As a small business owner just starting out, how do you go about getting your name out there? This is a problem that many young companies face, but luckily in this day and age there are many things you can do to make your business visible to your target customer group. From local marketing to spreading your online presence, here are just some tips on how to get started:
SEO
It’s very important for a company to have a strong presence both physically and online. With online, the first thing you need to do is create a well-designed website that will make customers want to return again and again. Once you have this, you need to work on optimizing your search engine visibility through search engine optimization (SEO). A well-optimized website or blog will help people to find your site easily and result in brand familiarization.
Social Networking
Social networking has revolutionized the way business is conducted online. With Facebook and Twitter, it can be as simple as promoting an insightful blog post, quirky tweet or special offer that people will want to share. You could even put together a YouTube video to appeal to your client base and share on your social networking sites. From just one action, you can increase the awareness of your company a hundredfold.
Email Marketing
You may be wary of employing this strategy, given the feelings most people have about junk email. However, the key to successful email marketing is to use it selectively. Send out messages only to relevant people and include something that will be useful to them, such as special offers or promotions. People generally only get annoyed with marketing-related emails when they are describing products or services that are of no interest to them whatsoever. A great way to establish a database of engaged followers is to have an area on your website that allows people to sign up for regular newsletters and promotions.
Share Your News
Whether you have a new product to launch, have hired a new influential team member, won an award or are hosting an event, you should write press releases to share your news. This reminds people that you are still a key player in the industry, and it’s a great opportunity to bring traffic to your business, website and social networking profiles.
Attend Exhibitions
The importance of networking when you are trying to get your company’s name out there cannot be stressed enough. One of the easiest ways to meet potential clients on a one-to-one level is to attend industry expositions. These are the perfect opportunity to create a strong impression and set up meetings, as well as showcase your best products.
Before you attend, make sure that you have the right marketing materials for each event. These could include business cards, brochures or pop-up stands with your company logo and some strong graphics.
Sponsor Community Projects
Find out about local community or charitable causes, and offer your company’s assistance. This could be in the form of sponsorship or by offering your products or services for free. In addition to the satisfied feeling you’ll have for doing your part, your link with these projects could help you build a positive reputation and trust within your local client base.
Write Articles
If you want to get your company’s name out there and build a reputation as a thought leader in your sector, write some informative articles and post them on your website or relevant blogging sites. Rather than posting constantly, it’s best to write only when you have a topic that is insightful and helpful to your followers. You can also post links to these on your social networking profiles to create more traffic surrounding your article and company.
About the Author: Chris Jenkinson is a UK-based marketing consultant writing for Pop Up Stands UK.
