Most business owners understand the importance of doing market research before opening a new company. This helps them to determine whether there is a need for a certain product or service among the customers because the chances of a business succeeding are very slim without an interested audience. If you are starting your own company, this is a crucial step you cannot afford to skip.
However, even after you’ve determined that there is a gap in the market that you could potentially fill, you might be experiencing some difficulties when it comes to reaching your target audience. Regardless of whether you are an online business or operating from a brick-and-mortar store, promoting your business properly is vital. To help you out, we’ve got some suggestions on how you could draw more attention to yourself and allow your business to thrive.
1. Ensure the Quality of Your Product/Service Is High
First things first – in order to get loyal customers, you need to ensure your products and services are of the highest quality. Seeing as how there will always be people who are willing to take a chance on you without actually knowing that much about you, you need to prove your worth to them. Afterwards, when they see how good your offer is, they will not hesitate to recommend it to their friends. This is the best way to get word-of-mouth recommendations and you will not have to invest as much in marketing. So, make sure you run various tests and consult with focus groups before you actually release your product to the public.
2. Invest in SEO
While you are probably already aware of the fact that you need a website that is fast, responsive and mobile-friendly, you might not be as familiar with SEO. Implementing search engine optimization into your marketing strategy will allow your website to be placed higher on search engine rankings and make it easier for potential customers to find you. You can start learning about keywords, local SEO and all other aspects of optimization and do it on your own or you could turn to a professional agency specializing in SEO that will probably help you reach your goal much faster. For a smaller company, focusing on local SEO is best at first and you can grow your campaign further once you’ve conquered the area you live in.
3. Look Into Paid Advertising
Seeing as how SEO usually needs some time to show the desired results, you might want to turn to paid advertising to get some quick exposure that can help build your audience. Look into pay-per-click and Facebook ads and determine which approach would be best. Consult with professionals in the field to see which channel might be right for you. They will also explain the importance of strong keywords and optimizing your ads as well as help you understand how paid marketing works on social media and which platforms to opt for.
4. Rely on Social Media
Considering the fact that there were over three billion social media users in 2019, it’s easy to see how joining these platforms can be beneficial for your company. However, there is probably no need for you to make profiles on every single one of the available platforms. Start by joining those that your target audience prefers and focus on them. Use the relevant hashtags, include high-quality images and videos and do your best to create a relationship with your followers. Respond to their questions and even drop comments on their posts.
5. Start a Blog
To attract customers, you should also consider adding a blog to your website. This way, you get to provide your audience with original content that is useful and full of advice. Not only will this enhance your authority in the field and build trust among your followers but you also get a chance to attract people who haven’t heard of you yet. Moreover, by cleverly implementing calls to action in your articles, you might inspire your readers to make a purchase. Plus, you should work with other bloggers by asking them to write guest posts for you and writing for them. This type of networking widens your range and allows for link-building as well, which is great for your SEO efforts.
6. Speak at an Industry Event
Another way to become a household name in your industry is by attending various events that are being organized in that field. Listening to other people speak, working on relationships with your colleagues and scoping out the competition are all vital in order to grow your business. After a while, you can start speaking at these gatherings and share your knowledge with the interested audience. What is more, you can even start organizing seminars, webinars and holding some classes on your own.
7. Attend a Trade Show or a Fair
Besides seminars, you can also attend trade shows and fairs that will allow you to showcase your products and services. Seeing as how trade shows mostly permit only industry members to attend, you should also look for some events that allow the general public as well, such as fairs. In order to stand out from the crowd, you need to invest in a booth with your name and logo as well as pamphlets you will be handing out to your visitors. What is also important is that the staff that will be working the event is friendly, welcoming and able to answer any questions that the people coming to your stand might have.
8. Find a Partner for a Joint Venture
All of these industry events are a great place to find a partner you could work with. Plenty of times, you can meet someone from a complimentary niche that you can form a business relationship with. These types of partnerships can work great because you are not direct rivals and can thus recommend each other’s business to your customers. However, before you give your loyal clients any referrals, ensure you can trust your potential partner. On the other hand, it is also not a bad idea to team up with a company that is bigger than you as they can oftentimes recommend you to their clients if they are swamped with work and don’t have enough time.
9. Make the Exterior of Your Store Inviting
If you happen to have a brick-and-mortar store, you need to make it inviting in order to attract more attention. First of all, you can hang a big sign on the building so that people can find you more easily. Then, you have to make the storefront look interesting and eye-catching so that they actually want to walk it. For instance, design your window displays in such a way that they tell a story or show potential customers what it is that they’re getting from you. Make the entrance pleasant by putting some potted plants on each side of it and don’t forget a welcoming mat. Nowadays, you can even get customized indoor logo mats which will attract new customers with their eye-catching design. Finally, make sure it is always clean and tidy as a dirty store will look appealing to no one.
10. Put Up Billboards in High Traffic Areas
Even though digital marketing has been very popular lately, we cannot forget about the traditional ways either – for example, putting up big billboards with your company name, logo and tagline. Specify your address as well, both online and the street your store is in. Then, you can even place directions to your store around town so that people know how far away you are and where to find you. Handing out flyers can also help you draw attention to yourself.
11. Create Commercials for Radio and TV
Another great form of advertising is getting your commercials on TV and radio. Just like with SEO, you should keep it local if you’re a small business that only operates in a limited area. However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t invest in these ads and make them the best they can be. Think of a catchy jingle or a catchphrase that will get stuck in people’s heads. Clearly state your URL or address so that they can check you out after hearing what you have to offer.
12. Entice People With Various Gifts and Free Products/Services
During your marketing efforts, you can also mention that you are offering people certain benefits. For instance, you can offer free trials to all new clients. Say, a month free to see whether they like the service you are providing them with or the product they bought from you. After that, if it doesn’t suit them, offer full refunds. Of course, for this to work, you need to ensure your service/product is top-notch and there will be no need to deal with the matter of refunds. Furthermore, you can offer discounts to a certain number of people who act the fastest in a competition. Finally, consider providing people with a free service in exchange for them partaking in a case study that you are conducting about your customers.
13. Ask People to Leave You Reviews
We talked about word-of-mouth earlier and how it could help you get more customers. However, there is another way how your current clients can boost your reputation. After they make a purchase, simply ask them to leave a review on your website and on your social media profiles. Explain that this will take only a couple of minutes of their time but it will mean a lot to you. This way, other people that check you out online will see that you have a good reputation and that they can do business with you.
14. Get Involved in Your Community
The best way to attract attention in your community is by doing something nice for the people that live there. For example, you can try to help your community solve a problem that they are having by donating money or volunteering your time. You can also bring awareness to certain issues that are plaguing the neighborhood, like the lack of green spaces or something along those lines. Finally, by being eco-friendly, your business is sure to get the support of the community.
These fourteen ways of drawing attention to yourself are just some of the many approaches you can take when it comes to promoting your company. All you need is a bit of creativity and a budget that can help you implement these strategies.
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