How to Survive as a Little Fish in a Big Pond

Use free social marketing tools for your small business

In today's economy, it seems like it might be more difficult than ever for a small business to get noticed on a large scale. The omnipresence of global corporations makes it harder and harder for small businesses to get a foothold in the marketplace. And the size of some companies allows them to offer such a wide array of products that some smaller businesses feel overwhelmed and not able to compete. Nothing could be further from the truth, however. The universality of the internet levels the playing field for businesses of all sorts, and by taking advantage of this unique marketing tool you can succeed no matter how small your business is.

1) Know your niche

A small business will not be able to compete with the diversity of products offered on Amazon.com. That is okay, but it's important that as a business owner, you recognize that and find out where you can compete with the big boys. Usually there is something you can do with the individual flair of a small business that larger companies cannot. It may be that you sell a product other companies sell, but you provide stellar customer service. Accentuate that unique aspect of your company, whatever it is. Also, use feedback from your customers to help determine what your strong points are. Then make sure that when you design your website, you emphasize those points.

2) Promote, promote, promote

This is what makes the internet the great equalizer in today's economy: free promotion. No longer do you have to spend exorbitant amounts of money on advertising, you can drum up a great deal of attention just by spreading new internet content. After you've identified your niche, promote your services through social media websites like Facebook and Twitter. Also, take the time to write a blog. You can include links to this on your website as well as on social media sites. Your blog can take many forms. For example, it can provide helpful hints to potential customers to assist them with buying decisions, do-it-yourself projects, etc. As long as readers find it useful and it's well-written, it will serve as good promotion for your business.

3) Pay attention to your customers

As a small business, one area that you will always be able to outperform your larger competition in will be customer service and your adaptability to customer's needs. Use your website to get feedback from your customers - about their experiences with your company, desire for future products, etc. Then, use that feedback to improve your company. This ability to quickly obtain information then utilize it to improve your product is not something a company with thousands of employees can do. They have to develop a plan for change, then slowly implement it. You can send out a few emails and get the ball rolling right away.

4) Develop a brand

One of the reasons it's difficult to compete with large companies is because they have very well-established brands. It's been proven time and time again that people prefer to buy from companies they recognize, even if they know nothing about the product that the company actually sells. While you may not be able to achieve the same saturation as a large company, it still helps to have a well-developed logo and slogan (if applicable). Invest some time into devising these things, then use social media sites to promote them. The more people see your logo, the more likely they are to buy from you.

5) Remember why you started

Sure, it sounds corny, but one thing that often separates small businesses from larger ones is that smaller companies are closer to their founding ideals. These tend to get diluted and lost as a company gets larger, so focusing on them may help you to remember what makes your product great and helps it stand out from the rest.

Succeeding as a small business in today's marketplace doesn't have to be an inordinately daunting task. Small businesses have advantages that larger companies don't, it just takes some redirection of focus to recognize them. Remember that even the largest company in the world once started off as a small business. Success for small businesses is out there for the taking, you just have to know how to look.