Small businesses are the beating heart of our economy. But let’s face it – competing with the big guys isn’t always a walk in the park.
As a small business owner, you know the struggle. Bigger brands outbid you on paid ads, throw money at marketing like it’s nothing, and seem to have endless resources to grow their business. It’s enough to make you want to throw in the towel sometimes.
But don’t lose hope! There are ways to level the playing field. With a bit of creativity in your sales promotion ideas and the right tools at your fingertips, you can take on the giants and win. Read on to discover six tactics that have worked for other small businesses in various industries.
1. Try Your Hand at SMS Marketing
They say modern problems require modern solutions. Fifteen years ago, running an SMS marketing campaign would have been foolish. People didn’t text as much, and not everyone had unlimited text messaging plans.
But today is different. Everyone has their phone glued to their hand 24/7, and they’re always texting. If you want to stay top-of-mind, SMS is the best way to reach potential customers. Compared to a crowded email inbox or Facebook feed, text messages have an average open rate of 98%!
Let’s say you run a plumbing business. You could send out a text blast to your customers. Something as simple as “Time for your annual pipe check-up. Book now and get 10% off!” It’s quick, it’s easy, and it gets results.
Pro Tips:
- Keep it short and sweet. Nobody wants to read a novel on their phone.
- Personalize messages with customer names when possible
- Include a clear call to action. Tell them exactly what you want them to do.
2. Leverage User-Generated Content
Imagine a roofer placing the last row of shingles perfectly. Or a med spa client looking in the mirror with restored youth. When you do great work, clients can get so excited that they post the results on social media!
This user-generated content (UGC) acts as free advertising and social proof. It shows you deliver on your promises and make customers happy. In fact, UGC is 8.7x more influential than influencer marketing and 6.6x more effective than branded content!
Sharing this UGC on your own page is a great way to pique any lurker’s interest and push them to try your services.
Pro Tips:
- Ask happy customers to tag your business if they share on social
- Always ask permission before sharing a customer’s content
- Run promotions asking for reviews in exchange for discounts
- Embed your Instagram feed on your website to showcase customer satisfaction and build credibility
3. Follow the Seasons with Discounts
Everybody loves a good discount! But if your services are always on sale, it loses its effect. Instead, offer seasonal promotions that align with holidays or changes in demand.
An HVAC company could advertise tune-ups before summer with a “Get Ready for the Heat!” coupon. Or a restaurant can have holiday meal specials over Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day weekends. Following natural trends shows you understand your offerings and customers.
Themed discounts also attract new business and encourage repeat purchases. You can even use them to boost slow periods or highlight new service additions!
Pro Tips:
- Create an annual sales promotions calendar to plan it out
- Use holiday branding in your ads and social posts
- Pair discounts with email/SMS campaigns for extra exposure
4. Encourage Loyalty
Loyalty programs reward customers for frequent business and encourage repeat purchases. They differ from rewards programs that provide instant perks or discounts.
Popular loyalty program examples include:
- Punch cards – Get a stamp with each visit; the tenth service is free
- Points systems – Earn points to redeem for products/discounts
- Tiered programs – Unlock additional perks and savings at certain tiers
Here are a few examples. Maybe you’re a coffee shop owner, and for every 10 cups of joe a customer buys, they get one free. Or if you’re running a law firm, you could offer a discount on future services for clients who refer new business your way.
Programs like these achieve two goals. First, they give customers more value for their money. Second, they incentivize coming back to your business vs. competitors. The more visits it takes to earn rewards, the stickier your program will be!
Pro Tips:
- Offer an initial signup bonus to kickstart participation
- Keep it simple. If your loyalty program needs a user manual, it’s too complicated.
- Send reminders when customers are close to reaching a new tier
- Make rewards realistic and attainable
5. Get Personal
Imagine getting this tow truck text:
“Hi, John! Just confirming we will be at 123 Main St. at 10 AM for your pickup. See you soon!”
Now imagine this one:
“This is Acme Towing confirming a 10 AM pickup at 123 Main St.”
Using personalization makes a world of difference. In fact, 60% of consumers say they’ll become repeat customers after a personalized shopping experience. We know how vital repeat business is for continued success. Personalized messages show customers you view them as more than dollar signs.
Pro Tips:
- Record names, attributes, and other details during service calls and store them in a CRM
- Segment contacts by location or service type
- Use mail merge to scale personalization
6. Create an Email Marketing Campaign
Email marketing has an average ROI of $42 for every $1 spent. You read that right. It’s no wonder most successful operations use email in their small business sales promotions mix. Unlike paid ads, you don’t have to continuously shell out cash. But you still need great content and segmentation for the best results. This is where Townsquare Interactive comes in handy!
Pro Tips:
- Send appointment reminders and special offers via email
- A/B test subject lines and content
- Pay attention to open and click-through rates
How Townsquare Interactive Can Help Small Business Promotion Efforts
We know first-hand how impactful the right sales promotions can be for small business success. But who has the time or expertise to coordinate all these sales promotion ideas alone? Townsquare Interactive offers an all-in-one business management platform combining marketing, billing, payments, and more.
Our CRM lets you store important customer details like phone numbers, emails, addresses, and previous services. Use it to segment contacts for targeted SMS or email campaigns. Townsquare also provides easy-to-use automation for messages. Set up a drip campaign once, and it will continue to deploy for future subscribers without added effort.
Within the platform, take advantage of beautiful email templates to showcase coupons, discounts, and promotions. Customize with your logo, images, and special offers to captivate subscribers.
Best of all, Townsquare works on both desktop and mobile. Manage your contacts, view reports, and monitor campaign results on-the-go!
Try a New Promotion Tactic Today with Townsquare Interactive
For too long, small businesses lacked the tools to truly compete against big brands. But modern business manager platforms can help finally level the playing field.
With easy customer management, campaign creation, and performance tracking, local businesses can now punch above their weight. Stop struggling with disjointed workflows. Instead, unify your systems to create small business sales promotions with serious ROI.
Sign up for a free demo today to see how Townsquare Interactive transforms your marketing and business growth!