Marketing Trends Your Small Business Can Use in the New Year

The new year is finally here, and while many business owners are more than happy to put 2020 in the rearview mirror, they still need to set themselves up for success in 2021.

That begins with taking a holistic look at your marketing strategy for the new year, and identifying key developments that will position your business to put its best foot forward.

With that in mind, a little studying on the latest small business marketing trends will go a long way in the year ahead. Read on to understand the broad strokes of what the coming months could hold for your company:

Facebook out, Insta and TikTok in?
Facebook used to be the juggernaut for social marketing, just because it had a big user base across just about every demographic. But those days may soon come to an end. Small Business Bonfire notes that experts have actually seen this trend coming for a few years now, and it seems to finally be bearing fruit as other social media platforms such as TikTok continue to gain popularity.

However, TikTok isn't necessarily a good marketing platform by nature, so as businesses shift their efforts elsewhere, it certainly seems that Instagram is the go-to right now. However, there is at least some marketing efforts now taking place on TikTok, so it might be an avenue you want to explore.

This doesn't mean you should abandon Facebook, either, but it's a good idea to start cross-posting whenever you can.

Focus on making yourself as "findable" as possible.

Making yourself more visible on search engines
Let's say you're an arts and crafts store in Denver. When people in your area type "arts and crafts store Denver" into Google, do you show up? If so, where on the page?

These days, more people tend to shop with a local web search first, then drive to the first location that meets their needs. For that reason, you would be wise to make sure your company profiles — including hours, contact information and other details — are all listed on your Google profile. Innovative Global Vision notes that all you'll need to do is visit Google My Business to get started on this path.

Simply put, you want to make yourself as "findable" as possible.

Encourage customers to review you
Part and parcel with building a stronger search footprint is accumulating positive reviews that help people see just how great your business is. As a result, the Forbes Coaches Council recommends being more proactive about soliciting reviews from loyal customers.

Simply put, just asking them to do it (or incentivizing them with a contest customers can enter by leaving a review) will go a long way toward burnishing your brand and making you stand out from the local competition. That can be especially important for smaller companies in particular.

Properly marketing your business is, effectively, about helping to ensure your business will stay in good financial shape by building your base of customers or clients. At Vectra Bank, we can help you with other aspects of your finances. Get in touch with one of our local representatives today to learn more.