Across both regional and metropolitan areas, the majority of businesses you can expect to see when walking up and down main streets will be family owned, and perhaps even family-oriented – and we love it.
Shepparton is also no exception here, having been recognised for our city’s entrepreneurial energy not that long ago.
But even with the tapestry of small businesses comprising our bustling main streets, so much of the advertising we’re exposed to on a daily basis are still from some of the country’s largest corporations.
The question now becomes this: how can Australia’s small business owners reclaim their space in our national advertising landscape?
The key lies in strategic small business branding and marketing campaigns.
And no, this doesn’t mean paying for ad space on Netflix or during the footy season.
Here are just a few ways you can seriously bolster your small business marketing without having to pay an arm and a leg in the process.
Branded merchandise over traditional business cards
Believe it or not, but branded merchandise printing is actually more accessible and cost-effective for small business owners in Australia than ever before.
How so? You can easily find printing partners online who can handle custom orders for your business by using your brand designs on their existing stock of merchandise.
This merchandise can even be anything from pens and other stationery to stress balls, mugs, aprons, or anything else that would be relevant to your business and actually helpful or practical for your customer base.
Yes, business cards can be great to keep on hand in a pinch, but if you’re able to toss a potential lead a fun little stress ball with your business branding printed on, you’re more likely to be remembered, and thus more likely to strengthen your customer conversions.
So the next time you’re planning to set up a company stall at a local business expo or community event, be sure to get a little branded merch prepped in a bowl or on a tabletop for prospective clients and customers to enjoy.
Creative branding goes a long way
Both branded merch and business cards are only effective if your actual branding and company messaging have all the qualities of a memorable and engaging brand.
For example, let’s say you manage a lawnmower repair workshop.
Your company name should at least include the word ‘mower’ in some form to help provide context at a glance and to also make it easier for customers to find you online.
Similarly, using green for your branding or even including a little cartoon mascot of a lawnmower can also help develop a brand identity that’s engaging, informative, and harmonious with the services you offer and the values of your business.
You can apply this strategy to any market and niche as well, it just requires a little playful brainstorming and flexing of your creative muscles to build a brand that is fun and satisfying for your customers to interact with.
In this sense, your business branding is an extension of your overall customer experience.
Pro tip: Don’t have the biggest confidence in your own creative muscles? Why not find a freelance designer to help you out, or perhaps even see if any of your colleagues or employees may want to contribute to your creative branding project?
Promote at the right time – not all the time
Ad fatigue is very real, especially for Australian consumer audiences who’ve reported that they resort to ‘mentally tuning out or actively blocking repetitive advertising’, according to a study conducted by Trade Desk.
This means that your spending on advertising will actually reach a point of diminishing returns, resulting in financial waste for your business.
So how do you know when and where to promote your business to maintain a strong ROI for your ad spend?
The answer is simpler than you might expect: promote where your business and its products and services are most relevant and thus, most helpful to your customer base.
Not only will this strategy of selective and strategic advertising help prevent ad fatigue, but it’ll also help you make sure you’re taking advantage of commercial opportunities for your business by delivering the right messaging to the right people at the right time.
Pro tip: Keeping your advertising messaging fresh and current can also help to combat ad fatigue. So if you do offer services year-round (i.e. your business has no defined ‘peak season’), then at least make sure you combat risks of ad fatigue by swapping out your ad messaging seasonally or routinely.
Become a commercial pillar in your local community
Finally, remember that one of the reasons why Australia’s business landscape is so dominated by small businesses is because we as consumers love to know more about the faces and characters behind our favourite local brands.
We value connecting with business leaders, whether they be passionate craftsmen, masters of their trade, or just local members of our community who really want to help others.
So Shepparton business owners – we encourage you to get yourselves out there, and get involved in community events to solidify yourself and your business as valued commercial pillars in your wider local community.
Local cafe and restaurant owners, why not consider setting up a food stall at our 150th Shepparton Show that’s scheduled to take place later this year?
And for local service providers (like lawnmower repair workshops, to return back to that fun, little example), consider printing off some special offers to pop in mailboxes around your neighbourhood.
Aussie consumers always appreciate that personalised, community-oriented touch.
Reach greater heights with the right marketing strategies for your small business
Small business marketing doesn’t always have to feel like small fry efforts.
Even if you don’t have the budget for TV or radio ad spots, more often than not you won’t really need them anyway!
After all, for a lot of regional business owners, the clients you need are walking on the streets all around you.
So your efforts can be focused on simply speaking directly to them in whatever methods pair best with their consumer behaviours.
And if you do happen to operate an online branch for your regional business, then there’s plenty you can do in digital channels as well, from posting on social media, to cultivating strong Google reviews, and even showcasing your business on other commercial platforms like Etsy, eBay, Fiverr, and more.
It’s all about using whatever tools are available to you, and are most likely to put you directly in front of the leads you’re looking for.
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