Marketing these days has become quite challenging with the deluge of competitors in the market. Even as increasing the budget can be an option, it isn’t practical for small businesses with limited capital. With this, the tiny house movement can offer insights on how small businesses can approach marketing.
Tiny House Movement
Before going through the lessons, it’s best to define the tiny house movement. The tiny house movement is essentially a social movement where people opt to have tiny houses to live in. It focuses on a tiny life philosophy where life is simple.
While an average American home is nearly 3,000 square feet in size, a tiny house is around 400 square feet. Moreover, it can be owned or rented. The house can even be a camper attached to a car using a 5th wheel. The movement offers numerous benefits that apply to the marketing strategy of a small business.
Simplicity Is the Key
The first lesson one can apply from the tiny house movement is simplicity. Like a small house, small businesses can focus on simplicity in their marketing campaign. Potential customers receive different messages each day through the marketing efforts of competing companies. Some messages can send mixed signals that the customer might misinterpret. To avoid this, it’s best to keep the message simple and easy to understand.
When creating a marketing campaign, small businesses should check and double-check the marketing copy. They should focus on sending a clear message to their potential customers. If the customers cannot understand the first try, they will never understand it at all.
Saving Money
Choosing a tiny house over a large one allows homeowners to save money they can use for other things. This concept can also be applied to marketing. Instead of setting aside a huge budget for marketing, a small business can keep things simple and use the extra budget for other business aspects, such as operations or inventory.
The financial benefit is one of the motivations people have for getting a tiny house. Similarly, small businesses should also focus on saving money on their marketing efforts. The business should also make sure to use the saved money accordingly rather than simply setting it aside as savings. It should be used to benefit the business.
Environmental Consciousness
Tiny houses have a small footprint when compared to an average American home. This reflects the outlook of the homeowner when it comes to the environment. Aside from their small footprint, these houses also produce a small amount of waste compared to their bigger counterparts. The movement aims to ensure the Earth’s resources are preserved and will be available for future generations.
Small businesses can take a cue from this. They can demonstrate their corporate social responsibility by integrating sustainable practices into the company’s daily operations. Initially, the employees will be the only ones to notice it. But once the effects of the company’s efforts become apparent, potential customers will notice it.
With the continuing popularity of environment-friendly practices, people will flock to the business rather than go to a competitor that doesn’t show that it cares about the environment. Moreover, these practices also allow small businesses to save money that they can use for other aspects of their operations.
Focus on Happiness
Owners of tiny homes were initially hesitant to let go of their belongings before they lived in their new homes. But after letting go and living the simple life, they felt happy. Devotees of tiny homes feel free from mortgages they had to pay before moving to their new homes. Instead of using the money for a mortgage, they can use it for other things that make them happy.
A small business can also look at this as one of their marketing goals and services. They should aim to make their customers happy. Businesses normally focus on the bottom line and look to increase their profits. And sometimes this drive can be disadvantageous to their customers.
Small businesses can move away from this way of thinking. Instead of focusing on profits, they should focus on putting a smile on their customers’ faces. Once they have happy customers, they can look forward to the best type of marketing any business can hope for, word-of-mouth marketing.
The business’s satisfied customers will spread the word about how well they were treated by the business or how good the products are. And as the good word spreads, the business might see more customers than it can handle. So, focusing on what makes the customers happy will benefit the business in the long run.
The tiny house movement offers a lot of valuable lessons for marketers, especially during these trying times. Looking into these lessons will allow businesses to survive, thrive, and even grow despite the challenges they are facing.
