who are after the same target market.
With little to no budget for marketing, how can you increase your sales? Here are some strategies that work but will not require you to spend your precious dollars:
Go Social
The first thing you need to do after you have set up your own web store and find a local courier to deliver your products is to sign up on social media.
Social media is increasingly becoming more relevant to commerce. A fledgling online store will find it more challenging to break into the market without a profile on a popular social media platform.
Sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Snapchat will help your business to reach potential customers. They provide a way for businesses to advertise their products and, therefore, boost sales.
More importantly, using social media is free. While you can pay for targeted advertisements, most of the time, posting photos or videos of your products on your profile is enough to gain a following. Users will even help you advertise by sharing your posts with their family and friends.
Getting noticed on social media will not be easy. You have to still put a lot of work into it. You need to create eye-catching and memorable content for people to take notice and pass it to their peers.
Engage with Potential Customers
You should join communities where your target consumers can usually be found. If your business has to do with cars, there are online forums where you can interact with enthusiasts. For those who sell their own art, using the right hashtag on Twitter and Instagram will expose your work to hundreds of people who might be interested.
While your goal is to advertise your business, do not spam. You need to create meaningful contributions and establish strong connections with the community. Then, when it is relevant, you can mention your business. People will be more likely to check it out if you are not just there to sell your own stuff.
Whatever your niche may be, you can find online and in real-life communities.
Start a Blog
It is difficult to convince consumers to trust a business that has just started. Especially on the internet, people are very wary of scams.
A blog will enable you to introduce yourself and your business to the public. At least, through your blog, people will get to know who they are transacting with. It also positions you as a credible name in the industry. They will look to you and your business if they ever need the product you are selling.
Just make sure to create good content that is relevant to your business. That way, customers will not only find your shop but also return to read more of your post and share your posts with their peers.
In the face of massive corporations like Amazon, small businesses owned by independent business owners have a place in the market. Your small business will succeed even without thousands of dollars to spend on advertising through persistence and ingenuity.
