Word of Mouth is Huge!
I know that there are a variety of ways a small business experiences growth - paid advertisements, posting on personal platforms, posting on a variety of outside platforms, business cards, etc. All of those are terrific ways to get the word out. However, in my humble opinion, I believe that one of the best ways a small business can experience growth is through “word of mouth”. I have already established that I am not great at marketing, and I only advertise on my 3 platforms - Facebook, Instagram, and my website. Yet, this little business continues to gain traction in the marketplace despite the personal boundaries I have set in place about where I will post my content. Tastefully and professionally posting on other platforms is not something I have negative feelings toward. I just want to stay in my own lane. Posting on my own platforms is black-and-white, and that is what feels right for me.
My true-blue customers have been with me since the beginning, and are some of the most wonderful individuals out there. Meeting and befriending so many of you has been a side benefit I could not have anticipated. While not a great business mindset perhaps, the number of followers I have is unimportant to me. I am outing myself a little bit here, but periodically, I do a purge of any odd, creepy, and/or negative profiles from my platforms. I care deeply about attracting like-minded, genuine individuals who are following me for the right reasons.
You all deserve a great deal of the credit for spreading the good news about Rachel Mae Bakes. I have several customers with tens of thousands of followers and some with just a few hundred followers who take the initiative to kindly repost my content on their own platforms. I try to do this very thing as frequently as I possibly can. It cost $0 and takes less than a minute to share a local business you love to support. If someone has a relationship with you, they are much more likely to try out a recommendation you have, whether it be a restaurant, coffeeshop, bakery, photography studio, farm, landscape business, plumbing company, painting company, heating and air business, clothing company, etc. Remember, “People do not purchase products, people purchase people.” Customers come to you not just because you provide a product or service, but because they like YOU! I wrote a blog post with several listings of some of my favorite local businesses. Scroll back a few posts to take a look!
To sum it all up, I would encourage anyone reading this to share lavishly, encourage generously, and spend a little extra supporting a small business if your budget allows. The ROI on this kind of investment is one that has a ripple effect. ☺️ Grateful for you ALL!