Marketing is an important tool on the road to success for businesses of all sizes. Small businesses can use marketing techniques and strategies to grow existing customer bases, gain market share, build a brand reputation, create new revenue options, and clearly define goals. Through these techniques, a small business can market itself to customers, potential consumers, investors and even other businesses. A marketing campaign’s success is determined by creativity, budget and the right strategy.
To fully grasp how marketing campaigns can benefit a small business, let’s examine how the following five enterprises achieved success through marketing.
Successful small business marketing campaigns
1. Dollar Shave Club
One great idea and a viral video skyrocketed this small business to the top. With a marketing budget of only $4,500, co-founder Michael Dubin took the subscription box and shaving industry by storm. Before Dollar Shave Club’s video in 2012, brands like Gillette and Schick had the men’s shaving market locked down, and the subscription service industry was just getting off the ground. By 2015, Dollar Shave Club had 48.6% of the online shaver market, according to Slice Intelligence as reported by CNBC. Unilever acquired the company in 2016 through a $1 billion deal.
The Dollar Shave Club video hit every marketing principle perfectly. It was fun and informative, it listed the company’s information repeatedly, and it communicated why the company was different from its competitors.
2. Airbnb
Airbnb is the poster child for persistence in marketing. In 2008, Airbnb co-founders Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia started renting air mattresses. By 2021, according to Statista, Airbnb was valued at $113 billion, but the road to success was not a straight one.
The company did not experience growth until it focused on marketing. It relied on email and content creation to drive site interaction. The Airbnb team sent prospective renters and property owners emails recommending highly reviewed rentals in destinations an individual recently searched for. Some emails even included location suggestions to spur an interest in traveling. The email campaigns were so successful that Airbnb created a travel blog on its website to help inspire vacation ideas. Airbnb wanted to be the first and last thought when planning a trip.
3. NOOM
Another company that relies on content creation is NOOMA. The name is an abbreviation for “no more artificials.” This company sells plant-based athletic drinks for its health-conscious customers. NOOMA drives engagement and sales with its blog. Many companies rely on blogs to drive interest, but not all of them are successful. NOOMA creates engaging and informational blog posts, with recipes, workout routines, health information, and the occasional sales pitch. A good marketing campaign does not focus entirely on sales pitches. Instead, it creates valuable content that your audience is excited to engage with so they read the blog on a regular basis.
4. Good! Snacks
Good! Snacks, formerly known as Good Greens, is the nutrition bar version of NOOMA. Both companies cater to health-conscious consumers and rely on content creation in their marketing efforts. Good! Snacks has an active Facebook presence. Its bars are front and center in every social media post, highlighting the colorful packaging. Posts often focus on how customers rely on the product for their busy and active lifestyles.
5. Uber
When Uber started its operations, the company’s marketing zeroed in on how its supply could meet demand. It relied on customers spreading word of mouth about how its service was reliable, easy to use and available when cabs were at a premium. This strategy slowly attracted a customer base and transformed this start-up into a household name synonymous with ride-sharing.
Uber primarily relies on mobile marketing and its YouTube channel. By using mobile ads and easily digestible video content, it successfully enticed users to download its app. The Business of Apps estimated that 118 million people used Uber in 2021 – more than 10 times as many users as the company had in 2015.