How to Market Your Small Business

A Guide to the
Marketing Process
how to
market
your
small
business

INTRODUCTION
RESEARCH
DEFINING VALUE
ONLINE PRESENCE
STRATEGY
REPEAT BUSINESS
chapters
1
3
5
2
4
6
H O W T O M A R K E T Y O U R S M A L L B U S I N E S SPA G E 2
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http://info.livingsocialbusiness.com/get-started
This document, including references and characterizations of third party sites or services,
is provided for informational purposes only and LivingSocial Inc. does not make any
endorsements, warranties, either express or implied, in this document.

Across America, local businesses compete on the
same Main Street as established national brand names.
We’ve all seen the rise of the massive chains that sell
everything from groceries to haircuts to sneakers.
Competing against these large companies with deep
pocketbooks and recognized brand names may seem
overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to be.
In fact, small businesses have some signiﬁcant
advantages—the most important of which is that you
can adapt your business to deal exclusively with the
needs of your community. You don’t have to force a
one-size-ﬁts-all solution based on national averages.
Instead, you can create better personal connections
with your local community—something that your local
customers may value much more than having the
cheapest prices in town.
master the art of
local marketing
I N T R O D U C T I O N
1
PA G E 3 H O W T O M A R K E T Y O U R S M A L L B U S I N E S S

This guide has been thoughtfully created to help great
local businesses like yours thrive by giving you the tools
and know-how to harness the power of your community.
I N T R O D U C T I O N
1
YOU CAN CREATE BETTER
PERSONAL CONNECTIONS WITH
YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY

The foundation of successful marketing starts at home.
Customers buy because of either a need or a desire,
which are very different things. It is important that you
take the time to understand your customers, whether
you are meeting needs or desires.
Why do people choose your business? Is it your
product and its perceived level of quality? Is it the
service you offer? Is it the personal connection you
have with each customer? Through observation and
interaction with your customers, you should be able to
identify a lot of useful information. When you start to
realize certain patterns and habits, you can begin to
understand what connects your regular customers with
your target customers.
Most local businesses—from restaurants to tax
accountants—could, in theory, serve everybody.
But it is surprisingly difficult to target “everybody”
and stand out.
R E S E A R C H
2
do your research

Location: Where Are
Your Customers?
For your local business, the
location of your customer base is
probably the town, neighborhood
or city where you are situated.
One question you might need
to ask yourself is: “How far are
people willing to come?” This will
depend upon the availability of
alternative choices and how much
competition you face. If you are
a ﬁne dining restaurant, people
might come from far and wide. If
you are a pizza delivery shop, then
your target area might be a bit
more closed in.
Demographics: Who
Are Your Customers?
Anybody could be your customer;
but, to make your marketing
appeal to a target audience, you
need to consider who is most
likely to be your customer.If you
run a trendy bar, you may appeal
to a younger crowd. If you sell
expensive jewelry, then you may
want to target people with higher
disposable incomes.
Psychographics: Why Are
They Your Customers?
While demographics show who
your buyer is, psychographics
offer insights into the reasons why
they buy. Demographics represent
the facts. Psychographics deal
in feelings. They represent
the interests, activities, and
opinions of your customers.
Here are some examples of
psychographic preferences:
healthy lifestyle as opposed to
those who don’t
opposed to those who prefer
cooking at home
opposed to the self-proclaimed
technophobes
as opposed to people who buy
clothing for practicality
R E S E A R C H
2
Marketing works best when you break the general
population down into smaller groups of people. These
groups, called segments, usually have signiﬁcant
commonalities that you can tap into. Successfully identifying
these groups enables you to target your message in the
right way to the right people. Here are some of the most
common building blocks of customer segments:
A B C
This document, including references and characterizations of third party sites or services, is provided for informational
purposes only and LivingSocial Inc. does not make any endorsements, warranties, either express or implied, in this document.

Google Analytics
Google’s web analytics service is one of the most
popular analytic tools on the internet because it shows
the full customer picture. Google can help you get to
know your audience and their behavior on your website.
With newfound insight you can ﬁnd the audience
you want. LEARN MORE > HTTP://WWW.GOOGLE.COM/ANALYTICS/
Facebook Insights
Facebook offers extensive data about who’s viewing
and interacting with your page. But with so much
information, it’s important to know what to pay
attention to when analyzing activity and building
out your strategy. LEARN MORE > HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.
COM/HELP/336893449723054/
Yelp Metrics
One of the best places to interact and hear from
customers is Yelp. Take an important step by claiming
your business on Yelp to make sure all the information
is accurate. As an added bonus when you claim your
business on Yelp you gain access to Yelp Metrics. This
analytics tool will give you unique information such as
who is checking in to your business online, how many
people are getting directions to your business and even
clicks to your website. LEARN MORE > HTTPS://BIZ.YELP.COM/
LivingSocial Dashboard
When you run a promotion with LivingSocial you
gain access to in-depth data that you can use to
inform your marketing plan. Our merchant platform
allows you to track your promotion’s success with
data such as revenue earned, customer demographics,
and social reach. LEARN MORE > HTTPS://MERCHANT.
LIVINGSOCIAL.COM/WELCOME
R E S E A R C H
2 TAKE ACTION

Impactful marketing goes beyond advertising, your
website, and your social media content. Everything
that touches your customer affects what they think
of you. Aside from your product or service, it also
includes little things that you may not think about.
For example, the cleanliness of your space inﬂuences
customers’ perceptions. The way you answer the
phone sets the tone for future interactions.
be different,
be great
D E F I N I N G V A L U E
3
THE FIRST THING TO
REMEMBER IS THIS:
MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES
CAN BE ANYWHERE AND PART
OF EVERYTHING

Be Unique In Your Product/
Service Offerings
No matter what business you’re
in, it’s important to provide good
value to your customers. That
doesn’t mean cheap. It means the
right price for the right quality in
the mind of the customer.
A fine dining restaurant can charge
a hefty bill because their customers
find value in the uniqueness of the
food, the environment, the service
and the exclusivity. The details that
go into the customer’s experience
justify the price of the product
or service.
If you are operating in a crowded
marketplace, it is the unique
qualities you offer that will enable
you to stand out.
Most importantly, whatever
you offer must be consistent.
If someone returns and is
disappointed, all of the goodwill
earned from the first visit may
disappear. If people know they will
get exactly what they expect each
time, and they like it, then you are
on your way to gaining a regular
customer base.
Be Unique In Your Interactions
With Customers
When you buy something from
large e-commerce retailers, you
normally get an email to confirm
purchase, payment, shipping and
delivery. These notices keep you
in the loop.
As a local business, it is important
to keep your customers in the
loop too. If you are shipping
items in the mail, consider
following a similar approach
to the leading e-tailers. Their
approach has become a standard,
and consumers have grown to
expect that level of service. But
being unique is about the small
things too: letting customers know
about sales or specials, putting
up signs in your business to
promote events and promotions,
or regularly updating your website
or social media channels. Your
customers will respond to quality
communication that adds
value to their experience.
Your customers are people, even
if they are buying from another
company. Don’t be afraid to add a
human touch to everything you do
and don’t be afraid to reveal who
you are to your customers. That
personal connection could be one
of the keys to your success.
D E F I N I N G V A L U E
3
Ask yourself what your customers expect and what
makes you a better choice than the alternatives.
Here are some areas to focus on:
TAKE ACTION
D O W N L OA D S :
SWOT Analysis
Worksheet, Competitive
Analysis Worksheet.
START YOUR CAMPAIGN WITH
LIVINGSOCIAL TODAY
http://info.livingsocialbusiness.com/
get-started
This document, including references and characterizations
of third party sites or services, is provided for informational
purposes only and LivingSocial Inc. does not make any
endorsements, warranties, either express or implied, in
this document.

H O W T O M A R K E T Y O U R S M A L L B U S I N E S SPA G E 1 0
A well-crafted website and online proﬁles will help your
business create buzz, bring in new customers, and give
your company a voice.
How you present your business online sets the tone for
what people expect in-person. Your online presence
not only offers a ﬁrst impression, but is an opportunity
to give your business some credibility and personality.
Make sure the personality complements the visitors’
experience, whether that’s with approachable
quirkiness or chic sophistication.
create online buzz
O N L I N E P R E S E N C E
4

If you operate a storefront on Main Street, then some people
will inevitably find you by walking by. But these days, most
people find businesses on their smartphones through internet
searches or mobile apps.
Today’s phones are loaded with GPS technology enabling
individuals to easily look up the nearest Italian restaurant with
good reviews, the closest bookshop or best-priced salon.
i. Make Sure Your Content is Up-To-Date
We cannot stress enough how important it is that you are
properly registered with all the relevant location services. It
really will make a difference!
Make sure that you use a consistent address in all of your
location service providers and fill in the fields properly.
When you are listed, people can check in and leave reviews,
which could positively affect your local search results. If
someone is searching for a business like yours and they see
5 stars and lots of glowing reviews, they will almost certainly
come to you. If you are not listed, they will never know.
ii. Review Your Calls To Action
One thing that people forget to put on their sites is
the call to action. You need to lead people into the action you
want them to take—whether it’s to book a reservation, make
an appointment or pick up the phone and call.
iii. Get Found With Powerful SEO
SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization” and
it’s becoming increasingly important with the rise of
smartphones. There are a number of things that you can do to
ensure that when people search for a local product or service
you offer, they find your business.
4
25% of those purchases are at
brick-and-mortar businesses
4 out of 5 mobile web
searches result in purchases
$ $ $ $
25%
MAKE SURE YOUR CUSTOMERS
CAN FIND YOU
(Source: 7th Annual Local Search Study.
Neustar Localeze and 15miles)

This will
ensure that your information is up-to-date and the
pages appear active.
You want the
descriptions on your pages to match the language
people will use when searching. If you sell lasagna,
make sure your website talks about lasagna or no
one looking will ﬁnd your business!
Restaurants can talk about food, or give away
recipes. Hairdressers can post pictures, talk about the
latest styles, or discuss the hair disasters of famous
celebrities. If you create interesting content on a
regular schedule, it will push you closer and closer to
the top of that search page.
One of the most important ways in which you can
increase your rank in search pages in response to a
customer search is by the number of quality links that
direct to your website. A link from a major news site
will have much more impact than one from a small
blog. So get involved in your community, send out
press releases and don’t be afraid to ask websites,
like the online versions of local newspapers, to link
to interesting content that you create.
4
HERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT THINGS
THAT YOU SHOULD DO TO BOOST
YOUR WEBSITE AND PROFILES IN
SEARCH ENGINE RESULTS:

4
i. Where to Connect
Your ﬁrst decision is which social media platform(s)
to choose. Even if you are familiar with one particular
social network because you use it personally, this
does not mean that it is the right social network for
your business.
FACEBOOK: A great place to have conversations with
customers and brand evangelists, promote events, and
interact with the community.
TWITTER: Concise (140 characters), engaging
messaging in real-time and an audience prone to
sharing. Great for spur-of-the-moment interactions
and promotions.
INSTAGRAM: The platform for messaging with
a primarily visual impact. Great for featuring photos
of food, hair or nail styles, fashion, photography,
and more. Take your time getting to know how the
different networks work. Ask your customers which
networks they use. And don’t choose so many that
you can’t manage them effectively.
SOCIAL MEDIA IS VERY EASY TO
GET STARTED AND AN EXCELLENT MEDIUM
FOR MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS WITH
YOUR CUSTOMERS.

post anything you might regret.
Once it’s out there, it’s public—even if you
take it down.
beg for shares or retweets. If your
content is interesting and valuable, you won’t
have to.
spam. Social media is designed to be
exactly how it is described: social. It’s not a
broadcast network.
over post. Four to five really good
tweets per day is fine on Twitter; whereas
with Facebook, one or two times a day can be
enough to engage your customers. Aim for
quality rather than quantity.
tag people in photos that are publicly
accessible without their permission.
worry about how many followers or
likes you have. A strong following takes time
to grow. Focus on quality, and it will come.
complete all your active social network
profiles in full and use enticing cover photos
and profile images.
have an underlying theme to the content
you post. People should learn what to expect
from you. Your job is to make them want and
anticipate more of it.
ask questions and answer other people’s
questions. Each engagement creates or
strengthens a customer relationship.
check out followers before you follow
them back. If they are sending spam
messages, avoid bumping their numbers.
read every post very carefully before you
send it. Proper grammar and spelling are vital.
use hashtags where appropriate but don’t
put a hashtag in front of every word. Research
hashtags to ensure you’re not joining an
existing, unrelated conversation.
share other people’s content if relevant.
They will know you shared it and will
appreciate the supportive gesture.
have fun! These are your existing and
future customers. It should be a pleasure to
interact with them and build the relationship.
4
DO DON’T

PA G E 1 5
ii. Listening To The Buzz
If everything goes according to plan, other people will
start to mention your business online. This is generally
a good thing! It means the word-of-mouth effect is
kicking in. But how do you know if people are talking
and what they are saying?
Across The Web
Many services allow you to set up free alerts where
you type in the name of your business, or any other
keywords you are interested in. You can use these
alerts to select the types of notices you want to receive
by email any time your business name is mentioned in
blogs, news or videos.
You can set up as many alerts as you like. Try tracking
your competition, or any relevant subjects that apply
to your business. This can be a tremendous source
of interesting content to share across your social
media networks.
4
H O W T O M A R K E T Y O U R S M A L L B U S I N E S S

People will comment on how easy you are to find,
how quickly they could make a reservation, how they
enjoyed your service, and whether they thought the
value justified the cost. Welcome your online reviews,
and make sure that you regularly check your inbox for
review notifications from all the online services with
which you are listed.
i. Making Good Reviews Work For You
If someone posts a compliment, say thank you for his
or her kind words. Whether it’s a post, a tweet, or a tip,
social media makes it easy for you to respond quickly.
Make sure that your response is public, grateful, and
genuine. Address the poster by name in your reply.
Quickness is key. Replies made within minutes will
have much more of an impact than a belated note
made a couple of weeks later.
4
HARNESS THE POWER OF REVIEWS
TODAY. THE MOST POWERFUL
FORM OF WORD-OF-MOUTH
MARKETING IS ONLINE REVIEWS.

ii. Intercepting the Bad Reviews & Solving The Problem
Unfortunately, negative reviews do occasionally
happen, but they are not the end of the world. No
one wants a negative review, but how you respond
can be used to your advantage.
Negative reviews present you with an opportunity
to win over the customer and deepen your
relationship with him or her, and the people who
see the interaction unfold.
· It shows customers that you care.
· It makes them feel important and appreciated.
· It provides an opportunity to invite them back.
Negative reviews, especially ones that are exaggerated
or unfair, can be deeply upsetting. But it’s important
to remain calm—don’t let your anger or any other
negative emotions take over when faced with
this situation.
Our best advice is to see this as an opportunity to
turn the situation around. Genuine customers tend
to be fair-minded. No one expects perfection. But
making a personal connection and demonstrating
you care about customers can really set you apart,
especially if you are competing against larger or
more established competition.
4
PA G E 1 7

respond quickly when negative
reviews appear.
address each concern or point of
contention. Where there is a legitimate
complaint, answer it and be clear with what
you have changed or intend to change.
invite the customer to return. You can,
privately, offer them a special deal, but do not
do this publicly as people might think you are
bribing them for a second chance.
thank them. They are helping your
business get better.
4
ask them to take the review down.
This will most likely backﬁre and will be a lost
marketing opportunity.
threaten legal action. This approach
can go viral very quickly.
ignore bad reviews. They have a
terrible habit of taking on a life of their own.
DO DON’T

4
TAKE ACTION
DOWNLOADS: Social Media Posting
Calendar, Seasonal Themes.
ON SOCIAL MEDIA
If you want to see whether you are being mentioned
on social media, there are free tools available. You
type in a keyword, such as your business’ name,
and it will show you mentions across a number of
social networks, as well as analysis on the overall
sentiments expressed in those posts.
TWEETDECK: Handling multiple accounts for
your brand or yourself can get confusing. TweetDeck
can help you streamline all of your interactions in
one place. Create custom columns to keep track
of different types of interactions. You can also
sort tweets by topic to stay up to date on subjects
important to your business.
ICEROCKET: IceRocket is another tool that can help
you monitor your social media presence. This real-time
search engine can help you keep track keyword and
company mentions on blogs, Twitter, and Facebook.

It’s important to ﬁgure out your options, what kind of
marketing works best for your business, and how you’ll
effectively execute on a plan.
While traditional print marketing is always an option,
online marketing has much greater reach, a lower price,
and easier measurement techniques.
strategize & shine
M A R K E T I N G S T R AT E G Y
5

i. Social Media Marketing
Social media is all about
earned media over paid media.
Valuable content and shareable
experiences are what’s going to
earn you the social attention of
your customers.
Users might share your original
content or go out of their
way to sing your praises to
their networks. The organic
creation and growth of this
kind of marketing contributes
to its credibility and value. To
be successful with your social
media marketing, you need to
create a plan.
ii. Capturing Current Events
It’s a technique known as
“newsjacking”. With a little
attention and timing, you can
find great success leveraging
breaking news and current
events to create relevant,
poignant, and engaging content.
For small businesses, this means
finding a breaking news story
that has local implications or
relevance, and then inserting
yourself into it by quickly
creating complementary
messaging through email,
social media, or with a limited-
time promotion. Your content
could be serious, or a great
opportunity to make
people laugh.
A restaurant might react to
an event by creating a special
menu item named after it with a
humorous twist. A salon might
offer a design or treatment
based on a famous celebrity
that has suddenly hit the news.
If you manage to get in there
while online searches are
peaking you may experience
a period of high visibility
and benefit from rapid social
sharing. Plus, local journalists,
who themselves will be
searching for background
information, may include you in
the story to add a local angle.
Don’t forget, however, to
be wary of sensitive news
and topics. Even the edgiest
businesses will be criticized for
thoughtless attempts to
profit from another person
or group’s expense.
iii. Press Releases
Press releases are written for
the media such as journalists or
bloggers to support their own
valuable content. Unlike content
marketing that requires a level
of direct customer benefit, it’s
okay to use press releases to
announce any new changes,
events, or offerings.
Your press release could be the
announcement of a sale, a new
product line, a special event,
or even the hiring of a new hair
stylist. For local businesses, this
can lead to some publicity in the
local press.
Don’t forget to share your
press releases on social media
just like any other content. If
you regularly create and share
valuable social content, people
won’t mind an occasional
link to a press release that
announces important
changes at your business.
5
ONLINE MARKETING
LIVINGSOCIAL TODAY
get-started
this document.

PRESS RELEASE TIPS
5

iv. Paid Web Advertising
For those willing to shell out some cash, traditional
online ad placements can help increase visibility
and drive people to your website and ultimately to
your business. Many social media and networking
companies have made it easier for businesses to
create ads that target local consumers.
When budgeting for online ad placements, be
conscious of your business goals. Targeted web ads
can be costly as your target audience grows, and the
impact on your business’ revenue and success is often
difficult to measure.
v. Deal & Voucher Marketing
Offering a group voucher deal from a company like
LivingSocial can help grow your business:
of active subscribers in the local area, increasing
visibility and inﬂuence.
of new customers so you can plan for the business
coming your way.
5

When using marketing platforms like LivingSocial,
it is important that you are prepared. Your Your
LivingSocial promotion could bring in a number of
new customers. Are you able to meet the needs
of the inﬂux of customers if they all come in at
the same time? If you are a restaurant, can your
reservations system handle this? Will you have
enough supplies and inventory to meet demand?
Be smart when setting sales limits so you’re in
total control.
LivingSocial promotions are most successful when
they generate repeat customers. Make sure you
offer an item or experience that customers will
want to repeat.
With thought and preparation, a LivingSocial
promotion can be a tremendous way of bringing
in a lot of new customers. Plus, your partnership
will come with useful data tracking and support.
Read about some businesses that have found
success with LivingSocial here: HTTPS://MERCHANT.
LIVINGSOCIAL.COM/WELCOME/TESTIMONIALS
5
PA G E 2 4

COMMUNITY EVENTS
& ACTIVITIES
The best way to grow your business and increase
your local inﬂuence is to get involved in your area.
Host neighborhood events, welcome collaborations
with other local business, and give back to the
community when you can. It creates a positive
reputation and gives even more local consumers
an opportunity to interact with your business.
5
TAKE ACTION
DOWNLOADS: Goal Setting Worksheet,
Social Media Posting Calendar.
This document, including references and characterizations of third party sites or services, is
provided for informational purposes only and LivingSocial Inc. does not make any endorsements,
warranties, either express or implied, in this document.

Long term success is all about building genuine
relationships that turn your new customers into
regulars and—better yet—brand evangelists.
keep them
coming back
R E P E AT B U S I N E S S
6

BUILDING
RELATIONSHIPS
UPFRONT
You’ve heard it before. Building
real, human relationships with the
people who walk through your
doors, call you, or contact you
online is essential to the success of
your small business.
Get to know your customers
and guests. Learn their names.
Say hello when they arrive. Say
goodbye when they leave. No
matter how someone found your
business, treating your new and
potential customers with respect
and kindness is going to be the
key to bringing them back.
Plus, they’ll be sure to tell their
friends when they’ve had a
stellar experience.
CREATING
LOYALTY OFFERS
Sometimes repeat customers
need a nudge. What that nudge
looks like is up to you. Tempt your
customers with an offer they’ll
love: a free appetizer, a glass of
champagne on arrival, a product
sampling, or exclusive savings.
It’s easy to reach your new
customers with a service like
LivingSocial—you’ll have direct
access and can message them
after their ﬁrst visit. But you can
also distribute loyalty offers by:
send a thank-you note
with an offer included
creating an offer
rooted in social media with a
secret password or a reward for
engaging online
this can
be effective especially in the
case of a negative review to earn
your business a second chance.
(But be wary not to encourage
more negative reviews for this
reason—opening a private line
of communication for this may
work best.)
giving
them a coupon or punch card
on their ﬁrst visit to redeem
when they return.
KEEPING THE
CONVERSATION
GOING
In today’s socially-fueled culture,
you are constantly engaged in
a dialogue with your existing
and potential customers. Use
that conversation to your
advantage. Get on social media
to engage with your customers—
ask questions, thank your
brand proponents and address
the concerns of your critics.
Interactions don’t end when
people walk out your door, and
that’s a good thing!
R E P E AT B U S I N E S S
6
LIVINGSOCIAL TODAY
get-started
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LIVINGSOCIAL OFFERS MARKETING
SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESSES OF ANY SIZE.
WORKING WITH LIVINGSOCIAL MEANS
PARTNERING WITH A TEAM DEDICATED
TO HELPING YOU GROW YOUR BUSINESS.
PHONE
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This document, including references and characterizations of third party sites or services, is
provided for informational purposes only and LivingSocial Inc. does not make any endorsements,
warranties, either express or implied, in this document.
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How to Market Your Small Business

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