Cost-effective ways to make your business stand out

Your business needs customers, but to win them you need to promote your product or service. In today’s competitive world, it’s more important than ever to make your business stand out from the rest. But how do you do that?

How can I make my business stand out?

Yes, it can seem a never-ending challenge, trying to balance your marketing efforts while running a business at the same time. So, for the 5.5 million small businesses in the UK , our latest blog looks at some of the most cost-effective ways to get you in the spotlight that won’t break the bank and give people the right reasons to choose you.

Mindful of taking time away from your ‘day job’, the key to your marketing activities is to choose the right mix to get the best return on investment. Like everything in life, you need a healthy balance.

Let’s take a look at some tried and tested strategies that can generate new pipelines of work:

Get your business online

If your brand is all over your uniform, shop window or company vehicles, have you applied the same coverage to your digital presence? There’s lots of mobile-friendly websites that you can set up for free. Then there’s WhatsApp, where you can instantaneously interact with your customers. And Google’s Business Profile is a must, helping your business to increase its reach by helping people to find and review you. The listings are displayed right at the top of search results, making it even easier for people to see you.

Deliver great customer service

It should be a no brainer, but there are many businesses that get it wrong and lose customers as a result. What’s that you ask? It’s great service. It really does count for a lot but doesn’t cost a lot. Some leading businesses have even based their entire brand differentiation on their excellent customer service. If you do the same, then you’re increasing your chances of word-of-mouth recommendations and great reviews on Google, Trustpilot or one the tradespeople directories.

Put your business on social media

With 48% of SMEs using social media saying it’s essential to maintaining their business , how much organic, paid, or a mix of the two is your business creating? With 57.1 million social media users in the UK , that’s a large pool of potential customers to reach out to and engage with. It’s not just a way for you to show off your service or product, it’s also a great opportunity to let your best customer service shine through. Just a quick fact… Facebook and Instagram are still at the top of the list as the preferred platforms for SMEs.

Send out emails from your business

Another cheap option is to run an email campaign and send out a digital newsletter, which helps keep you front of mind in customers’ thoughts and nudge them through the sales funnel. Make sure it’s not text heavy and has engaging visuals to draw their attention. Share positive stories about your work, products or services, your people and even things like supporting your community and contribution to environmental causes.

Networking

Then there’s the old fashion way to increase your business’ profile by going to events, fairs and conferences – each providing great networking opportunities. You could speak at a conference as an industry expert or host your own event – a new product launch or celebration of a business milestone.

Offer a loyalty scheme

If you don’t already have one, a customer loyalty scheme gives you a great opportunity to hang onto existing customers and attract new ones. It doesn’t have to cost much or require a great deal of effort to set up, even multinationals use the old school ink stamp on cards method.

Collaborate with another business

Have you thought about partnering with another business to broaden your network of customers? Go on the hunt for like-minded businesses that offer related products or services, appealing to a shared customer base. Creating a reciprocal arrangement mutually benefits both parties.

Diversify your offering

Is diversifying your product or service offering a potential option that will help to increase your profit by casting out a wider net? You also benefit by spreading your risk and create a new advantage over your competitors.

Become a certified business

With many SMEs going through a tendering process to win more work, it can seem rather daunting on the surface. There’s lots of information and data that you need to share with prospective clients so they can identify any weak links in their supply chain that could undermine their reputation. That’s why many contractors are asked to become certified. Based on research showing that more than half of businesses are asked to demonstrate their health and safety contractor certification and responsible practices in tenders, it’s even more important to consider if being certified is a good fit for your marketing arsenal.

Find out what works best for your business and adapt your approach as you go. What works for one may not work for the other. Just remember, give each of your activities a chance to flourish before hitting the off button.

You can download our guide ‘Cost-Effective Ways to Make Your Business Stand Out’ here, to get the full insight to take your forward on your marketing journey. To help you win new clients, SafeContractor certification is a globally recognised way to prove that you’re compliant with all the latest relevant legislation, follow best practice and meet all the standards for your industry. To find out more click here.