In the past decade, it is no secret that companies like Amazon and eBay have taken over the marketing business, with their easy to use and fast delivery times, competition is scarce. But over the past few years demand for small, usually family-owned businesses has been growing, and with the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, so has the call for black and BIPOC owned companies. Below is a list of five marketing strategies for small businesses.

Updating Old Content

No matter how much one might brag about their capability of keeping up with today’s new lingo, it is put to the test in their ability to prove it in the form of updating any old content. It is never too soon to make small updates to your company; broadening your customer reach in any way possible is always helpful, and one way to do that is to start with your employees. Consider hiring either younger or older employees; this way, they can help to give you a better understanding of customers in their age group. It can never hurt to get a different lens on what you’re doing. 

Live Chat

Although live chat has been around for years, there has been a recent surge in demand for having a quick, real conversation with someone. According to a recent study, more than half of customers prefer to have a live chat available. By showing your personal interest in what the customer cares about creates a connection that the customer will remember when choosing between your local business and one more distant and robotic, like Amazon. 

Blog Content

More and more small businesses have a blog section on their websites, and that’s because people love it! Customers love having their questions answered before they ask it, who doesn’t? Even having just a few blogs for the most asked questions can prove to be a huge help. If a customer has a question and there’s no way to get an answer, that causes unease and caution in the reliability of a business. But when you’ve got the answers ready to go, then what’s not to love?

Building a Social Media Platform

Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past decade or so, then you know that having a social media platform as a business is essential. No matter how old you are, the majority of people have at least one social media app, and it’s your job to find them and grab their attention. Of course, big apps such as Facebook, Instagram and now Tik Tok are super important to get on, but it’s also the smaller, non-traditional platforms that could make or break you. Because sites such as Reddit, Quora, and Digg are more targeted to individuals, your audience will find you rather than the other way around. 

Customer Service

Although probably the most obvious, that doesn’t make it any less crucial. Having excellent customer service is the secret to any good business because the customer will always remember how they were treated and how they felt while shopping. Ask them always to leave reviews on Yelp, the Better Business Bureau, or Trip Advisor. Making the customer feel welcome and wanted will never hurt!