As one of the Sherpa co-founders, I speak to SMEs everyday but also as a sales & marketing...
A 10-Step Guide to Navigating the SMB High Seas!
With the dust well and truly settled on our ‘Best Carrier’ nod at this years NORA awards, the ship that is our 2019 is sailing sturdily towards the horizon. We’ve been reflecting on our first 5 years in the industry, and the voyage we took to get here.
Reflection on both success and failure has led us to many innovations since we launched back in 2015, and the emphasis we place on growth and the improvement of our product has been largely driven by feedback from our users, both customers and drivers.
From the start of our journey until now, SMB’s have been the constant wind in our sails, and along the way we’ve gathered as much insight as we can into how they work and how we can better service them. Suffice to say, we’ve learnt a thing or two.
When we ask SMB’s what their main challenges are, that ‘thing or two’ is always the same – ‘How do I get more customers?’ and ‘How do I market my business?’ Indeed. The two most important aspects of early and ongoing success.
So, how? Well, ‘tis your lucky day mates…
Here’s 10 tips on SMB marketing and customer acquisition we’ve collected along the way, to help you get the wind in your sails, or the wind in your, um… sales, as it were.
- Be SUPER clear on your value proposition.
What is it about your product/service that will benefit the customer in a unique fashion. This is also what separates you from the competition.
- Identify WHO and WHERE your customers are.
WHO can be a specific as you like. Try creating an in depth profile including name, age, appearance, interests, profession, daily routine. This will help you figure out the WHERE. More specifically – where is their attention and how can you capitalise on it. The answer these days is usually (but not always) social media. This will depend on your customer – so figure out the WHO!
- Develop a plan to acquire new customers.
Use multiple mediums, not just one, and be persistent because nothing happens overnight.
- Test, measure and refine.
If something clearly isn’t working then kick it to the curb and try something else.
- Branding.
Branding is just as important as measurable marketing. So make sure you do both.
- Marketing methods that can be measured are best.
Especially when you have low budgets. Google, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc. can all provide quantifiable results.
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
This is non-negotiable; if people can’t find you online, how do you expect them to buy from you?
- Content.
Produce relevant content around your brand/product and communicate it. Use your own blog, contribute to others, be a specialist in your industry, network with other local businesses, offer free talks… basically anyway you can think of.
- Referral Campaigns.
Easiest way and cheapest way to acquire new customers. Just ask people to recommend you, you’ll be surprised how many people are willing to do it once they buy into your business. You can go one step further by incentivising them to do it.
- Live up to your promise.
Your brand and your product must be what you claim them to be, that will make your marketing efforts A LOT easier.
Here at Sherpa, we help businesses acquire new customers by enabling on-demand delivery of products, allowing them to access users they previously could not service. If you want to have a chat about how we can help your business retain more customers and get more sales, reach out to sales@sherpa.net.au or give us a call on 1300 13 77 18.
