For Better Organic Marketing, Rely on Your Existing Resources

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marketing planGrowing your business with organic marketing that taps into low-cost internal resources

As small business owners, we all are looking for ways to be better. Better leaders, better decision-makers, better marketers. But it can be tough with the demands on our time to be able to devote any energy toward anything other than our most pressing tasks. And it’s sometimes not fiscally feasible to recruit contractors or additional employees in order to handle certain jobs.

In an effort to run your business smoothly and achieve better organic marketing, you don’t have to run yourself ragged or drain your bank account.

Here are some tips that can help you utilize what you already have for some impressive results.

Get Your Employees in the Game

People often refer to social media as a free marketing tool, but the free label is a misnomer. Sure, many of the platforms are technically free to join. But creating associated strategies and managing them day-to-day takes significant thought and time. Because of this, small businesses frequently fall prey to outsourcing the management of their social accounts to a costly agency or abandoning social media efforts altogether. The good news is there are other options. You don’t need to give up, or give in to paying someone pricey fees.

Instead, task your employees with managing your social media accounts. First decide who on your team might excel in this area. Look for people who are tech savvy, understand the platforms, have a good grasp on writing and grammar, and have a creative mindset. Your job is to oversee the strategic direction of your social media and make sure it will bubble up to your larger marketing initiatives.

Then enroll a select group of employees to handle the daily tasks. Give them the ammo they’ll need, and let them execute the strategy. Give them the freedom to devise contests, post content and handle community management.

A great example of a company that handles social media well is Sevenly. The clothing brand uses social media to promote charities, and aligns with a different one every seven days. The company gets its fans and followers excited about giving back to a good cause, and does so through the power of social media.

Engage with Your Audience

There are many ways to engage with your audience. A good example of a company that has mastered content marketing and engagement is Wistia. By offering short video tutorials on how to improve in the area of video marketing, customers can quickly gain a valuable skill.

The singer/songwriter Lana del Rey has taken to Tumblr to give content to her fans. A few captures from her music videos were turned into GIFs, which have been shared readily and widely appreciated. This is a perfect example of repurposing content in short, shareable snippets.

Another great marketing tactic to use if you’re short on time and resources is the almighty testimonial. When prospects come to your site, they want to be able to see what other customers have thought about your product(s) or services. There’s perhaps nothing more influential to a prospective buyer than hearing firsthand from a happy customer. Start by identifying which customers of yours have had experiences with your company that would make for compelling testimonials. Then, approach them. Ask if they can write up a quick endorsement of your company, and share their positive experience with others.

Lifelock is a great example of a company that uses testimonials well. By providing a mix of video footage and written copy, the identity theft protection company gives prospective customers plenty of reasons to chooses its services thanks to the customers’ obvious satisfaction.

So as you set out to enhance your marketing, look within the walls of your very own company. Involve your employees and customers wherever possible, and be scrappy about how you create and share content. With concerted intention, you can be masterful with your marketing while saving time, money and your own peace of mind.

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Roy Rasmussen

Roy Rasmussen, co-author of "Publishing for Publicity," is a freelance copywriter who helps small businesses get more customers and make more sales. His specialty is helping experts reach their target market with a focused sales message. His most recent projects include books on cloud computing, small business management, sales, and business coaching.