Your company narrative is essential for a number of reasons. And, inbound marketing is a tactic you can use to help develop it. The internet is a global phenomenon. So, even if you’re putting up a website in one part of the world, it’s also going to be visible to people on the opposite side of the world.
Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Well, if your website is eCommerce enabled and you’re shipping everywhere in the world, then it’s a good thing. If your brand has an international presence and is being sold in several countries at the same time, then too, it’s a good thing.
But, if you run a small business which only provides services or products in your local area, such as an accounting practice or financial advisory firm, then visibility in a different part of the world isn’t really going to help you. This is where developing your company narrative with inbound marketing comes into play.
In both cases, you need an inbound marketing strategy to help you get found by people who can actually buy your product or avail themselves of your services. Here are a few options:
Start With The Customers You Have
If you already run a small business, you likely have some customers. It’s a good idea to ask these customers to go to your website and your social media pages and leave a testimonial. Let them know the website exists and you'd be honored if they'd visit the site and leave a testimonial, make a referral to a friend, or leave a review.
In fact, you can even help them through this process when they come to you. For example, if someone has just met with you to file their taxes, you can take a picture of them in your office with their phone and ask them to post it online. Once people leave your office, they may or may not remember to do what you asked. But if they do it right in front of you, you’ll have one more positive review to your name. I have a friend who does this at his bike shop. Every time someone buys a bike, they step outside, in front of his store, and take a photo for social media.
Send them to a landing page you've created to download your recent eBook or white paper. Be sure they know you are sharing valuable information for free on your website and through your social media channels. Ask them to share this information with others too.
Keeping in touch with your customers after they’ve bought the product or used your service can also help with developing your company narrative. Put your clients on your email marketing list and send them regular email. This could be a once a month or once a quarter email newsletter. The idea is to stay top-of-mind. They may not need your services again until next year. But they may run into a friend who needs you now. Staying top-of-mind helps to develop your company narrative. And, don't forget to share valuable content through links you include in your email directing readers to your landing pages.
If there are any third party websites that do ratings for businesses in your neighborhood, it may help to have your clients go there as well and enter their own Five-Star Reviews.
The point is to get as many testimonials as you can online. People who are looking for local services tend to go by reviews from their peers when making their decision. If you have more good reviews, you’re going to get more clients.
Keep Abreast Of Local Developments
Is there a film festival going on in your neighborhood? Or some kind of local event? You can enhance your marketing by getting involved in community events such as these.
You can mention your participation in these events on your blog or social media pages. Plus, the event organizers will also have you listed on their website as one of their participants, along with a link to your website. This will give you some free publicity and help you to be found by locals looking for what you’re selling.
Even if you’re not participating in local events, references to local news can help you on your website. For example, if a new park is being built in your neighborhood or a movie theater has just opened, you can mention this on your blog or social media pages.
Think about how you can weave your company narrative in with the narrative of your neighborhood. Has your local YMCA closed down? Is a new community center being built? How will this impact people? How will it impact businesses such as yours? The more you write about local events like these that people are concerned about, the more hits you’re likely to get.
Contact us for more great inbound marketing tips to improve sales and develop a good company image.
