Regardless of who you are, your plan of action, or even the products themselves, marketing is a tough nut to crack. This is a reality that will never change. Why? Well, to be blunt, humans never change. If that word-picture is not up your alley so to speak, try this one on for size – marketing is the bridge allowing businesses and consumers to begin forming a working relationship. While brief, all this information should make it obvious why marketing is akin to opening a macadamia.
As you might already be realizing, the list of marketing variables does not stop there. In truth, there is no shortage of these. For example, consider the city of Dallas. It spans nearly 400 square miles. How in the world is a small business in this area supposed to tackle the beast that is marketing in this city? Billboards in Dallas are certainly an option. However, just as with marketing variables, there is no shortage of marketing strategies. So, without further ado, here are four marketing strategies that work for small businesses in Dallas.
1. Remember your social media presence
The idea of running your own small business is often associated with a quaint and homely feeling. Perhaps your establishment sits in the neighborhood near the Old City. If so, these feelings might only be heightened. While this specific location is certainly good for business, feelings of any kind should never be the dictator in your small business. In fact, quite the opposite. Running a small business in a city as modern as Dallas requires an appropriate approach. To be blunt once more, have you created an online presence for your business? Is it something you update and maintain on a regular basis? If yes, carry on. If not, take care of these things before moving forward. You just might thank us for it.
2. But first, a little research
Unless you are well-versed in cross-cultural business, you are likely unaware of a vital marketing element – the unique challenges each culture brings to interpersonal and B2B communication. Your company might be responsible for a product which can change the world but if the marketing is not tailored for its intended audience, your fantastic idea might disappear from existence faster than you can react. To avoid this outcome, elbow grease is required of you. Afterall, it is darn near impossible to find someone willing to fork over their hard-earned money just because you asked nicely. You and your company must demonstrate how much you value those who will hopefully become your customers. Should you run with this approach, do not be surprised to see it pay dividends down the road.
3. Did someone say billboards?
While the question above is certainly rhetorical, you should not overlook the subject of it. Billboards might seem like an idea of the past, but have you been through downtown Dallas recently? Art is alive and well in the form of marketing content! Or vice-versa depending on how you want to look at it. But whatever. The point here is your small business can benefit immensely from a clearly designed billboard campaign. An evening spent learning photo editing software to contribute to this idea will only result in delays as well as additional expenses. So please, take it from us, if you decide to go the billboard route – find professionals every step of the way. Especially when it comes to the visuals. This cannot be overstated as one of the worst things you can do for your business is to leave a bad first impression.
4. When in doubt, SEO
It may not be the most hopeful phrasing, but search engine optimization has gotten where it is today due to its efficacy. As a dig-deep, pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps kind of person, having the internet be the make-or-break point for small businesses may not sit well with you. This hardly seems fair. But, no matter how you choose to categorize SEO, you must ask yourself one question when choosing if it should be part of your company moving forward – Does the idea of finishing outside of the red next year sound like something you are interested in? Fully investing in company-wide SEO can make this happen.
Nobody said starting your own business in the largest continental state in America would be easy. If they did, this person should no longer give you business advice. But hopefully one or more of these ideas will serve to propel your small business to the top of Dallas’ corporate food chain.
