You’ve been thinking about it for a while, and now you’ve finally decided to jump headfirst into starting your own business. You’ve got everything ready, and your business is officially launched! But how will you get the word out that you’re in business and attract customer? Short of running through the streets shouting “I started a new company!” implementing a marketing plan when you’re business is fresh out of the gate can seem daunting and expensive, but there are a few methods that you can use to get the word out.
Advertising
Digital marketing is getting increasingly more affordable and can offer new businesses with a great way to reach potential customers. From purchasing digital ad space on social media, to pay per click ads on search engines, there are a number of easy ways to promote your business online. If you have the time, creating social media pages for your business is a great, free way to market to customers, communicate, and continue to build up the attention to your business. Having a great website for your business that all of your ads can direct customers to will also help significantly with lead generation and increase traffic to your business.
Even in the increasingly digital world, print ads should still be an essential part of your marketing strategy. One easy print advertising method is to create postcards with attractive graphics and your business information and send it to business prospects. You can submit articles or ads to local newspapers or magazines to reach local markets too! Magazines that are focused on producing content for your industry are always looking for new and interesting content, so this can be a great way to get industry-specific advertising. You can also create promotional products such as sticker decals for cars, pens, hats, t-shirts, and more to get your business name out there and start building up brand recognition. Even something as simple as posting flyers to bulletin boards at your local grocery store, church, or community building can make a difference.
Branch out To Other Businesses
Branching out to other local businesses is an absolute must for new businesses. It’s a great way to network and learn about how other small businesses in your area are marketing to customers. Most importantly, if there’s another business that you know would benefit from working with you, you can try “buddy marketing.” Offering to advertise their business in your store or on your marketing material in exchange for them doing the same for your business can help you each share your reach to customers to bring each other new business. This will also help you gain credibility in your community if you’re working with another trusted business because customers who know and trust that business will see that you’re associated and the trust could be extended to you.
Get Involved in Your Community
There are a wide variety of ways to get involved in your community that can help bring more attention to your business. One great option is to join your local Chamber of Commerce, which will help you network with other local businesses and take part in local events like farmers markets or craft fairs. You can also participate in charitable events, or offer free classes and your community center or public library.
Find Your Audience
No matter what business you’re running, it’s vital to find your audience and get to know them. You can’t target absolutely everyone, and you shouldn’t even try. Know who your target audience is and start marketing directly to them with online ads and YouTube or cable commercials. If you’re comfortable with it, you can even do some cold calling to reach directly out to customers and get your business off the ground.
Make sure you continue to work tirelessly for the customers you already do have. Keep offering exceptional service and products so they tell other people about your business. Word of mouth is a great marketing tool, so use it! You can also create a company blog or set up an emailing list to send out company updates and special deals for existing customers. Within these emails, ask for feedback on your business to find out early and frequently what you’re doing right and what you can improve on, which will help move your business up faster.