It can be very easy to neglect marketing when you’re starting a new business.
You may consider other elements such as finding a modern office, getting the latest computer equipment, and building the most contemporary website to be essential, but none of these will matter if you aren’t able to get your business seen by people. If nobody knows that your company exists, then they can’t take advantage of what you are offering, and your company will subsequently struggle to survive.
Marketing is, quite clearly, absolutely vital, but what are the key marketing tips you need to employ to ensure your business gets off the best start?
Essential Tips for Business Marketing
1. Utilize your current network
Most entrepreneurs launch their business within an industry or sector that they are already familiar with. This means that they are well aware of the challenges, the potential long-term success, and also the competition. However, most importantly, it means they will already have valuable contacts. When your business is in its early stages, don’t be afraid to speak to your network to gain advice, guidance and, if possible, contracts. The first step of marketing your business is marketing yourself, and this is something you should be doing from day one.
If you don’t have a large network, it’s time to start building one. Digital business cards are one of the best networking tools in this digital age because of their instant, digital contact-sharing capabilities. Find the best digital business card for your needs and add it to your networking efforts to expand your network.
2. Understand your audience
There’s no point in committing to an extensive marketing campaign if you have no idea who you want to reach or what information they want to consume. You have to be aware of your target audiences because this will guide you when creating content, and will also help you in decision-making.
A research carried out by Social Media Today has found that 71% of all business owners believe understanding their audience is absolutely crucial to help their company grow.
Looking for MLM Software? Check out SoftwareSuggest’s list of the best MLM software (Multilevel marketing software) solutions.
3. Consider your marketing methods
Once you have established your audience, you need to know how to reach them. Do they prefer emails, SMS, phone calls, physical mail, or face-to-face meetings? Do some market research, and don’t be afraid to utilize more than one method.
Social media can be an incredible boon to your business because it’s free, and it allows you to reach millions of people directly. According to research carried out by Hubspot, 80% of marketers admit that social media has increased traffic to their company’s main website, so it’s worth spending some time posting on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
LinkedIn is an important social media platform especially for businesses, but it can be difficult to know when you should post. Read this article by SocialAppsHQ on the best time to post on LinkedIn to understand what works best for your business.
5. Create unique content
The best way to engage people is to produce content that can’t be found elsewhere. If you have the time and ability, produce studies and research that enables you to create numerous pieces of content.
6. Don’t tell, show it
If you can show people what you want to tell them, either via an infographic or video, then you should undoubtedly consider it. Research has found that using images or graphics makes people 80% more likely to read content, so avoid using only the text wherever possible.
7. Embrace automation
Automating your marketing can help you get your message out there while allowing you to get on with other tasks. There are numerous marketing automation platforms that you can use, so it might be worth having a few trial periods to see which one fits best with what you want to achieve.
8. Go to networking events (and if possible, be a guest speaker)
Networking events are the perfect way to meet potential customers and talk to them face-to-face. And, if you’re able to speak at the event to declare what you do and showcase your knowledge, it will be much better!
9. Assess the actions of your competitors
If you want to know what works well and what doesn’t, you can do a lot worse than seeing what your rival organizations are doing. Sign up to each of your competitors’ newsletters, and keep an eye on the content they are sending out. This might give you some ideas that you can adopt, and could also show you where they have gaps in their marketing that you can exploit.
10. Use business cards
Research carried out by Statistic Brain Research Institute in 2018 suggests that an incredible 72% of people will judge your company solely on the quality of your business cards. The same study found that 39% of people would refuse to do business with any company that has a ‘cheap-looking’ business card, which further emphasizes the importance of handing out cards of quality.
And quality means more than just making sure your cards look good; it means ensuring that they are recyclable, too. Paper accounts for 50% of the waste produced by businesses, and around a fifth of all landfill material across the planet, so using materials that can be recycled will enhance your company’s approach to sustainability.
A digital marketing and content curator at SoftwareSuggest, a software recommendation platform. I am passionate about Digital Marketing, and all things digital. Also interested in technology and innovation. In my spare time, enjoy playing cricket, and Badminton.
