Stop Guessing: How to Strategically Market Your Small Business in San Diego

Small businesses in San Diego face a unique challenge— the competition is hot, the market is saturated, and the average techniques don't always seem to work. It's one thing to know to post more on social media or write some blogs for SEO, it's something entirely different to know how to engage an audience and turn interest into cash.

As a digital marketing consultant for small businesses in San Diego, we're going to help you understand how to use your existing knowledge of your business to market yourself more strategically.

Determine What Sets You Apart From Others

This one is like, okay duh. You know your brand better than anyone. But the challenge here is to utilize that knowledge in a way that is marketable. Sit down and write these out, even if the answers to these questions feel obvious.

Ask yourself:

What makes my business stand out from the competition?

Is my product or service more affordable than most? Is my business completely unique from others who might fall under a similar category? Is my product or service higher-quality than others? Do I serve a market that's often overlooked?

Once you've really pinned down your selling points, you'll have a great foundation for what to promote. Lean into your strengths and make sure that people know why they should engage with your brand over anyone else's.

What's currently working for me?

Am I highly personable and people visit my establishment for the vibes? Do my customers/clients absolutely love the aesthetic of my storefront? What gets people in the door? What keeps people coming back to me?

When you understand what's working in your current systems, you can translate that to future marketing efforts. If you're the kind of establishment people visit once and become a consumer for life, use strategies to get them through the door. If word-of-mouth is your greatest catalyst, consider a referral program or an incentive to gain online reviews.

Your current strengths are your biggest ally in knowing how to proceed in the future.

What hasn't been working?

Am I finding retention challenging? Am I currently on top of marketing efforts but it feels like they're going nowhere? Is my brand awareness not translating to bookings or purchases?

There are so many steps required for affective local digital marketing— I promise it's not just you, it's tough out here, even for the pros. If you're getting a lot of website engagement that rarely converts, it's possible there's not enough information to take people from "ooh who is this?" to "oh I'm for SURE using them."

If your social media follower count has been stagnant, you might not be engaging your audience enough to make them consider you as a viable option. If people stop through once and never again, you might be missing opportunities for retention or reconnection.

If you've been finding it difficult to manage marketing and run your business, Jolie Media acts as a service provider and digital marketing consultant for small businesses. We offer affordable, top-quality services for modern businesses backed by 8+ years of experience. Contact us to learn more (shameless plug, thanks for listening).

Understand Your Audience

Again, duh. But again— really think about the clients or customers who would utilize your business. If your target audience is San Diego moms over 40, speak to San Diego moms over 40. If you're marketing to a younger generation, keep up with the trends. If you don't care who enters your business as long as they're paying, cast a wider net or use segmenting tactics to reach different audiences.

Ask yourself:

If I were a consumer, what would I want to see?

What would someone who is most likely to purchase my product or service actually look for? What would catch their eye? What would cause them to choose my brands over others? If they're considering my product or service, what would make them finally commit?

Take this back to your business' strengths and utilize those selling points in your local digital marketing. Visually, you always want on-brand, aesthetically-pleasing materials (if you're not sure whether to upgrade your existing visuals, read this blog). But in general, you want to speak directly to your audience and tell them exactly how you can fulfill their needs as soon as your brand is introduced.

What needs does my business fulfill for my audience?

What are they actively searching for that my brand can provide? How do I fulfill that need for them optimally?

Again, take it back to your brand's strengths. You can translate this knowledge into exactly what type of marketing to focus on. If you can fulfill a need better than your competition or at a lower cost, that's what your audience wants to know. If you're offering a never-before-used product or service, market accordingly. Make your messaging specific and tailored to show your audience what they're missing by not using you.

Looking for help understanding your audience? Contact us to work directly with a digital marketing consultant for small businesses. We can point you in the right direction.

You've Defined Your Brand and Your Audience... What's Next?

Now comes the fun part. Your brand's strengths and your audience's needs are at the top of your mind, now it's time to put that into practice. With so many different considerations and avenues for growth, it's important to know exactly where to start.

Here's what I'd prioritize when it comes to local digital marketing:

1. Make Sure Your Audience Has a Safe Space to Land

By this, I mean— is your website optimized? Does your social media exhibit who you are and what you do? Can my audience land on any given digital touchpoint and know exactly what I offer and how to proceed?

Before you put yourself out there, make sure you can maintain what you attract.

Here are some bare-bones optimizations you can conduct before you make a big marketing push:

• Instant Gratification: Make sure your audience understands who you are and what you provide from the moment they land on your website or socials. You don't want them to even really have to scroll. Not only does their first touch with you need to be on-brand and visually appealing, but it needs to say a lot in a few words. We're all skimmers nowadays, let's assume your visitors are too.
  

• Options for More: You should have website buttons and social media bio links that take visitors exactly where they need to go to learn more, shop, or book your service. Every touch point should lead visitors somewhere they can educate themselves or convert.

• Remove Any Friction: If they can't get exactly what they're looking for in 1-2 clicks, assume they may not convert. This goes back to instant gratification— remove any barriers you can that makes them work too hard to receive your product or service.

2. Determine Which Marketing Channels Require Prioritization

You're a small business owner and your time is limited, which means you need to know where to focus your efforts. Prioritize your most-likely-to-engage-and-convert marketing channels first. If you're limited by budget, build the parts of your business that don't require up-front costs.

Here are different local digital marketing channels and whether or not to direct your focus:

• Organic Social Media: I have to say this now: yes. Almost always yes. Social media is how everyone shops and gets found nowadays, there's little to no overhead cost, and it's the quickest and most effective way to showcase your brand and personality. It's also relatively low-maintenance and can be completed in-full with a smartphone. Nowadays, consideration for brands goes beyond what product or service you offer and has become, "who the hell am I giving my money to?" Show them why it should be you.

  
  

  If you hate social media, reach out to us— we can help you with a strategy or take it off your hands all together.
  

• Search Engine Optimization: Also yes. SEO is what keeps your business visible on digital search engines without needing to spend on advertising. It also maintains website health and ensures there's nothing happening in the background to stifle your digital presence. This is something you should always be prioritizing for slow, long-term growth and visibility. This includes:

  • Local SEO measures

  • Optimizing your website for keywords applicable to your business (read our guide to learn more)

  • Technical SEO (maintaining your website's infrastructure so that you continue to show up in search engines)

  • Writing blogs and ongoing content measures to increase rankings

  • Website structure optimization

  • Mobile optimization (everyone uses their phones nowadays)

  • .... and SO MUCH MORE.
    

  If you're looking for someone to take SEO off your hands, we can do that too. Learn more. We've found that a lot of the brands we work have a great website foundation, but have little to no visibility online. It may be that Google or other search engines aren't even recognizing that your website is there— we can help with that.
  

• Email Marketing: You're going to hate me for this but... yup. Email marketing is a way to nurture interest and keep your brand top-of-mind for potential consumers (or returning ones). It's also a way to showcase promotions or get people through the door through incentives. Collect emails, automate processes, and continue educating your audience in a relatively simple and no-to-low cost way.
  

  Again, if you're looking for help, we've got you.
  

• Paid Social Advertising: This works if you have the budget for it— even a minimal budget can help put you in front of your audience. It may require a little more maintenance and work up-front, but paid social is absolutely worth it if you want results fast (and know how to market yourself!)
  

  You may not know this but... we do this too! Contact us to learn more.
  

• Paid Search Advertising: You know when you type something into Google and see "sponsored" and a relatively-applicable product or service? That's essentially what paid search advertising is. It's another way for immediate results— but you also have to have the budget for it.
  

  You might've guessed it, we do this too! Reach out to get started.

The avenues you choose (and the quality in which they're completed) will give you different results at a different pace, but one thing is for certain: it's important to target every applicable channel within your means.

3. Pay Attention to What Works (and What Doesn't)

You may notice you get more likes on certain posts, or that a majority of website visitors are inquiring about a specific product or service. Use that data to really understand what is working, what's piquing interest, etc, so that you can prioritize accordingly. Analytics are your greatest ally when you're learning the best ways to market yourself.

You may have an idea in your head about what you think will work, but sometimes in practice your audience resonates with something else. That's something we've noticed working in the digital marketing realm: you never know until you know.

A Digital Marketing Consultant for Small Businesses

If all if this information felt overwhelming or unachievable, reach out to Jolie Media. We'll get you set up with a program that actually works, with no rigid contracts and the ability to adjust our priorities as-needed.