How to Sell My Service in Singapore (Online + Offline)

Singapore is best known for providing favorable conditions for businesses to thrive. The government has put in place numerous programmes and incentives such as tax deductions and grants that you can leverage to establish and scale up your business here.

However, establishing your business is one thing, the next crucial step that you need to take is getting the word out about your brand and the services that you offer. To do this, you will need to have robust online and offline-marketing strategies that are in line with the industry your business operates in as well as the needs of your target audience.

Online Marketing Tips for Service in Singapore Businesses

According to a report published in January 2018, 4.83 million people in Singapore access the internet on a daily basis and the number is expected to continue increasing. The report also reveals that there are approximately 4.3 million active mobile social Singaporeans; this is 75% of the total population in the country.

Another study by We Is Social found out that social media use increased by 9% to 83% in the last year. Use of modern mobile devices such as smartphones increased to 82%, and most people are active on Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp.

Based on these statistics, it is important to have an excellent online marketing strategy to sell your services to more than 75% of the total population in Singapore who rely on the internet as the primary source of information. Some of the methods you can try is to use search engine optimization and search engine marketing.

Here is a breakdown to help you understand the importance of having a robust online marketing strategy in Singapore.

• 42% use the internet to compare choices

• 26% use the internet for immediate purchases

• 25% use the internet to read product reviews

• 25% use the internet to look for inspiration

Email Marketing

Email marketing involves sending emails that contain information about your services to potential customers. This form of marketing has an average return on investment of 3800%. Email is also the third most influential source of information on B2B audiences.

Build an email list by collecting email addresses of clients as well as potential clients who may be interested in your services. One way of doing this is by requesting the client to join your list for weekly or monthly newsletters and information about upcoming offers. Once you have created the list, send out email newsletters regularly to the clients. Spice them with gifts and targeted discounts to motivate them to visit the website and request for the service.

Make sure that the emails that you send out contain relevant information to avoiding annoying the recipients. They should also not be too often, or they will be marked as spam by Google or the recipients themselves.

Influencer Marketing in Singapore

Influencer marketing is pretty new in the digital marketing realm, but it has proven to be equally capable of generating leads. It entails hiring an influential person to market your services on their social media platforms. The influencers have to be interested in your niche for them to succeed in channelling new customers to your Singapore business. The ideal influencer should have a significant influence on your target audience or potential customers.

Recent research shows that 49% of users rely on recommendations from influencers on Twitter and other social media platforms that are popular in Singapore such as Pinterest, YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. This statistic proofs that influencers affect clients’ decisions.

Do your research to know which influencers to engage with to get the best results. Check the number of followers they have on multiple social media platforms, the kind of engagements they have with followers, and their ability to present your brand in a positive way to the prospects.

Social Media Marketing in Singapore

3.93 million Singaporeans are active social media users. Here is a breakdown of the percentage market share of the three main social media platforms in Singapore

• Facebook: 72.16%
• YouTube: 3.9%
• Instagram: 5.05%

Open a Facebook, YouTube and Instagram account for your brand and start posting content such as videos, images, and infographics to engage with the target audience. With time, people will notice your page and start following your brand to learn more about the services that you offer.

You can also opt for paid ads to get more exposure. All the three platforms, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, allow clients to specify the type of audience that the ads should be displayed to and the number of days or months that the campaign should run. Take your time to select the audience to avoid showing ads to audiences that might not be interested in the services that you offer.

Social media users in Singapore and across the globe respond to videos, images, and infographics better than blocks of text. Use the three types of content to describe your services to the audience. You can also go live to connect with the audience in real time. Use the live stream to answer questions and highlight your brand’s unique selling points.

Your interactions with the audience will also give you insights about their needs and preferences as well as ideas for new content. You can use the comments to improve your services and pricing. The changes will help you to stay ahead of the curve and stop losing customers to your competitors. Note that every comment you get is critical and should be addressed.

Directories And Online Classifieds In Singapore

Here are some online places you can list and market your services:

• inSing
• The Green Book
• Yellow Pages
• Yelu.sg
• HotFrog
• Yalwa
• Kompass
• Expat Living Singapore
• Singapore Business Federation
• STClassifieds
• Gumtree
• eGuide
• Carousell
• CraigsList
• Zomwork
• Street Directory
• iBusiness
• Directory Singapore
• Singapore Business Directory
• Singapore Business Directory (other)

Offline Marketing Tips for Singapore Service Businesses

Offline marketing still works and can help your Singapore business get more clients. Even though most people spend their time online, creating a personal connection with potential clients’ offline will help your business to thrive. Here are six forgotten offline marketing tips that you can use to give your business the muscle it needs to become successful.

Create Quality Pamphlets

What is a pamphlet? Simply put, a pamphlet is a simple unbound book that comprises a sheet of paper printed on both, and it is usually folded in half. You can decide to provide details of every service that you offer in a dedicated pamphlet or describe all the services in one copy. The route that you take solely depends on the objective and the audience you want to engage.

Invest time in designing it to advertise and paint a positive image of your business to them. Just like online ads, the presentation is of paramount importance. The first impression that it makes can either break or make its effectiveness.

Accredited Singapore printing companies can design and print quality pamphlets for your business. Distribute them in events such as conferences and meetups. The idea is to leave them in places where the target customers might go.

Participate in a Trade Show

Trade shows will give your business the exposure that it needs to succeed here in Singapore. Book a booth and display information about the services that you offer for all to see. Well, this marketing technique is time-consuming and can be more expensive than the other techniques, but it will significantly help to put your business on the map.

If the price of rent a booth is a concern, consider approaching another business and renting one together. If you can find a business that offers a service that complements yours the better. That is a perfect win-win scenario. During the trade show, strive to share as much information about your service as possible with the people who walk into your booth. Capture their attention by highlight the benefits of the service, why they need it instead of focussing on other secondary details like your expertise and your skills set.

Send Out Seasonal Cards

The success of your offline or online marketing strategy is dependent on the connection that you establish with the clients. The festive season is around the corner, budget to create and send out seasonal cards to your clients. The card will show them that you care and appreciate them.

Seasonal cards will help you create a great rapport that will motivate the clients to continue doing business with you repeatedly. Think about how surprised they will be when they receive a card from your company! In the past, businesses used to send out seasonal cards to their clients more often, but the trend is becoming less and less frequent. Stand out from the crowd by sticking to this tradition.

Hold a Contest

Contests attract tremendous attention offline as most people are naturally compelled to take part in competitions. Make sure that the rewards are meaningful and linked to your brand in one way or another to create the wow factor.

Research to know the type of contest that would be more appealing and interesting to your clients. Two questions that you should ask yourself are:

• What kind of skills do they have?
• What kind of rewards/prizes would they be willing to compete for?

Timing is essential – make sure that you inform them about it beforehand. You can use social media to market the contest and do so early enough to give them ample time to prepare and participate.

Community Engagement

Community engagement will help boost your brand awareness efforts. Simple projects such as sponsoring the local soccer team will not go unnoticed. It is also important to note that people love to support local businesses and will gravitate towards your business if you show them that you care.

People feel proud to be associated with a successful local business. Their support will eventually help you to spread your wings to other regions. The secret is to harness that pride and turn the community members into customers.

Business Cards

Business cards will give the customers all the information they need to get in touch with you after a meeting or conference. In the current digital world, fewer business executives rely on business cards; they consider it superfluous because they have an online presence already.

Such kind of mentality is wrong and may be preventing you from getting new clients. Note that clients remember your brand based on the information that is printed on the card. Therefore, make sure that you include as much essential information as possible such as your website, office location, and business hours.

Conclusion

The above online and offline marketing tips will help you to sell your service in Singapore effectively. Be sure to monitor the results that you get from each campaign to know which strategy to focus on more.