Best Way to Market?

[Braidsbybellah]

 My name is Aaliyah, I run a small business. I provide professional hair braiding services. what is the best way to market my business, without selling a product? SOS!!!

[HC_Charlie · Accepted solution]

Hello @Braidsbybellah and welcome to the Square Community! We're glad you're here. Here are a few tips for marketing your small business. You may be selling a service rather than a product, but the basic principles of sales and marketing apply to both.

• Identify your customers...ask yourself, who would want my service, and that answer will lead you to the following:
  • Where are they located? How can i reach them? Flyers, websites, word-of-mouth, email?
• Start small with people or customers you already work with. Provide AWESOME customer service and ask for referrals. Word of mouth is very powerful and doesn't cost you any marketing dollars
• Price your service to allow for profitability. That means figure out your expenses including supplies, overhead like rent or electricity, etc. And factor in a wage to compensate yourself for your time. Remember this is a business and your goal is to make money to support yourself, possible employees as you grow your business.
• Know your competition. Who else does what you do, and are they close to you? Offer the same or different services? What are their prices? How do they market? Knowing as much as you can about your competition will help you answer your own questions and figure out how you're different and how you can do it better!
• Google and search online for business marketing tips. There are a TON of experts and experienced business owners sharing tips and techniques...and keep checking back HERE for more advice from fellow Square business owners.

Good luck to you and best wishes in your business! Remember we're glad you're part of our Square Community!

[OceanWave]

Hi Aaliyah,

I fully agree with Charlie, it sounds like you offer a service rather than a product, but your proceeds to go about marketing them are very similar. 

One thing I would highly suggest for you is to utilize social media, ESPECIALLY videos of your work on Instagram, Facebook and yes even TikTok. These platforms can help you reach people on a local base if used correctly while also helping get your name and service out there. 

There seems to be a very large market on TikTok that’s interested in a behind the scenes process of anything involving hair. Ideally, you would aim to follow similar accounts and interact with them through likes, shares & comments with hopes that a shared interest and service can help you reach more potential clients without ever selling anything other than yourself. 

[alexandriak]

Social media is a great way to advertise! Use customer reviews, show behind the scenes, etc. Look at where your ideal customer is and setup some ads on that platform

[QFN1]

What was some good marketing tips to get your business more exposure?

[Kassi_]

Welcome back to the Community, @QFN1 - 

I have moved your post to another thread where a seller asked a similar question for some marketing tips. 

Take a look, here! 

[Pushpetgrooming]

I am new to all of this. I use square for my clients that pay by card but I want to build my business up to get more clients. Any suggestions?

[Kassi_]

 Welcome to the Community, @Pushpetgrooming - 

I moved your post to a thread where some other new sellers asked for some marketing tips as well. 

Check out the post by @HC_Charlie for more information. 

Please let me know if you have any other questions. 

[Disha1]

The best way to market is to make use of interactive content marketing. Interactive content is the best way to generate qualified leads from your website. Create an interactive experience and embed it on your website, and wait for the magic to happen! It is a type of content that requires your audience's participation in order to consume it.

One example of interactive content is quizzes. Quizzes are a form of interactive content that helps you in achieving high engagement rates. They are visually appealing and fun to participate in. Quizzes give a personalized response that offers real value. I have been using Outgrow's Quiz maker http://outgrow.co/quiz-maker. It is brilliant because it requires no-codes. It can be customized in multiple ways and is extremely effective. Try it and know for yourself, the magic of interactive quizzes.