Marketing is an integral part of business, with various strategies employed by organizations to grow their customer base. This holds true for small businesses as well which need to build brand awareness and market reach.

When you are a startup, the first thing to do is make your presence felt in your specific industry by implementing proven marketing strategies. This might take time as well as money, but such interim steps will help you establish a strong foothold in the business space that you operate.

There are many small businesses that successfully implement off-line and online marketing techniques to grow their customer base. The following four methods should help you gain success:

1. Paid Advertising through Social Media and other Channels

You need to invest some capital in this strategy to start with, but advertising through social media channels can be extremely effective for the growth of any business. Most organizations go for paid ads on Facebook and Google Adwords which are considered to be the top channels for marketing in the present time.

It has been found that paid ads on social media channels generally garner more click-throughs than regular banner ads, thus increasing brand awareness and visibility.

2. Email Marketing

This is an effective tool for any business because it helps you keep in touch with your customers. Customers who have subscribed to your email list need targeted information about your products and services which they can read conveniently through their electronic devices.

The positive impact of emails is high when they provide offers or deals related to your existing product line – this will help attract new customers while retaining old ones.

3. Offline Promotions

Even though many small businesses prefer to do their activities online, some might still prefer offline methods. You can invest in traditional marketing tools like gift cards, discounts on products, special gift items, etc. to distribute among customers. Such offers act as incentives for customers who will come back again and again to avail of your products or services – this increases customer stickiness and ensures repeat business.

There are even some small retailers that make personalized gift items for their best customers which is a win-win situation because the store gets sales while adding value to its brand image in the marketplace.

4. Partnerships with other Businesses

It’s an excellent idea to look for partnerships with businesses that operate in different niches – you can then leverage each others’ audience base by co-branding products /services under one umbrella company name, or offering cross-promotional deals to increase customer reach.

5. TV Advertising, Print Media Advertising, Radio Ads, etc.

These are traditional methods that can be used to promote your business – small businesses in the past have made great use of TV commercials to successfully reach out to their customers. Try to find media outlets that have a good local following – this will help you establish your business as an authority in one specific space which can result in more conversions.

One way to save money on TV, Billboard, and Radio Ads is buying remnant ads. Remnant ads are those ad units that were not sold by media companies. As a result, they are sold off cheap without any haggling. These advertisements appear on various publishing platforms like TV networks, radio stations, etc., and if purchased strategically at times when your local audience is likely to be watching/listening – they will help increase brand awareness for sure.

There are many other ways for small businesses to grow their reach and business, but these 5 strategies top the list. Small businesses that implement them will enjoy increased growth prospects in the near future – this also goes for brick and mortar stores that need targeted or tactical marketing efforts to bring more business.

It’s all about planning carefully, pushing budgets as required, getting creative with promotions, etc. so that you can maximize returns on your investment around specific time frames like quarter or year-end periods.