Recently, Instagram changed its algorithm (again) and everyone was up in arms. After all, we want to see what the people we follow are posting, not random posts that are ads or from people we've never seen before. But if you're a business, it was also devastating because suddenly your followers weren't seeing your posts as often either. Instagram backtracked a bit after all the backlash, but it's a really good example of how social media can't be your only marketing for your business! Here are other things you should be doing to get the word out about your business!

1. Email Marketing

If you have a tribe, then you should have their email addresses! That way, you can reach out to them on your schedule and you'll know that your messaging is actually reaching the people you want to target. You can gather more of those names by using a form on your website and by pushing people to it through social posts. Those names are like gold, so be sure you aren't over-communicating with them. But give them good tips, news, photos, and more to keep them engaged! And remember to include your former and current clients on those lists!

2. Grassroots Marketing

The idea behind this type of marketing is that you want to get those WOW reviews and have everyone refer your company to their friends and family. So HOW do you do that?? Well there's an old saying that EVERYTHING is marketing and that is totally true!! Your customer service and how you finish your projects - that's marketing! You want clients that are so happy that they want to tell everyone how great it is to work with you. But this type of marketing also comes from networking - getting out there and being involved in your community or in organizations where your target clients can be found. But here's something I ALWAYS do: ASK for the referral! At the end of the project say something like: "I hope your experience has been amazing - I would love for you to tell your friends and family about me!" 

3. Partnership Marketing

There are plenty of companies who want to reach the SAME people you do! If their brand positioning matches yours (like they are LUXE if your company is high-end), there could be some fun partnerships. That could include an ambassador program with a major national company, or even doing an event with a local business that has the same cachet that your company does! Be creative in thinking about how you can work together to get more clients and increase your visibility with the people you are trying to hit!

4. SEO Marketing

I recently had a designer sheepishly admit that she didn't know what SEO was. And that's OK if you've hired someone else to take care of that for your business. But it's a VERY important piece of the marketing puzzle!! Search Engine Optimization helps Google's searches find your business. You want to be sure that you're using the right keywords to attract those web searches when people are looking for YOUR services. The right SEO will get those searches to your website. And you have to set those up behind the scenes on your site. HIRE someone who can do this for you - it's that critical. And then consider doing a Google AdWords campaign, where you're paying for your website to come up in searches more often. 

Use these ideas in ADDITION to social media to get more clients - that's the key to the whole thing! To help you provide the very very best customer service, download my FREE Guide for How to Keep & Retain Clients!