7 Effective Ways To Grow And Scale Your Home Business In A Pandemic

Working from home doesn’t mean that your business is confined to the four walls of your house. In order to reach out to your consumers, you need to advertise your brand so potential customers would know about your products and services. 

Marketing while in a pandemic is easier said than done. For one, you can not freely go out and market your business in the street. Most people would be indoors, at home, or in their workplaces trying to avoid getting infected. You won’t reach as much visibility as you would expect. 

There are ways to advertise your small business even amidst the ongoing pandemic. Thankfully, the world seems to be opening up again, and businesses that started during the lockdowns are now shifting into bigger, better opportunities. Don’t miss out on that window of opportunity, and try these 7 ways to grow your business in a pandemic:

1. Promote With Giveaways

People love freebies. Functional and practical items consumers can get for free, and without a catch? Who wouldn’t be enticed with the promise of a giveaway? This is one of the main reasons why promotional products are so effective in marketing brands. When done right, product giveaways are effective forms of marketing for any business!

You would often see brands giving out promotional materials during events, in kiosks, and in sports marathons. Promotional kits would have items like pens, tumblers, and water bottles fitted with the name and logo of the company. These aim to ingrain the brand into the minds of consumers, and are seen as investments more than expenses. 

2. Go Local

In order to branch out from the comfort of your home, target your local audience first. Your local area would have a ready consumer base that you would market your products and services to, and advertise in a more cost-effective way. Remember that businesses expand slowly, starting from their roots outwards! 

Find your local audience, and build a community around your business. You will be able to find people who believe in your products and services, and will refer you via word of mouth. Ensure your offerings are of top-quality, and practice a firm but professional customer care approach in dealing with clients. From local, you can make your way to expanding your business!

3. Collaborate With Another Local Business

Another perk in going local is collaborating with another startup or home business looking to expand just like you are. You may know a friend or family who has a small shop which you can tap into for a collaboration. Look for businesses that complement your own, and avoid collaborating with competitors as you will fight for the same audience. 

Collaborations are mutually beneficial partnerships that are meant to grow both businesses. Reach out to another local brand, and initiate talks of a strategic partnership. Find out the goals of both businesses, and how your partnership would take you a step further into each of your goals. Plus, collaborations expand your audience reach, and increase your brand awareness.

4. Bring Your Business Online

Putting together your social media pages is a cost-effective way to create an online presence. It’s time to go digital: put your menu up on food delivery apps, create an e-commerce store in popular online shopping sites, or place your music on well-known streaming sites for you to reach a much wider audience than you would get from physical promotions. 

The majority of companies took to the virtual space when the pandemic hit as consumers moved their purchasing activity online. Having an online retail store, social media page, or e-commerce site has become a standard for businesses, especially those starting out. Take time to build your website using Rails software development services, and bring your business to virtual life! 

5. Utilize Google Ads

Going online means that you have the access to tools and programs that can help you expand your business further. Google has a tonne of useful tools you can use to market your business, like Google Ads, Google Trends, and of course, the Google Search Engine. 

You can research your market for free on the Google Search Engine, and use data from Google Trends to create effective ads. Utilize Google Ads to grow your business, as your ad may pop up in search results, emails, and websites related to the nature of your business. This may take time and effort to understand, and a bit of budget, but is an effective way to advertise. 

6. Sneak Peek Into Your Operations

When going through video content online, you may have noticed that stores are now presenting the aesthetics of creating their product, using their products, or availing of their services. The magic of the business is well-highlighted in these videos, as consumers are awed at watching products manufactured, packed, and shipped to clients.

Similarly, showing a clip of your day-to-day operations may help you gain more consumers, especially for aesthetically pleasing businesses like cafes, bakeries, music, the arts, and more. You don’t need to reveal your trade secret, but a well-produced video would garner you views that could translate into sales. Consider putting up video content in your social media feeds!

7. Host Online Contests

Hosting contests online has been effective in increasing the views, likes, and followers of any brand. However, not all followers become customers. Online contests help in increasing your brand awareness, but the ratio of sales to followers you get may dwindle. Most new followers post-contest would be interested only in the prize, after all.

However, for home businesses that thrive on likes, views, and followers, hosting a contest is an effective way to grow your brand. Many online influencers, musicians, streamers, and pages regularly host contests to expand their reach, as their business grows alongside with their number of followers and viewers.

The Bottomline

Overall, there is no one formula to success when it comes to growing your business. You must assess your business goals: where do you expect your business to go, and what are the steps you need to take to get there? Only then will you understand what kind of promotions would benefit your brand the most.