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The marketing tips for small business that work hardest come down to a few basics done well: know exactly who your customer is, make sure they can find you on Google, give them a clear reason to choose you, ask happy customers for reviews and referrals, and track what brings in work. You don’t need every channel. Start with the ones your customers already use, and build from there.
How can I market my small business?
Here are the small business marketing tips we’d give any owner starting out or starting again:
1. Know who you’re marketing to
Write down who your best customers are: where they live, what problem they have, how they look for help and what makes them choose. Our guide to buyer personas shows how to do this in an hour.
2. Say clearly why you’re different
Customers compare. In one sentence, what do you do better, faster or differently? “Local, family-owned, same-day callouts” is clearer than “quality service”. Put that message on your website, profile and ads.
3. Get your Google Business Profile right
For local businesses, your Google Business Profile is often the first thing people see. Fill in every field, choose the right categories, add real photos, post updates and keep your hours current.
4. Make your website easy to use on a phone
Your website should load quickly, explain what you do and where, show prices or a starting point, and make calling or booking one tap away.
5. Ask for reviews, every time
Reviews build trust and help you show up in local search. Make asking part of finishing every job, and reply to every review. See our guide on how to get more Google reviews.
6. Pick one or two social media channels
Choose the platforms your customers use, and post consistently rather than everywhere. Our guide to social media marketing for small business covers how to start.
7. Build an email list
Customers who have opted in are your easiest repeat sales. A simple monthly email with news, tips or an offer keeps you front of mind.
8. Encourage word of mouth
Make referring easy: a thank-you card with your details, a referral reward that’s disclosed, or a simple “know someone who’d like this?” at the end of a job. Our guide to word of mouth marketing has more ideas.
9. Answer customers’ questions with content
Write short articles or videos answering the questions customers ask you every week. They help people trust you and help your website rank.
10. Track what works
Ask every new customer how they found you, set up Google Analytics 4 and note where enquiries come from. Then spend more on what works and stop what doesn’t.
How do you market a small business locally?
For a business that serves its own town or region, local marketing matters most:
- Use your town and region names naturally on your website and Google Business Profile.
- Get listed in local directories and your industry association’s member list.
- Sponsor or show up at local events, sports clubs and markets.
- Partner with businesses that serve the same customers but don’t compete.
- Run local search ads for your main services within your service area.
Our article on what local SEO is explains how to rank in your area.
How can you market a small business on a budget?
Many of the most effective small business marketing steps cost time rather than money: your Google Business Profile, asking for reviews, social posts, email and referrals. Spend money where it speeds things up, such as a better website, targeted ads in your busy season or professional photos. For more low-cost options, see our list of marketing ideas for small business.
What is the best marketing strategy for a small business?
There isn’t one strategy that suits every business, but the one that works for most small businesses is focus: one clear customer, one clear message and two or three channels done consistently, measured every month. That beats trying every platform at once. A short written plan helps: our marketing plan template walks you through it.
How do you conduct market research for a small business?
- Talk to customers: ask recent customers why they chose you, what nearly stopped them and what they’d tell a friend.
- Check competitors: look at their websites, reviews, prices and social media.
- Look at searches: type your service and town into Google and note the questions in “People also ask”.
- Use free data: your Google Business Profile and Search Console show what people search to find you.
- Test small: try an offer or message on a small scale before you spend more.
How do you market a small business on social media?
Post real photos and short videos of your work, team and customers (with permission). Answer questions, share tips and reply to every comment and message. Keep a simple calendar so you post regularly, and use paid boosts sparingly for events or offers that matter.
What marketing mistakes do small businesses make?
- Trying every channel at once and doing none of them well.
- Not tracking where enquiries come from.
- An out-of-date website or Google profile.
- Talking about yourself instead of the customer’s problem.
- Stopping marketing when you’re busy, then starting again when work dries up.
When should you get marketing help?
If marketing keeps falling to the bottom of your list, or you’re spending without knowing what works, it may be time for help. Our small business marketing service plans and runs it with you, and our marketing partnerships start from $4,500 + GST a month for 28 hours of work. If one or two changes will do for now, we’ll tell you.
Frequently asked questions
How do I set a marketing budget?
It depends on your goals, industry and stage. Start by working out what a new customer is worth to you, then set a budget you can sustain and measure. Track the cost per enquiry for each channel so you can move money to what works.
How long does marketing take to work?
Ads and promotions can bring enquiries quickly. Reviews, SEO, content and word of mouth build over months, but they keep working long after.
Can I do my own marketing?
Yes. Many owners handle their Google profile, reviews, social posts and email themselves, and bring in help for the website, ads or SEO.
What’s the first marketing step for a new business?
Get the basics in place: a logo, a Google Business Profile, a simple website or landing page and one social media channel. Our New Business Package ($4,995 + GST) covers those.
The short version
The marketing tips for small business that matter most: know your customer, stand out clearly, be easy to find on Google, ask for reviews and referrals, use one or two social channels well, and track what brings in work.
If you’d like help putting these into practice, book a free 30-minute discovery call.
