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Top Marketing Strategies For Small Business Owners

Victoria N.
Victoria N. |

When you started your business, you probably didn’t think you'd need a crash course in marketing. You just wanted to do what you do best—serve your customers.

But now you're hearing terms like SEO, branding, Local Service Ads, and lead magnets... and you’re thinking:
"Do I really need all this? Isn’t word of mouth enough?"

The short answer? Word of mouth is amazing—but it's not a strategy.
The good news? Marketing doesn’t have to be overwhelming. In this guide, we’re going to give practical marketing help, and break down the basics of small business marketing in order to show you exactly where to start.

Remember: marketing a small business isn’t one-size-fits-all. Before choosing a strategy, it's important to understand the unique challenges small businesses face in 2025—from limited budgets to tech overwhelm.

 Want to skip to the good stuff?
Download our Free Small Business Marketing Checklist to start seeing results this week.

What Is Marketing, Really?

Marketing is simply getting the right message in front of the right people at the right time.

It’s not just ads or social media posts—it includes everything from how your business looks online to how someone finds and contacts you.

Marketing Covers:

You don’t need to master it all at once. Start small and build momentum.

The 5 Essentials of Small Business Marketing

1. Get Found Online

If people can’t find you, they can’t hire you. That starts with:

👉 Want to rank higher in your area?
Book a free LSA strategy session with our team

2. Build Trust with a Strong Brand

People do business with those they know, like, and trust. Your brand builds that trust.

Branding includes:

  • Your logo and colors

  • Your messaging (“what do you do and for who?”)

  • The voice you use in your emails, website, and social media

  • The experience people have when they interact with your business

If your brand isn’t clear, your marketing won’t convert.
Want help? Try this resource:

🎯According to Canva, here's How to Create a Brand Style Guide 

3. Capture Leads (Don't Just Hope They Call)

If your website doesn’t capture leads, you’re missing out. You need a system to turn interest into action.

Start with:

  • A clear call to action (“Schedule a free quote” / “Get a custom plan”)

  • A basic lead magnet (checklist, freebie, coupon, etc.)

  • A way to collect emails (Mailchimp, Flodesk, ConvertKit, etc.)

For more information on this topic you might want to read "Generating Consistent Leads" in our "Top Marketing  Challenges Businesses Face In 2025" blog.

4. Use Local Service Ads (LSAs) to Get More Calls Fast

If you’re in a service-based business (contractor, cleaning, legal, HVAC, etc.), LSAs can bring in high-quality leads faster than almost anything else.

  •  You only pay for results
  • You show up above the regular search results
  • Customers trust Google-backed businesses more

But LSAs can be tricky to set up correctly.
That’s where we come in. We’ll help you get verified, set up, and optimized.

📞 Book a free LSA audit to see if you’re leaving leads on the table.

💡 Want a second opinion on the power of LSAs? Check out Google’s official LSA guide.

5. Stay Consistent with Simple Marketing Habits

Marketing isn’t a one-time thing—it’s a habit. The most successful small businesses we work with don’t try to do everything. They do a few things consistently.

Examples:

  • Post to social 2x/week with helpful or interactive content - according to Forbes: "81 percent of marketers surveyed agree that interactive content like polls, quizzes and surveys are more effective than static content. "

  • Send a monthly email with tips or a personal update

  • Add reviews to your GMB profile regularly

  • Test and improve one part of your site every month

👉 Get our “7-Day Marketing Plan for Beginners” to see what this looks like in action.

If you want a deep dive actionable guide to each of the steps in this checklist check out our blog post on the subject!

🚀 TL;DR – Where Should You Start?

If you’re brand new, start with these 3 steps:

  1. Claim your Google Business Profile

  2. Build a simple, clear website

  3. Use LSAs or a lead magnet to start attracting leads

Then… build your email list. That’s your long-term asset. Social media changes, algorithms shift—but your email list is yours.

📥 Ready to Start?

Grab our FREE Small Business Marketing Checklist
Get step-by-step tasks you can do this week to get found, build trust, and bring in leads.

👉 Download the checklist here

Or if you're ready to skip the DIY and get real results:

🎯 Book a free strategy call with Launchpad Marketing

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