Being that we live in a digital world, some business owners may feel that it’s hard to successfully run a business without relying on certain aspects of the digital world. While some people might find that to be true, it’s not always the case. Think about it… how did businesses back then gain their success without the invention of the internet and still remain successful today?
Well, the truth is, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram help grow your business but what if you’re a business owner who isn’t into the social media craze? You have a website and an email address but could care less about how many “likes” you get… This may sound “old school” or even prehistoric to the younger generation of business owners but the reality is a business can be run and run successfully without the use of social media.
*Now, keep in mind that not utilizing social media isn’t the same as not using the internet. Business owners can not have a desire to use social media but still use the internet.*
Social media and social networking can definitely be a little overwhelming for some but you can’t deny its success rates either but if this method of promoting your brand or business is not your preferred way of doing things, then hey… that’s your prerogative. The great news is that there are several ways that you can run a successful business without a large online presence on social media. Let’s take a look at how you can do it!
Attend Networking Events
Networking events are great for any kind of business whether you have a social media page or not. You get the opportunity to meet different people with like minds and share ideas. At these types of events, you even have the potential meet people who could potentially be your new client or customer, employee, or if you’re lucky enough, an investor!
Do “Boots on the Ground” Research
You, of course, will look online to check out your competitors and see who your target audience is but an approach to take that social media can’t do is actually get out in your local areas and neighborhoods and market your business… and that’s what is meant by “boots on the ground. Depending on the product or service you’re selling, you can post flyers at places like
– Parks
– Libraries
– Coffee shops
– Beauty shops
– Colleges
– Office buildings
If you sell women’s hair care products, stop by your local beauty shops and salons and talk to some of the beauticians there to promote your products. You can also stop by some of the beauty schools to make a great first impression on the students. You could probably even get an appointment set up to talk to a few classes to discuss why they need to use your product on their clients.
With your “boots on the ground research,” if you really want to impress people and show how much you believe in your product, have freebies to hand out to people with your business card attached.
Consider Guest Posting for Your Website
Being that you are not a fan of social media, utilizing guest posting services for your website will help your business out tremendously. If your business is able to get mentioned on other blogs or websites, you’ll gain exposure to a new audience, build more traffic to your website, and just overall improve your visibility on different search engines like Google and Bing.
With the benefits of guest posting services, the way it works is that guest contributors (writers) will write posts on topics that relate the overall brand and message of your website. The other way that it works is that you, or someone representing you, can write a blog post that will be posted on another website’s blog.
Create a Referral Program for Your Business
People usually tend to thrive with referral programs because there is usually some type of reward as the end result. Forbes.com says that a good customer referral program can turn a struggling business into a profitable one, and they couldn’t be more right!
Whether you choose to create this referral program for new customers, current customers or all customers, you can go wrong with it. Now, because it is a referral program, you will need to come up with some type of end result or prize for the person who sends the most referrals to you (that’s usually how it works).
It can’t be just anything either. If customers are going to take the timeout of their busy lives to promote your business, you need to give the winner a prize worth their time. It can be free merchandise of your product. It can be a store credit or a decent percentage off of the merchandise they purchase from you. Make it worth their while to a point that they look forward to it even if it is just for the incentive!
