No, we're not talking fruits and veggies.
If you're a small business owner, you must always be thinking of ways to grow your business sustainably. While there are many paths to growth, organic growth has arguably become the best option for small businesses. Here's why:
Build Brand Awareness
As any business owner knows, brand awareness is essential for success. And why wouldn't you want to build a brand for your customers to follow? After all, how do you expect people to buy your products or use your services if they don't even know who you are? One of the best ways to build brand awareness is through organic growth. When you focus on growing your business organically, you're more likely to gain a following of genuine fans of your brand.
These fans are more likely to stick with you through thick and thin, and they'll be more likely to recommend you to their friends and family. It may take some time, but you'll be better off in the long run.
Strike a Balance
It's important to find the right balance between paid ads and organic growth. Paid ads can be a great way to reach new customers and promote your products or services. However, they can also be expensive, especially recently. Not to mention it's gotten increasingly difficult to target users. Because of this, there's no guarantee that they'll be effective.
Organic growth, on the other hand, can be more sustainable in the long run. But it can be slower, and you may not reach as many people as you would with paid ads. The key is to find a balance that works for you and your business. Experiment with different strategies and see what produces the best results. And remember, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. What works for one business may not work for yours.
Paid ads are great, don't get me wrong. But if you're trying to establish your business, especially a new one, in your community, it's crucial to consider what routes you can take. When people search for something online, they are generally further along in the buying cycle and more likely to convert into leads or customers. Additionally, almost 80% of searchers skip Google ads and go straight to organic results. And not only that, but organic search drives more than half of all website traffic on the web, while paid ads drive just a quarter!
Don't Spend All Your Money on Ads
You can live or die by ads. Let me explain. Yes, ads are a great way to gain impressions and spread brand awareness on the internet, but what happens if you ONLY run ads and never develop a real connection with your clients, followers, subscribers, whatever it may be?
Chances are, once you stop the ads, the money stops coming in, leaving you with no other source of lead generation. Without ads, you'll need to find other ways to reach your target audience and generate sales. In other words, you'll need to get creative. Brainstorm some new marketing ideas, and come up with a plan that doesn't revolve around online ads. For crying out loud, our blog has tons of resources!
It may be a challenge, but it's definitely doable. And who knows? You might even end up with a better marketing strategy as a result.
If you're not investing in organic ways to grow your business's online presence, it's time to take ownership of your brand and establish yourself as a reputable business in your community. Get growing!
Thanks for reading!