As a small business, there are a few tricks you need to keep in your toolbox. This is especially true when striving for organic growth.

Keep your small business running well and sustaining growth without pouring big bucks into paid advertising with these 4 simple tools for small businesses.

Tool 1: Customer Relationship Management

Make no mistake about it, your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is a fantastic tool.

Of course, it holds details about your customers, but what many fail to take advantage of is leveraging that data to understand the lifecycle of current and potential customers; such as how they found you or how they prefer to communicate.

When you understand how customers interact with your business, you can use that to gain new customers and build deeper relationships with current customers.

When it comes to storing customer information and retrieving it at a moment’s notice, having a CRM to keep everything organized is a lifesaver.

From names and birthdays to purchase history — this information keeps you engaged with customers, especially by building nurture campaigns.

Let’s say you’re running a dental office. By setting up a trigger, you can automate a reminder email for patients when it’s nearing time for their six-month cleaning.

Or perhaps you operate a dance studio that wants to celebrate faithful students. An email trigger celebrating milestone classes and giving a gift is always a great idea and gives clients something to work for.

A CRM creates a tailored experience for your customers that makes them feel valued. Just remember to keep it clean and updated.

Tool 2: Google Business Profile

Think of Google Business Profile as a snapshot of your business. It’s a free service where businesses and organizations can manage their online presence.

Once your information is verified, customers will find your business while searching online.

It’s a great opportunity to share what makes you pop — we’re talking posts, photos and reviews.

Nearly 9 out of 10 consumers read reviews before making a purchase.

One of the main factors customers care about is reviews. When looking for a business to use, people want the best.

If it’s between your 4-star competitor and you, with zero Google reviews, there’s no question who’s more likely to snag that customer, so make sure you’re encouraging customers to share their experience online.

It’s important to note that reviews are also a major influencer on Google’s ranking algorithm. Businesses in the “Map Pack” are always the ones with multiple reviews and a solid star ratings.

Similar to reviews, publishing posts and photos adds credibility to your business. The activity on your profile is also a green flag for Google to improve your ranking.

Because Google Business Profile isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it situation, make sure you keep it up to date. After all, an effective profile is your goal.

Short on time? Using Thryv’s Google Optimization means:
  • Easy verification for your listing
  • Staying connected to an expert team
  • Ensuring information is up-to-date
  • The ability for customers to book directly from the listing

Tool 3: Social Media Management

Social media is a great way to share your business’s story, update customers and give a look into the behind-the-scenes action, but you’re running a business.

You don’t have the time to be bogged down to a computer creating social posts and building campaigns. 

By having a social media management tool, you can schedule posts and build campaigns in advance. Another benefit is the ability to monitor KPIs to determine what’s working or not working so you can make more informed decisions.

If you’re not feeling the most creative, we get it — and, as always, Thryv’s got your back. Our social library contains more than half a million pre-written posts waiting to be personalized for your business.

And, Thryv users can post across all social media platforms from one dashboard.

Tool 4: Review Management

With so much going on, have you stopped to think about how many different places people are talking about your company? You’re maxed out on bandwidth.

You can’t be bothered searching for reviews and comments being shared online. It’s overwhelming but you can’t afford to ignore it. This is exactly why having review management software is a must.

With review management software, you’ll be able to monitor and reply to reviews and comments across the web without having to log into tons of sites.

Goodbye missed engagement opportunities. Hello to looking like the present and polished professional business you are.

By tapping into these four tools, you can take your business to the next level. Luckily, you don’t need four different platforms to reach your greatness.

Thryv has all four and many more, which makes it a great solution to start your search. See how we stack up against the competition or schedule a chat with our pros now.