A Better Answer Blog

Small business owners can accomplish much without spending too much money. In fact, marketing in today's connected era doesn't have to be hard or expensive. Even the simplest idea, when planned carefully and executed well, can get you great results.

Here are some common sense approaches to marketing your small business in 2014.

1. Get involved in your community.

You don't have to think big when it comes to marketing your business. You only have to think locally. Start by leveraging your community. Spend time with local customers. They're everywhere: neighborhood cafes, libraries, and parks. Put up flyers in coffee shops or leave books at your local library. These tactics can help your marketing message reach customers and expand your clientele.

2. Attend Networking Events Offline

A lot of entrepreneurs are pretty active on Facebook, Twitter and blogosphere. While maintaining an active social profile helps, nothing can replace traditional in-person networking tactics. In fact, the most successful small business entrepreneurs are actively participating in industry-related conferences and other community events. It's a good way to establish your reputation and be seen as an expert in your area of concentration. It's also one of the easiest ways to get the word out about your business.

3. Implement a Realistic Content-Based Marketing Plan

There's a new reality brands and businesses are facing: publishing at breakneck speed. Local coffee roasters are amassing fans, friends and subscribers by publishing target content online. Big brands invest in their online presence.

You can't afford to miss this opportunity to publish, be heard, and stay relevant. There's a variety of medium available to small businesses for creating a content marketing strategy: blogs, weekly emails, Pinterest boards and even podcasts.

4. Invest in a Customized Answering Service

A personalized chat or call center service can be that untapped asset your small business needs. In fact, a Forrester Research report found that many customers shopping online want a proactive support. They want their questions answered by a live person.

This finding makes a lot of business sense. Customers hate long waits and busy phone signals. With a personalized answering service, you're offering customers a better marketing/buying experience. And the more they're satisfied with your service, the faster your business grows.

Just make sure to hire the right answering service for your small business ends.

5.Invest in an Effective Website

Whether you're running a web-based business or a brick-and-mortar company, having a usable and appealing website is a must. That's because people—including your customers—often turn to the Internet first to find out about products and businesses. Remember, being found online is one of the pillars of a good inbound marketing strategy. So your lack of website means having potential business going down the drain.

Start with a simple yet highly targeted website. Find a good web designer and copywriter who can help you deliver your marketing message effectively. Emphasize your need of having a responsive website customers can access on any device, anytime and anywhere. Also have an analytics software installed to monitor how well or poorly your website performs.

Most importantly, get creative in implementing your content-creation strategies. If maintaining a regular blog is too much of a hassle, try weekly emails delivered straight to your customers' inbox.

Marketing your small business doesn't have to be costly. But that doesn't mean your campaigns require less time and effort. You have to put in extra hours, learn as much as you can, and adapt to the new era of marketing.