7 Tactics Can Help Owners Promote Online Small Business Effectively

What is the best way to promote your small business online? originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

Implement these 7 tactics and you’ll be ahead of 95% of all small businesses who advertise online.

Know your audience

Every business sells transformation.

Whether it’s the gym for our bodies, the bookstore for our brains or the theater for our boredom, we spend money at these places because they promise to improve our lives in one way or another.

When people come to your business, what do they expect to change?

For my marketing agency, I tell people this is what I do:

“I help local businesses generate hundreds of new leads every month through Facebook advertising so they can attract new clients and get a significant return on investment without lifting a finger.”

That way when people start working with me, they know exactly what will change and how long it’ll take.

Advertise where they are

Are you advertising where your clients are?

Are they in the right state of mind when they see your ad?

Context matters – advertising isn’t about promoting yourself to as many people as possible but about targeting the right people, in the right place, at the right time with the right message.

When people ask me why I run a Facebook advertising agency but don’t advertise on Facebook, it’s because my potential clients aren’t there, they’re on LinkedIn, and so I put my attention there instead.

Be an attractive company

Everybody loves to buy, but nobody loves to be sold.

Recognize that you’re a stranger to your potential clients.

So instead of trying to sell your services and appearing threatening…

Be friendly and lead with value.

Show them your expertise and value.

Get them to know, like and trust you.

Be the company that helps them make the transformation they desire.

When done right, they’ll come to you instead.

That’s why I post on LinkedIn every day.

It’s not about making a sale, but rather about developing a brand, growing relationships with people and understanding eventually I’ll get a ROI from this work.

Have an irresistible intro offer

When they come to you, offer them something irresistible.

Acknowledge that they’re taking a risk by paying you money for your products and services.

So give them something that irresistible with as little investment as possible.

When prospective clients approach me and pass the client filter, I understand their situation and give them a one page marketing plan for free regardless if they choose to work with me or not.

Create a continuity package

Once they’ve made their first purchase with you, make sure it’s an awesome experience.

Then show them how else you can make their lives better on a regular basis with a program that encourages them to pay you every month in exchange for superior value.

It’s six times harder to get a prospect to make a purchase compared to somebody who has already bought from you.

So make it count!

When companies I work with start advertising on Facebook and getting good results, I encourage them to sign up on a monthly retainer plan with me.

That way they can get a better rate and I get more predictability in sales and cash flow.

Upsell your other products and services

Since you already know their problems, offer them more solutions.

I’m a Facebook advertising specialist, but I know that paid advertising is only one cog of the marketing machine, and to maximize ROI my clients need to implement other tools as well.

That’s why I offer services like sales funnel creation and email marketing.

If I know it can solve my clients problems and make their lives easier, then it’s up to me to provide that.

Respect your clients

The last and most important thing is to always have your clients interest at heart first.

If you only take one thing away, it’s this one.

Your clients are what make your business possible.

So never take them for granted and always do your best to take responsibility for issues that may happen.

It’ll be hard to do at first, but the loyalty you engender means you’ll never regret it.

Contributed by Justin Tan, Founder of two 6-figure companies | Facebook Marketer