Scott Graham/ Unsplash
Startups often have an uphill battle, no matter which industry they’re in. They’ll be up against established competitors, and they’ll need to do everything they can to gain a foothold. Marketing is an essential part of this, and you’ll need to invest in it as an
entrepreneur. This begs the question of which marketing strategies for startups actually work. There’ll be multiple factors involved in this, from your budget to the expected results. While there are plenty of these to pick from, some of them help more than others. These could be the ones worth investing in. Marketing Strategies for Startups: 3 Essential Picks 1. Influencer Marketing Influencer marketing has become popular in multiple industries thanks in large part to how helpful it can be. It gets products and services in front of a large audience while also helping to create trust with potential customers. It involves partnering with influencers in your industry, and using this to advertise to their followers. Usually, this is done on social media. Focusing on influencers with an engaged audience is vital to this. That way, you’re more likely to see better brand awareness because of the partnership, and even a noticeable increase in overall sales. It’s great for startups in multiple industries. 2. Social Media Social media is always one of the best marketing strategies for startups to go for. It’s affordable and offers almost immediate access to a large audience. It’s a great way to build your brand while creating relationships with customers. With how effective it is, it shouldn’t be overlooked. It can often be a relatively complicated area to master, though. It’s not just a matter of posting updates and leaving it at that. Thankfully, there are companies that specialise in social media management that could help you. By working with them, you should see much better results than you would’ve before. It’s worth considering. 3. Content Marketing Content marketing has quickly become one of the more popular marketing strategies for companies to invest in. This is because of the kind of results it offers, even if it can be a more long-term approach to take. The process involves creating informative and engaging content for your potential customers. This informs them of what you offer, what kind of problems your products or services tackle, and more. Content marketing can be seen in many shapes and forms, ranging from email marketing to search engine optimization. The key to this is making sure you’re creating quality content related to your business that engages potential customers. Marketing Strategies for Startups:Wrapping Up There are countless marketing strategies for startups out there, but that doesn’t mean all of them offer the same kind of results. Some will offer much more than others, and these could be worth focusing on. While they’ll take time and effort to pull off properly, the results you should see make it more than worth it. You’ll be in a better position to compete with established competitors, helping you gain more and more business in time.
0 Comments
Image credit: Samantha Gades from Unsplash
Growing awareness of your brand is key to the growth of your business, and there are many ways you can go about it. Throwing an event for your business, in order to get the interest of customers, partners, and investors is a great way to gain a reputation. This is your opportunity to strengthen the relationship between your business and its audience, and it gives people a peek behind the scenes.
Not only is it great for growing your brand, but it’s a way for businesses to give back to their community. You strive to impress everyone, not just with what you have to show for your business, but with the amenities that you have planned for everyone to enjoy. Covering all of the bases Depending on the length of your event, there are a lot of things you need to consider. Not only do you need to make sure your visitors are entertained, but you also have to make sure their needs are taken care of. You have to include things like toilet hire, food, seating, and anything else your visitors would want if they were going to stay at your event. Then of course, keep in mind that all of your guests are going to be different. Different dietary options are important, not just for preference, but for allergies and beliefs. If there are guests that can’t eat at your event, they’re likely to leave with their party. There’s also the case of accessibility. If you want your corporate event to have a good look at your business, you have to consider all types of guests. An event without disability access suggests that you don’t care for that demographic of guests. Proper Marketing No matter how great and inclusive your event is, it won’t be successful if you neglect the marketing side of things. Making sure your audience knows there’s an event, and showing them why they should attend is a must. Promote it in any way you can, and be sure that you leave a chunk of the funds for your event for marketing. While your event isn’t going to be directly drawing in a profit, it’s an investment that’s absolutely worth your finances. You’ll want to start marketing it ahead of the event, too. Letting people know it’s happening when it’s just around the corner is no good at all. Let people have time to clear their calendars and plan ahead for it. If you’ve got big promises for your event and are ready to deliver, people will hear about it and show up - but that’s only if you know how to market it properly. Lazy marketing or cheap marketing is going to cost you much more than an expensive marketing scheme. Be sure that when you’re advertising your event, you’re including all of the details that would incentivize your audience. No one is going to show up for you to just promote your business - you have to promise something in return. 
Image credit: Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
We all know marketing spiel and how it runs. You need only read LinkedIn for a matter of minutes to read a range of people promising the world and delivering on none of it. This overabundance of content from every angle has lead to many people feeling somewhat tired of marketing talk, and moreover, they feel exhausted tuning it all out.
As a business leader, or someone in charge of a marketing department, this poses a challenge, But it also poses a much more worthwhile opportunity. After all, in a world of churned-out copy, artificial call to action, and strife online competition, it’s important to nurture your human voice as much as possible. In this post, then, we’ll discuss how to avoid that awkward marketing spiel and instead deliver hard-hitting messaging that helps even highly trained and experienced professionals feel engaged and interested in what you have to say. Without further ado, please consider some of the following advice: Why Should You Avoid Conventional Language? Awkward and unwanted marketing speech can hurt your brand reputation, decrease customer engagement, and ultimately harm your business. This can include using buzzwords that don't resonate with your audience or making assumptions about their preferences that turn out to be incorrect - a big no-no. It’s important to focus on creating messaging that is clear, concise, and tailored to your audience. This means conducting research to understand their needs and preferences and using language that speaks directly to them. With a b2b email database, you can start that process. What Makes An Effective Message? Curating a message with brevity is essential. Conduct market research to learn more about your audience’s requirements, motivations, and preferences. Try to consider what they need before they need it. Consider how market trends and customer data allows you to curate informative content first, and then add your style later. Remember - simplicity is key. Don’t make your message overly clever or super smart, make it accessible, interesting, and impactful. Authenticity Is King Authenticity is key to building trust and loyalty with your audience. Try not to curate content that reads like an AI generated it. You can achieve this by hiring copywriters, working with outsourced marketing, or delivering a project that really speaks to the audience you have. For instance, it’s not uncommon for certain fields to speak with the jargon required to properly deliver their communications correctly, and this can create even more of a connection than overly vague information can. As you can see, sometimes gauging your audience is more important than formatting all of your messaging into one worthwhile box. Moreover, try not to rely on basic conventions or wordplay if it can’t quite fit. It’s better to be clear so that someone can remember your message after a few seconds of reading it than asking them to figure out what you meant. Direct, imperative language, authentically applied, should do that trick. With this advice, you’re sure to avoid awkward and unwanted marketing spiel, and instead learn to curate your authentic and informative voice. 
Image credit: Fauxels from Pexels
If you are going to be starting a new business, then you are going to need to take the time to plan from start to finish. You need to think carefully about the market that you are entering into, how much it’s going to cost you to start up and so much more. If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed, the best thing that you can do is to break it down into more manageable chunks. In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the things that you need to remember when starting a new business, so keep reading down below if you would like to find out more.
Attracting Customers You want to attract as many customers as possible. This is going to be hard, especially if you are entering a particularly competitive industry. The truth is that a lot of them are super competitive at the moment, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t still see success, you just have to work super hard at it. For example, when it comes to bringing in clients, you really need to be working on your local SEO. What this means is that when someone searches for something like bespoke joinery company near me and they are within your location, you need to come up if this is relevant to you. Using a range of marketing methods is probably the best thing that you can do for yourself. Combine the old and the new to make the best combined marketing approach possible, and you will gain the maximum number of customers. What Do You Need? It’s also essential that you take the time to write down everything you’re going to need to start this business. Some of the things that you will certainly need are going to include employees, the right technology, the right suppliers, connections, logistical help, a website, an office and so much more. This is not an extensive list, but it’s enough to get you started. Once you have worked out what you need, you then need to know how much all of this is going to cost so that you can figure out how to fund it. It’s Not Easy Last but not least, you need to always remember that it is not easy, and it is not supposed to be. If it was easy, everyone would do it and 90% of businesses wouldn’t fail within their first year. It’s not something that you can just breeze through, and it’s not something that you can get bored of halfway through and still expect to see success. We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you are going to need to remember if you are starting a new business. The most important thing that you should tell yourself throughout this entire journey is that you should never give up, because you can get there if you are dedicated to seeing success. We wish you the very best of luck, and see the success that you deserve. 
Image credit: Brooke Lark from Unsplash
In today’s world of digital marketing, establishing your brand identity is essential to setting yourself apart from the competition. By having a strong and recognizable brand identity, you open up opportunities for wider recognition, improved customer loyalty, and ultimately more sales. But how do you go about creating a truly distinctive brand identity?
Here are 9 tips to help you establish yours: Define Your Brand Values Start by deciding what values your company stands for. These should be concise statements that reflect both the core focus of your business and the objectives you want to achieve. Be sure to include an emotional element in order to create an authentic connection with customers. Create a Logo A logo is crucial for developing visual recognition of your brand. Choose a design that reflects your company’s values and is simple enough for customers to remember. Try to keep it versatile so it can be applied across multiple platforms, from business cards and brochures to social media accounts. Construct an Effective Tagline A tagline should summarize the essence of your brand in one catchy phrase or sentence. Good taglines are memorable and help create an emotional connection with consumers by conveying a feeling about the product or service you offer. Develop Brand Guidelines By establishing clear guidelines for how your brand will be presented, you foster consistency across every touchpoint—from website design to customer interactions. These should include standards for logo usage, color palettes, typography, messaging, and more. 
Image credit: Diggity Marketing from Unsplash
Make Your Website Stand Out
An effective website should look great while also conveying your brand’s values in a visually engaging way. Choose the right design elements to create a user-friendly experience that resonates with visitors and encourages them to explore further. Leverage Social Media Platforms Social media is essential for building relationships with customers and increasing visibility for your brand. Use platforms such as Twitter or Instagram to post relevant content about your products/services, engage with followers, and answer any customer queries quickly. The Best Marketing Automation Software will come in handy at this point. Monitor Your Reputation Online As part of maintaining a healthy online presence, regularly monitor your company’s reputation on social media and review sites. This helps you stay ahead of any potential issues that could impact your brand’s image and provides an opportunity to address them before they become more serious. Produce Quality Content Content marketing is a great way to draw attention to your brand and showcase what makes it unique. Create content that provides valuable information or entertainment, from blog posts and articles to videos and podcasts. Track Your Progress Analyzing the effectiveness of your efforts is key for refining your branding strategy going forward. Measure things such as website traffic, social media engagement, customer feedback, and sales figures so you can identify areas where you’re succeeding—or not—and adjust accordingly. There You Have It By following these tips on how to establish your brand identity, you should be able to create an image that resonates with customers and successfully sets you apart from the competition. Good luck! 
Image credit: Dominika Roseclay from Pexels
If you want your marketing efforts to be successful in 2023, then you need to ensure they are as creative as possible, but it is not always easy to get those creative juices flowing, which is why I’ve put together a few interesting ideas you might want to use.
Create Your Own VRPG These days, it is video that really catches most people’s attention online, and everyone loves an unsolved mystery. So, if you have something to plug, why not create your own video roleplaying game and post it on Youtube for the customers to solve? The mystery will intrigue so many people who will take part and wonder about who created the game, and it could be a great way for you to get your name out there. Print Your Own Stickers Head over to Citywide Print and have them print you a selection of stickers that you can stick to your car, or your work folder, hand out to customers, and generally use at any opportunity to show off your brand logo and raise your company profile. It’s a simple solution, but one that can work surprisingly well if you take the time to design a really eye-catching logo for your stickers. Chalk It Up Why not go old-school and use pavement chalk to write a message to your customers on the pavement? This can be particularly useful as a means of marketing if you run a physical business and want to attract local footfall, but posting cryptic chalk messages around any neighborhood is sure to get a buzz going on and offline, so done right, it could work for any business anywhere. 
Image credit: Sam Lion from Pexels
Run A Photo Contest
Ask your customers to send in their best photographs of their dog enjoying your products or their kids playing with your goods and award prizes to the most creative images. This is an excellent way to increase social media interaction significantly, and the cute photos you get sent will be excellent at promoting your products and services in their own right. Send Out Letters The art of letter writing and direct mail campaigns might be somewhat dead in the modern world of digital marketing, but that is exactly why this could work. Create some beautiful handwritten letters expressing the benefits of your products and services and send them out into the world and chances are they will be read by many of the people who receive them, thus bolstering your brand image. Include some freebies in the letter and you might just make a lot of sales! Create Your Own Mobile Games Mobile games are really popular right now, so if you can create your own niche-based puzzle game that is exciting enough to get people hooked, you could get a lot of free marketing out of it once you have paid for the development costs of the app, of course. The more creative you are the more people your marketing will reach and the more sales you will make - it really is that simple. 
Image credit: Engin Akyurt from Pexels
If you are considering taking the plunge into owning your own business, consider opening a franchise. Franchising offers a unique opportunity to have the support of an established brand and the freedom to be your own boss. There are currently 480,000 franchise opportunities in the UK to take advantage of, one of the most well-known franchises being McDonald's.
Franchises offer a range of benefits that come with being part of a larger organisation. From marketing support to access to resources, the advantages of owning a franchise can be difficult to ignore. With the right approach and some hard work, owning a franchise can be a great way to build your own business. The key is finding the right franchise for you; for example, if you want to get a start in the fitness world, you can find out more about a fitness franchise on the Fitness Cartel website fitnesscartel.com.au/gym-franchise. This article will explore four benefits of opening a franchise business and how to make it work for you. Established Brand The first benefit of opening a franchise is that you get to build on an already-established brand. You purchase into a successful business model when you buy a franchise. The brand has already been marketed, and many customers will already be familiar with it. Because the brand is already well-known, you can start marketing your business with a greater level of certainty that your customers will respond. This can give you a significant advantage as you launch your business and make attracting new customers easier. Proven Business Model Another benefit of opening a franchise is using an established business model that has been proven in other locations. This means you can skip the costly and time-consuming step of experimenting with different business models. Instead, you can focus on growing your business and tracking how other franchisees in the system are doing. You can benefit from the experience of other franchisees and the data that the franchisor has gathered and analysed. The business model will already have been tested in different locations, so you will know that it can survive and thrive. This means you can be confident in your business model, giving you a significant edge as you launch your own franchise. Accessible Resources Another benefit of opening a franchise is access to resources. As part of a larger organisation, you will have access to the needed resources to run a successful business. This may include specialised training, quality control, marketing support and more. You may also have access to financing and other support that would be difficult to find if you were starting a business from scratch. This support can be precious when starting a new business. It will also enable you to focus on your core business rather than spend time and energy trying to access these resources. Marketing Support Another benefit of opening a franchise is the marketing support typically included in the franchise fee. Franchisees are typically offered marketing support from the franchisor. This marketing support includes advertisements, cooperative advertising, public relations, and social media campaigns. The marketing support provided by the franchisor will vary from franchise to franchise. You will likely have access to a larger budget for marketing than you would if you were marketing your business independently. This can be a huge advantage in growing your business and getting new customers. Conclusion Opening a franchise can be a great way to enter the business world. A franchise offers the benefits of an established brand, a proven business model, and access to resources. It also provides marketing support from the franchisor. With these advantages, it can be easier to succeed as an entrepreneur and to get your business off the ground. 
Image credit: Geralt from Pixabay
Having the ability to make sales is pretty much the most crucial objective of any business in order to be successful. So to do this, you need to pay attention to your marketing campaign and put the right kind of resources into it. Without the right marketing, then, you are never going to reach the number of sales that your products and services deserve. It is all about advertising and beating the competition. So, how do you do this? Let's take a look at some ways you can upgrade your marketing campaigns.
Market Research If you want to improve your campaigns, then you need to do a lot of research. You need to investigate the competition, your customer, as well as marketing techniques. You need to know how your products and services fit into the market that you are selling to. You need to work out how what you offer is different from your competition. This is known as your USP or unique selling point. When it comes to marketing, the best approach is to understand your market - your customers - and target your advertising to them specifically. This is less expensive than trying to sell to everyone, but it does mean that you need to do your market research. Be Flexible Being able to update your marketing approach is key to your continued success. You need to use metrics and KPIs - key performance indicators - and measure the success of each piece of advertising. This is particularly easy to do using social media. Posts are easy to track, and you can see how many people have interacted with them. You can add analytics to your website, too, so that you know how many people have visited you, how long they have spent on your site, etc. So, you need to use your marketing to improve your marketing. The more flexible you can be with your approach, the better. Your Website Your website is a key piece of marketing. It is the palace all your marketing material will point to. Every post you send out via social media will have a link to your website, so it needs to be up to spec. It has to be easy to navigate, with all the relevant pieces of information plainly obvious from the start. Your website is the place to tell the customer more about your brand. You can write out your brand narrative, for example. If you are struggling with a website that looks good, works on all devices, is fully functional, is speedy, etc., then why not invest in bespoke web design. A website is a place where you can build on the interest gained from your advertising. It is where you can show the continuity of the key messages in your marketing. It is where you build trust and gain loyalty. Some companies do not have a website, and this is a major flaw in their business model. These days a website is absolutely key. So don't let yours bring down your business reputation and lose you potential customers. 
Image credit: Joshua Earle from Unsplash
Times have changed, and what was once used in corporate advertising has now transitioned to the digital world. Almost everyone in this day and age has some sort of digital footprint, perhaps they only use email to interact with their loved ones or they participate in social media platforms in order to keep up with the careers of their heroes. So, how can you utilize digital advertising to benefit your company?
Improve Your SEO Whenever it comes to your website, SEO is useful to know about because the more SEO-friendly you can make it, the better it'll be for helping to promote what you're trying to offer. It's another area where hiring a professional may be worthwhile, but there are some things you can do on your own to boost the SEO on your website. You should also examine Google Ads negative keywords to guarantee that you hit all of the keywords possible. Condensing photos and increasing the speed of your website are both good ideas. You also need to be providing new content on a regular basis to boost your website's visibility on Google. Accept Social Media Many of us use social media to communicate with one another and to keep up with what's going on around the world as it unfolds. Many of these social media sites have altered how we interact with one another and react to news. This can be a great method for businesses to connect with their customers on a personal level. Recognizing the potential of social media as a free form of promotion is crucial, as it allows you to reach a wide audience and make direct sales to those who already like and follow you. So join these social networking networks and, if you don't already have one, build one. This allows you to cross-promote all of your web platforms. Make Use Of An Agency Because the digital world changes so frequently, it can be tough to navigate. Some companies, especially those on the smaller scale, may find it challenging to keep up with what amounts to a twenty-four-hour job. If you need help with any area of your company's digital presence, it may be time to hire a digital marketing firm. It's good having whether you decide to hire them on with a contract or just for the odd hours here and there. It's helpful to have experts on hand, especially if you don't have much background in digital marketing. 
Image credit: Unknown
Make Use Of Press Releases
If you've accomplished something significant, or if you're introducing a new product or service that you believe deserves some media exposure, it's worthwhile to send out press releases. With the proliferation of online communities and groups, it's important to start compiling a mailing list to distribute your materials to a wide audience. Although it may seem like you're always playing catch-up in the digital world, it's in your best interest to stay current so that you can take advantage of any and all possibilities to market your brand online. 
Image credit: Andy Barbour from Pexels
Being able to promote and market your company in the most successful way possible is hugely important, and these days there are more opportunities than ever to achieve success with this. You have to understand some of the best ideas that are going to help you when it comes to improving and enhancing your company, and being able to market and promote it in the best possible way is such an important facet.
There are a lot of ideas that you can use that will help you to achieve this more successfully, and it is vital to try to get this right. You have to consider what it takes to be able to market your company in the right way, and this is something that involves making a lot of the right decisions that will help you attract more people to the business. Here are some of the best ways of being able to market your company better over the coming year. Design A Jaw-Dropping Website Finding the perfect website is so important for businesses, and this means you need to work on designing the ideal website that can showcase the strengths of your company. One of the best ways of achieving this is to make sure you hire amazing web design professionals, and this is something that you have to consider as much as possible. There are loads of amazing ideas that will allow you to make the most of this, and it is essential that you come up with some of the best ways of creating the ideal website that can suit your needs. By promoting your business via a stunning website, you should have no problem attracting customers. Business Cards You should never overlook the importance of being able to use things like business cards and flyers in order to promote your business in a way that doesn’t involve the Internet. Having a combination of online and off-line marketing strategies is one of the best and most important steps you can take to help with this. You need to understand that there are lots of different ways of being able to promote your company effectively, and this is a really impactful one. Finding the ideal printing services is a great way of being able to get business cards and flyers made so you can hand out to people, and promote your business in diverse ways. Boss Social Media There are loads of ways in which you can promote and enhance your business marketing these days, and one of the most effective is the boss social media. There are loads of great social networking sites that you can use that will help you when it comes to improving your business marketing, and developing strong profiles and a magnetic presence on these sites can work wonders for enhancing reputation, and attracting more people to the company. Make use of social media as much as possible, as this is one of the most powerful tools that your business has for marketing. These are just a few of the key ideas that can be used to help take your company to the next level, and it’s really important that you do your best to make the most of these. By marketing and promoting your business more effectively, you can attract more people to the companies and enjoy more success in the process. 
Image credit: Fauxels from Pexels
There are a lot of important people in any business, but there are four professionals that are especially crucial for starting businesses. These people can help you lay the foundation for success and ensure your business is growing in the right direction. Here are the four professionals worth having in your start business for optimal growth:
A Financial Planner To Help You Stay On Budget And Make Sound Investments Having a financial planner on your team is important for a few reasons. First, they can help you keep track of your spending and budget appropriately. This is critical for any business but especially important for start-up businesses with limited resources. Second, financial planners can offer guidance on investments. They can help you make sound decisions about where to invest your money to grow your business while minimizing risk. A Web Developer To Create An Online Presence For Your Business These days, nearly every business needs an online presence. Whether you're selling products or services, customers will expect to be able to find you online. That's where a web developer comes in. A web developer can help you create an informative and visually appealing website. They'll also ensure that your site is easy to use and navigate, ensuring that customers can easily find what they're looking for. In addition, a web developer can help you ensure that your site is optimized for search engines, making it more likely to appear at the top of search results. With so much to consider, it's no wonder that more and more businesses are turning to web developers to create their online presence. An Accountant To Manage Your Books And File Taxes Many small business owners believe they can save money by managing their finances. However, this is often a false economy, as the time and effort required to stay on top of bookkeeping and tax compliance can quickly eat into profits. Moreover, mistakes can be very costly in terms of financial penalties and damage to your reputation. As such, it is often worth investing in the services of a qualified accountant. An accountant can help ensure that your books are kept in order and that you meet your tax obligations. This will free up your time to focus on other aspects of running your business and could save you money in the long run. An SEO Consultant To Help You Reach Your Target Market And Grow Your Customer Base As a business owner, it's important to understand your target market clearly. Without this knowledge, creating a marketing strategy that resonates with your audience and leads to conversions can be difficult. This is where an seo consultant can be helpful. An seo consultant will take the time to understand your business goals and target market. With this information, they'll be able to develop an seo strategy that aligns with your business objectives and helps you reach your target market. In addition, an seo consultant can also provide valuable insights into your customer base, allowing you to understand their needs and wants better. As a result, working with a seo consultant is an excellent way to ensure that your marketing efforts are practical and efficient. Get Yourself On The Map Setting up a company sounds daunting, but it doesn't have to be that way. You can now do the whole process online with the team at www.yourcompanyformations.co.uk. Packed with over 100 years combined experience in the industry, both company formation and secretarial services amongst other helpful pointers will seem a breeze. Many different professionals can help your business grow and succeed. By investing in the services of a financial planner, web developer, accountant, or seo consultant, you'll be well on your way to achieving your business goals. 
Image credit: Cottonbro from Pexels
Thanks to the internet and the increasing interest in starting one’s own business, most sectors have more competition on their hands than ever before. This can feel daunting to companies, especially those that are relatively new, but it is possible to not only compete against the competition but also to steal their customers.
Of these sounds like it’s too good to be true. Check out the below strategies that will help you to do just that. Analyse What They Are Doing Right If you want to take customers from your competitors then the first thing you need to do is conduct a competitor analysis to find out what they are doing, what is working well for them, what they could do better, and… well you get the idea. With this information, you can come up with a strategy for your own business that will enable you to outdo them in areas where they are underperforming and at the very least match them in areas they are doing well in, so you can ultimately overtake them. Develop A USP Next, you will need to develop a unique selling proposition. This is something that sets your company apart from the competition. It could be something as simple as using higher quality components like electronic voltage controllers from Ziehl-Abegg to make your products so they are more reliable and last longer, or it could be your brand that stands out from the crowd. Think about what your customers would value most and follow that avenue to come up with the best USP ideas you can. Reach Out To Them Once you have a USP and a plan to outperform your competitors. Then it is smart to spend as much time as possible reaching out to your target audience. These days, customers expect to form a relationship with the companies they buy things from, and this is one area a lot of businesses are currently slacking in. By engaging your customers on social media, you can make them feel like you really care bout them and your values, you can easily steal them away from your competitors, and the beauty of this is that it need not cosy you lots of money in advertising to do so - just get on social media and start stalking. Look For Gaps In The Market Looking for gaps in the market that are not being filled by your competitors is another excellent strategy that will enable you to steal customers away from the competition. For example, making your products for left-handed people as well as right could open up the market as could selling in more colours or selling bundles of products instead of single ones, but it all depends on what is possible and what is not already being done. As you can see, it is perfectly possible to take customers from your competitors if you are smart, work hard and are willing to go that extra mile, so what are you waiting for?  Your business might be set up and ready to go, but that doesn’t mean you’re done with marketing it. Marketing your business effectively is a crucial aspect of its success. After all, if no one knows about your business, how will anyone buy from you? Unfortunately, when it comes to marketing your business, many entrepreneurs struggle. Each company has different needs when it comes to marketing. Some companies stand out in specific locations, while others have a target audience they need to reach. Regardless of the needs of your business, there are several fundamental principles of effective marketing that can help your small business grow:
Make Your Brand Recognisable The first step to marketing your business is creating a brand that your customers will remember and recognize. A brand can be a word, tagline, design, logo, or colour scheme. Making a unique, recognizable brand involves using things like designs and colours that pop out and also fit your product or service. If you’re creating a slogan or a tagline, it should summarise the goals or services of your business. Customers should be able to identify your brand by sight, sound, or even smell. Whether you have an online shop or a brick-and-mortar store, your customers should recognize your brand and be able to identify it. Be Where Your Customers Are To reach your target customers, you need to be where they are. If you want to get your business in front of the right customers, you must put yourself in the right places. This could mean advertising on the radio or in the local newspaper or posting flyers in coffee shops. There are several ways to get your brand in front of as many eyes as possible. Wherever you decide to advertise, make sure it is consistent with your brand. This means that if you have a logo and tagline, they should be used wherever you promote your business. You can also use social media to reach a wider audience. Work On The Physical Appearance Of Your Business Whether you’re online or have a store, your customers should feel comfortable doing business with you. This means that you must keep your website up to date and error-free, have a consistent design, and ensure all your information is correct. It also means keeping your store clean and tidy and having well-groomed and well-dressed employees. While your website is arguably your most essential marketing tool, the physical appearance of your business is just as important as its digital presence. If you’re selling a product, you need to display it in a way that is enticing and well-organized. You should also work on the upkeep of the store; for example, you should spend money on things like commercial painting for the walls of your property so that clients see the area at its best and are more inclined to buy your products or services. Establish Relationships With Influencers If you’re trying to reach a specific audience, it might be helpful to establish relationships with influencers in that niche. This could be social media influencers or even bloggers with a large audience. By building a relationship with these influencers, you could provide value to their audience and vice versa. You could also offer to sponsor their content. Sponsorship opportunities are a great way to get your brand in front of a larger audience. Before establishing a relationship with an influencer, ensure you understand their audience and what they’re looking for. You’ll be putting your brand in front of a larger audience if you have a relationship with an influencer, so be sure you’re providing value to their audience.  Image credit: Geralt from Pixabay Growing a business is a challenge, but there are ways to accelerate expansion and drive your business forward. If you’re on a mission to go further, faster, here are some tips.
Modernize your marketing strategy Marketing can be a hugely effective way to raise brand awareness and increase profits. Spending money on marketing is beneficial, but it doesn’t always guarantee success. If your marketing campaigns are not delivering results, or you think you could achieve more, it’s wise to review and refresh your strategy to optimize ROI. Consider seeking professional advice if you don’t have marketers on your team and use analytics. Streamline your strategy to focus on methods and channels that will reach the target audience and make sure the content and materials you share are relevant to your ideal customer. Marketing evolves constantly, and it’s important to be aware of the impact of new techniques and trends. If your business targets young people aged 16-35, for example, have you thought about increasing spending on social media marketing and working with influencers? Influencer marketing can boost sales quickly, but it’s important to choose the right influencers and draw up an agreement with commercial solicitors. The influencer should be relatable to your target audience and they should have an interest in your industry or field. It’s also essential to consider the type of content you produce and share. Studies suggest that videos are more likely to be shared than images and text. Outsource Outsourcing can be beneficial for businesses across all industries. It offers an alternative to hiring and recruiting while enabling company owners to access skills they don’t have on their team. Look for opportunities to outsource time-consuming tasks and take advantage of skills and services you don’t have in-house. Outsourcing should help you improve your business performance and free up time for your core team. If you run a clothing store with an online shop, for example, you may decide to outsource digital marketing and logistics. If you own a medical or dental practice, you could outsource IT support, cleaning and marketing. Boost client retention rates Attracting new customers will help you to expand your business, but it’s crucial to keep hold of loyal clients. Research shows that existing customers spend more and they also play an instrumental role in helping you to find new clients through referrals, recommendations and positive reviews. Boosting client retention rates will enhance your brand image and reputation, increase sales and help you grow your client base. You can improve retention rates by rewarding loyalty, offering exclusive access to perks and discounts for loyal customers and staying competitive. Use customer feedback to make improvements and keep an eye on your competitors to make sure that you offer your clients the best service. Many business owners dream of growing their company. If you’re eager to expand and you have ambitions to drive your business forward, modernize your marketing strategy, consider outsourcing and try to boost client retention rates. Keep up with marketing trends, use outsourcing to boost efficiency and improve performance, and focus on keeping hold of loyal customers as well as attracting new clients.  Image credit: Austin Distel from Unsplash Attending business events can be a fantastic tool to boost your career and chances of reaching new clients. Indeed, from trading shows to workshops, events can help you gather like-minded professionals who share the same values and interests. So, as a professional, if you are going to build a powerful network, your priority is to attend top quality events.
How does one recognize a valuable event? More often than not, the list of attendants and the activity schedule can provide insightful clues into what you can expect. Additionally, it can be a good idea to consider the event organizers. Indeed, professional organizers such as www.catalystevents.com.au have a long experience in running successful events for a variety of organizations. Therefore, you can trust a seasoned organizer with activity planning, service management, and attendant comfort and safety. Chances are that other participants and visitors will be suitable interlocutors to grow your professional network. Don't be your own enemy Networking can be challenging. But, as a rule of thumb, the most successful networkers are those who do not let social and professional fears stand in their way. Indeed, being afraid of reaching out and meeting new people doesn't just affect your ability to network. It can also make you more likely to be overlooked by recruiters or managers because people tend to remember those they interacted with. Practice your lines It can be awkward to introduce yourself at an event. But you can work on your introduction line to make your first move easier. Introducing yourself by name only may not be sufficient. Instead, you may need to set up the context, so people can easily build a connection. For instance, you could comment on a specific conference you attended with other participants and ask about their opinions. Alternatively, you can also state your name and company before explaining what you want to achieve from the event. Context makes you unforgettable and can bring you and your interlocutors closer. Have a confidence booster with you Whether you call it your feel-good item or your lucky charm, we all need a mood booster. It goes without saying that meeting new people can be daunting. So, you may feel more confident if you take something that puts a smile on your lips, whether it is the tie your kids got you for your latest birthday or a sweet note your partner left for you. Be knowledgeable about the event and its participants How do you know who you should talk to when attending an event? It can be a good idea to do your homework and carefully research each participant if the list is public. You can check company names and team profiles to recognize people. You can also consider LinkedIn research, so you can identify the most valuable contacts to talk to. It will also make it a lot easier to remember people's names and engage in conversations when you already have a good idea of their needs and interests. Networking can significantly benefit your career, helping you meet potential clients, future partners, or even employers. A solid network can open the doors to many unexpected opportunities. Yet, you need to seize the chance to turn event attendance into a networking sport that delivers career growth!  Image credit: Gerd Altmann from Pixabay A great first impression in business doesn't guarantee conversions. But it will certainly give your company a better shot at success. Therefore, creating the wow factor when building your marketing strategies should be king. While this concept can go a long way to unlocking the full potential of your website, it should also ring true for in-store items. Here are some of the easiest and most effective ways to make it happen. Get visual Fancy animations and video marketing have delivered the wow factor for many years. However, the growing accessibility for SMEs means that your business cannot afford to ignore it. Teaming up with Projection Mapping Specialists will allow you to design ultra modern displays. From building walls to ornaments and non-flat surfaces, any object can become a part of the immersive experience. Aside from using tech to its potential, it shows a commitment to detail and an ability to push boundaries. From impressing existing clients to winning new leads, it is the perfect starting point for your revamped marketing ideas.  Image credit: Rodger Shija from Pixabay Introduce VR and AR
Virtual reality and augmented reality have become major marketing aspects in recent years. In fact, there were many companies that used it heavily throughout the pandemic. It can now play a significant role for modern in-store experience across many sectors. It could show customers how different products would look on them, or how a hairstyle would influence their look. They are just two of many, many examples. People love modern tech, and the use of VR and AR can create a wow factor for anyone who hasn’t used it before. It can speed up your processes while creating additional data capture points. In turn, this will help you tailor ongoing user experiences. Use mobile POS terminals Nobody wants to line up for ages in your store, especially when holding a promotional event. It was true in 2019, and feels even more significant in the post-pandemic era. Adding a mobile POS terminal adds versatility. And it allows staff members to deliver a convenient and personalised service to individuals. This gives them the VIP treatment time and time again while also accepting a wide range of payment types. It may seem like a simple suggestion, but it has a massive impact on the consumer experience. When added to the opportunities to use this to improve trade shows and other events, ignoring it would be naive. Choose the best packaging Modern tech and modern features can impress customers as they visit your store. However, loving the brand counts for nothing if they don’t love the products too. Appreciating the importance of packaging design can have a huge influence on your sales figures. Selecting the right colour schemes, using eye-catching text, and using greener materials are all good options. It means products will stand out in third-party outlets. Interacting with the packaging and opening a product is a central part of the consumer experience. As such, it can lead to increased loyalty for increased customer lifetime values. And that will leave you saying ‘wow’ too. 
Image credit: Unknown
Did you know that personalising your marketing messages can increase your response rate by 50%? It's true! In this blog post, we will discuss the best ways to personalise your marketing messages to have maximum impact on your target audience.
Collect as much data as possible The first step in personalising your marketing messages is to collect as much data as possible about your target audience. This data can include information like demographics, interests, and purchase history. You can collect data by conducting surveys, doing market research, or using customer relationship management (CRM) software. Segment your audience The first step to personalising your marketing messages is to segment your audience. You can more easily identify their specific needs and desires by segmenting your target market. This will allow you to create targeted messages that are more likely to resonate with each customer. There are several different ways that you can segment your audience. Some standard methods include: -Demographic information such as age, gender, location, and income level -Psychographic information such as interests, lifestyle, and values -Behavioural information such as purchase history, web browsing behaviour, and email engagement Identify unique content for each persona Now that you have segmented your audience, it's time to identify unique content for each persona. This content should be relevant to their needs and interests. It should also be tailored to the different stages of the buyer's journey. For example, you might send a different message to someone just starting their research than you would to someone ready to make a purchase. Create customised messages With so much competition out there, it's more important than ever to make sure your marketing messages are personalised. Here are a few tips to get you started: - First, think about your target audience. Who are you trying to reach? What do they care about? - Once you know who you're targeting, craft a message that speaks to their specific needs and interests. - Finally, don't be afraid to get creative! There are endless ways to personalise your marketing messages, so have fun with it and experiment until you find what works best for you and your business. Turn To The Professionals for Help When personalising your marketing messages, it's essential to seek professional help. A full service marketing agency can assist you in creating custom content that resonates with your target audience. They will also have the necessary tools and resources to properly track and measure the success of your personalised marketing campaign. Test, Test, Test The final step in personalising your marketing messages is to test, test, test. Send out different versions of your message to different audience segments and see which ones have the best response rate. Then, you can fine-tune your notifications until you find the perfect mix that will have maximum impact on your target audience. In conclusion, personalising your marketing messages is a great way to ensure that you reach your target audience in the most effective way possible. Seek out professional help, test different versions of your message, and fine-tune until you find the perfect mix. Doing so will help you achieve maximum impact with your marketing campaigns.  Image credit: Kraken Images One of the most essential aspects of running a successful business is focusing on your bottom line. To do this, you need to make sure that you're putting your resources and energy into the areas of your company that can help generate the most profit.
To help you pinpoint these key departments, Here Are 8 Departments Where Business Owners Should Focus Their Efforts To Increase Their Profits: 1. Sales And Marketing: Many business owners know that they need to have strong sales and marketing processes in place to attract new customers and grow their customer base. However, many entrepreneurs don't always realise how important it is to have effective systems in place for lead generation and closing sales deals as quickly as possible. By making sure that your sales and marketing teams are working efficiently and effectively, you can help ensure that your company is bringing in new revenue on a regular basis. 2. Human Resources: It's no secret that your employees are one of your most valuable assets. That's why it's so important to have a strong human resources department that can help you attract and retain top talent. By offering competitive salaries and benefits and creating a positive work environment, you can help keep your best employees happy and reduce turnover. 3. Finance: Many business owners believe that the only way to increase profits is to bring in more revenue. However, this isn't always the case. One of the best ways to boost your bottom line is to focus on reducing your costs and expenses. That's why it's so important to have a strong finance department that can help you identify opportunities for cost savings and find ways to optimise your spending and improve your cash flow. 4. IT: Suppose you're not investing in technology and other tools that can help streamline your business processes. In that case, you could be wasting valuable time and resources on manual tasks that could easily be handled by machines or software applications. That's why it's so important to invest in an effective IT team that can implement systems and tools to help automate many of the tasks your employees are currently performing manually. This will help eliminate waste and allow your workers more time to focus on revenue-generating tasks. 5. Customer Service: Excellent customer service is one of the most important aspects of any business, yet it's often one of the most neglected. If your customers are unhappy with your products or services, they're likely to take their business elsewhere. That's why it's so important to make sure that your customer service team is providing responsive, courteous service at all times. By ensuring that your customers are always happy with their experience, you can help reduce churn and keep them coming back for more. 6. Manufacturing: In many businesses, manufacturing is one of the most important parts of the operation. However, it's also one of the most challenging to optimise. If you're not carefully managing your manufacturing processes, you could be wasting time and money on inefficient production methods. That's why it's so important to have a team in place that can help you streamline your manufacturing processes and ensure that you're producing quality products at a lower cost. 7. Shipping and Logistics: If you're selling physical products, then shipping and logistics are essential for your business. However, many entrepreneurs don't realise how complex and challenging this area can be. Having a strong shipping and logistics team in place can help ensure that your products are delivered on time and without any damage. This will not only improve customer satisfaction but also help reduce your costs. 8. Legal: Last but not least, if you don't have a strong legal team to handle all of your business-related legal needs, you could be putting your company at risk with every transaction. By having a talented lawyer on hand to address any legal concerns as they arise, you can help ensure that your business stays compliant and protected at all times. With this insight into some of the most important departments for business growth, it should be easier for you to build out an effective team that can help take your company to new heights. Just remember to focus on filling roles based on each department's unique strengths and needs. In conclusion Each department has its own unique set of responsibilities and tasks that contribute to the overall success of a business. By ensuring that each department is staffed with talented individuals who can carry out their roles effectively, you can help ensure that your company can reach its full potential.  Image credit: Munee Farman from Pexels Online marketing has gained traction over the years, especially when it comes to social media. 56% of B2B marketers increased their spending on it in 2018. Additionally, 84% use social media, while 81% include email marketing. There are a lot of benefits that come with putting effort into your content. Fortunately, there are several tips you can use to achieve this, including those below.
1. Ask the important questions Creating content for content's sake is not a good idea as you will be shooting yourself in the foot. It will be easy to lose focus without a plan or strategy, and your marketing effort may not yield any results. Some of the questions that experts recommend that you ask include the following: What value are you offering? Why are you creating content? Who is your audience? What experience are you offering your audience? All these questions will serve as guidelines for you to create the right content to yield the desired results. It will also allow you to choose the right tools to use when creating your content. For example, if you create video content, you know you might need background music. That means looking up sites like jsroyaltyfreemusic.com. 2. Stick to what you know Marketing aims to increase awareness about your brand and products, and there are many ways to do so. Additionally, there's a lot of information and opinions on how to create content, and you are likely to get overwhelmed by it all. However, if you are pulled in many different directions, you might miss the mark. That makes it necessary to stick to what you know and do it well. Your focus should be on the primary objectives like creating inspiring content, starting conversations, and attracting attention that helps you achieve your goals. That way, you can narrow down your strategy. You shouldn't try to be perfect; instead, do your best with what you have. 3. Don't make boring content One of the things that draw attention is humor, and you can use it to build a relationship with your audience. You're more likely to get a positive response from your audience if you add a little bit of fun to your content. That's because you humanize your brand and make it more authentic and relatable. It's also a way to be more interesting, especially when tackling mundane issues that are not likely to gain traction if presented raw. In this case, visual content like pictures and videos are better options, as they help you tell a better story. This method of content creation is good for stimulating the mind. 4. Be strategic about posting times Timing is crucial for ensuring the right people see your content. Therefore, it will be good to know what times your audience is available to reach them when you post. Relying on the quality of the content to build traffic might not be a good idea. This will depend on the platform you're using and the type of content you intend to create.  Image credit: Pixabay from Pexels When you are running a business, you need to make sure that you work with the right companies and choose the best solutions. If you fail to do this, then it is going to impact your brand in the long term and could damage your chances of seeing significant levels of success. Here are some of the key factors that you should keep in mind when you are choosing a marketing agency.
The Price Price is not the only factor that matters when you are choosing a marketing service, but you should still keep it in mind. You should look at the costs of different services and then compare them to get a base price that you can work with. Be aware that you should think about how they determine price as well. The best marketing agencies will want as much information as possible about your business before settling on a price. You need to be wary of businesses that quote a price while knowing nothing about your business. It’s likely that they are delivering a cookie cutter service that won’t provide many long term benefits. Reviews Businesses can make a lot of promises and argue a lot of points about the services that they offer in marketing and promotion. But the proof that you need will be in the reviews of these same companies. You need to make sure that you find a business which has helped similar companies to yours and is focused on the methods that you are interested in. Companies such as RSM Marketing are well known for receiving great reviews and referrals from all their clients. Outsourcing Next, you should consider whether the company you are interested in uses outsourcing solutions. Outsourcing is not necessarily going to be a black mark against a company. However, you need to know a little about the businesses that they are working with behind the scenes. If you can, you should guarantee that they are all delivering the same standards in terms of quality. Ideally, the right marketing business will maintain transparency. This means that they will provide any information that you seek about the services they offer including who might be working on your project behind the scenes. Connectivity Finally, you need to make sure that it is easy to connect and engage with any marketing service that you choose. Don’t fall into the trap of selecting a marketing company that is going to take your money and then disappear for months before showing you any evidence of measurable results. You should be provided with a point of contact by a marketing agency to someone in charge of your campaign. You should also be able to check on progress at any point that you like to give you peace of mind. We hope this helps you understand some of the key factors that you should consider when you are choosing a marketing service for your business. The right agency will ensure that you are in the best position to grow your audience and expand the overall reach of your company while ensuring the longevity of your business model.  Image credit: Nicole Wolf from Unsplash It’s a brand new year, the perfect time to set yourself some new business goals. If you’re looking to increase your profits, what you need is a strategic plan. With these ideas, your business can aim higher in 2022.
1 . Improve your marketing It’s difficult to improve your business profits without great marketing. If you want to grow your company in 2022 start by revamping your marketing strategy. First you can assess your marketing campaigns from 2021. Figure out what worked well and where you could make improvements? For some general areas of focus, consider the following:
Not all business owners are finance experts, when you’ve got plenty to do it can be useful to hire financial professionals to help you. RDV Business Solutions can support businesses with accounting services, financial planning and budgeting, and debt management. There are plenty of benefits of organizing your business finances, including:
Collecting customer feedback can help you in several different ways. Your customers have insights that can support you to improve your products and your overall user experience. When you provide improved products and an enhanced customer experience, you’ll soon see your profits start to grow. There are several different ways that you can collect customer feedback including:
Your brand helps you to stand out from the crowd, when you have strong branding, you’ll keep on growing your business. There are lots of ways to improve your branding, here are a few considerations to get you started:
Wasting materials and resources can end up costing you money. After a while, this waste will start eating into your profits. To improve your financial health, and boost sustainability, you’ll need to think about how you can reduce waste. Lean production processes can help you to manage waste and improve efficiency too. These five tips will help you to boost your small business profits in 2022. Growing a small business isn’t easy, especially when there’s so much competition. Start by assessing your performance from last year, and set yourself a few productivity goals. Whether it’s improving your financial health or revamping your marketing campaign, there are plenty of ways to take your business to new heights.  Image credit: muneebfarman from Pixabay Digital marketing campaigns are becoming increasingly popular. They allow companies to connect with their audience in new ways and interact with them on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. If you want to increase your digital marketing campaign, then there are a few must-haves that you need to make sure you have in place.
Understand Your Target Audience Through surveys on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, you could better understand who's reading your posts and why certain types of content resonate with them more than others. In addition, if there is a particular demographic/psychographic finding from these polls that isn't represented enough in your current marketing efforts. Try focusing future strategies around those people specifically rather than trying to appeal broadly across demographics at once. You can also use Geofence advertising to enhance your marketing and concentrate it on reaching the right audience. You can understand your audience through research. The first step is to create buyer personas, which are essentially fictional characters representing the interests of different types of people who shop for your product or service. You need to know the basics, such as the gender and age range of your target audience. Then you can get more specific by understanding their interests, likes/dislikes, and location. Understanding how these user groups interact with content will help you better reach them online. Create a Marketing Experience A marketing experience refers to the entire process that a person goes through, from being aware of your brand to trying it, using it, and then recommending you. It is the goal as far as marketing campaigns go. You can achieve this by making sure all aspects of your campaign are memorable, whether they're on point or not: * Your website needs to have a great design so people will want to explore more about who you are and what you do * The user experience should be smooth. Your product/service should work well naturally but also with minimal effort from their end. If someone has had an unpleasant experience with one aspect of something, there's a good chance that they'll transfer those feelings onto others which will affect your brand in a negative light * Your product/service should have an element of uniqueness to it that will make people want to talk about you * Follow up on the customer service side of things * Keep Them Coming Back Through Loyalty Programs Being unique means differentiating yourself from all the other companies that offer similar services/products as yours. So, consider adding perks like free shipping to gain an edge over other businesses in your industry. In addition, keeping up to date with current trends and offering new products will allow you to stay fresh and exciting rather than monotonous and boring among competitors. Get a Social Media Manager A social media manager is someone who can manage all your social media accounts. It will help you ensure that you post regularly and with quality content, which is essential when engaging with fans or customers. Conclusion In conclusion, there are several things you must do to be successful in digital marketing. You'll need to understand your target audience and create a unique experience for them online. Additionally, you will require good customer service and engagement practices, get a social media manager if necessary, strive for original content creation that is valuable to the reader, and reach out across multiple platforms at once.  Image credit Caio from Pexels Marketing will always be an essential element of any business. Without the right marketing push, your company is going to be dead in the water. It’s also going to take up a massive chunk of your total budget. Indeed, research shows that you should spend about 20% of your funds on marketing each year. That’s why it can be devastating when you realise that your marketing strategy isn’t delivering any results. Here’s what could be going wrong and what you can do to fix the situation.
Missing The Mark For your marketing strategy to be a success, you need to make sure that you do find the right target audience and this isn’t always going to be easy to do. It will often depend on your level of research. If you don’t find your audience then you’re going to end up marketing to people who are never going to want your products or your services. It’s one of the reasons why direct mail marketing can be such an effective strategy for the typical business. With an option like this, you will be able to connect with an audience that you know has the key traits you need for a purchase decision. Negative SEO Your marketing strategy could be on point, but this won’t matter if there is a negative SEO attack against you. A negative SEO attack involves creating content specifically to damage the reputation of your brand online. One of the ways that you can deal with this is by making sure that you do check for mentions of your brand and specifically any articles high up in the SERPs. If you do find evidence of this, you’ll need to tackle it head on. Bad Reviews Of course, it’s possible that customers are actually giving your business bad reviews, killing word of mouth and conversions. If you are having this issue, then you need to think about how to manage bad reviews the right way. You can’t ignore these. If you do then it will result in a massive number of missed sales. Don’t forget that 80% of customers will check out reviews for a business before they commit to the purchase of a product or a service. So, a particularly well written negative review can be a brand killer. Old Tricks Finally, while you might be able to teach a dog new tricks, you shouldn’t rely on old marketing tactics. These have been abandoned for a reason and this issue can crop up when you use outsourced marketing solutions. You should make sure that you are always questioning a marketing team that you are planning to use. Make sure that you know what tactics they favor and how they plan to help you achieve your marketing goals. They should have a clear long term plan that they can easily explain to you in terms you can understand. We hope this helps you understand some of the key steps that you can take to ensure that you correct your failing marketing strategy.  Image credit: Tracy Le Blanc Social media has become a valuable marketing platform for businesses. When used correctly, it can be a way of not just building brand exposure but generating new customers. Below are some of the tricks for building customers through social media.
Create eye-catching content Getting people to notice you on social media requires creating eye-catching content. Ideally, it needs to not just be evocative but provocative - when people see your posts they should have the urge to interact either by liking it or commenting on it. So just how do you create such content? Images and videos tend to be the best option for encouraging engagement. When it comes to images, you should consider content such as attention-grabbing photos of your product or service, fascinating infographics related to your industry or humorous original image memes. When it comes to videos, you could consider a product advertisement, an educational video that boosts your credibility or possibly even a semi-educational behind-the-scenes video of you making your product. In most cases, you’ll want to hire a professional to help you create this content such as a product photographer, graphic designer, animator or video production company. This will ensure that your content is high quality. Text content can still be eye-catching but you should generally keep it snappy so that it can be read at a glance. Consider spicing it up with emojis and hashtags. Text should always accompany images and videos. Promote events and deals Most people follow brand accounts to keep updated on events or deals. Make sure that you’re posting this type of content from time to time. When it comes to events, make sure to advertise all the necessary information such as date, time and location. It’s worth creating a hashtag for your event that people involved can share. If it’s a ticketed event, make sure to share a link to a page where people can buy tickets. Start promoting early so that people have enough time to plan ahead. When it comes to deals like discounts and 2-for-one offers, use images and emojis to help your posts stand out. Supply a link to a webpage where people can buy the discounted product or service. If it’s for a limited time or there is limited stock, make sure to make this clear. Run competitions Social media competitions are great for generating buzz around your company. In turn, they can help you to convert customers. Competitions typically involve giving away a product or service for free to a single winner. They can take the form of a raffle or lottery in which contestants are put into a random draw. Alternatively, you can challenge contestants to answer a question: you could challenge people to come up with a name for your next product and give a prize to the contestant with the best suggestion, or you could challenge customers to guess how many sweets are in a jar (or something similar and industry-relevant) and then give away a prize to the most accurate answer. It’s worth adding a link to a competition webpage where contestants can sign up opposed to relying on social media comments. As part of entering your competition, you could encourage contestants to follow you on social media or join your mailing list. All in all, use the competition as a chance to build buzz around your company - you may encourage some contestants that aren’t winners to buy your product or use your service in the future. Make use of targeted adverts Targeted adverts allow you to pay money to target posts at specific audiences. You get to set parameters such as location, sex and age. This can be great for helping your content to reach the right people, helping you to build customers and not just engagements. It’s worth keeping a budget when running adverts to avoid spending too much. Use performance reports on your advertisement campaigns in order to improve future advertisement campaigns. Respond promptly to queries Social media is one of the few publicly interactive forms of marketing. Consumers that are interested in your product have the option to comment and ask questions. A well-run social media brand account is able to respond to these queries promptly in order to convert leads while they are still hot. This involves checking your social media accounts daily. On top of responding to queries, there may be other comments worth replying to. Complaints and false statements should be diffused so that they don’t have a negative impression on other potential leads - this could include apologising for mistakes or correcting false rumours. If people show interest with comments such as ‘this is great!’ capitalize on this with a link to your product. Build recommendations Facebook has got rid of its review system but now has a recommendations feature. It’s worth asking happy customers to recommend you on Facebook. This could help improve trust in consumers looking at your Facebook page, possibly encouraging them to buy your product or use your service. Check analytics Analytics can tell you which type of content is performing well so that you can repost or replicate these types of content. When it comes to posts containing links, it’s worth looking at how many people have clicked on the link and whether this has created any customers - this is a better indicator of whether a post is successful than the amount of likes and comments. You can use social media analytics and website analytics to work out this information. Look at what your competitors are doing It could be worth checking your competitors to see what they are up to. There may be content ideas that you can take inspiration from. At the same time, there may be ways in which you can set yourself apart. Be wary of taking part in ‘brand wars’. This has become popular among large established brands and involves jokily criticising competitor brands. With local small brands it may not have the same impact and may damage your reputation.  Image credit: Tyler Franta from Unsplash Whether you have turned a hobby into a career or managed to turn a great business idea into something profitable, you should always be on the lookout for ways to grow your business. This is due to the fact that consumer habits are continuously changing - and you have to be able to change and grow alongside them if you want to remain relevant and in demand. In many cases, failure to adapt results in company closure.
One way in which you can grow your business is by turning your local business into an international company. Here are some tips to get you started!
|
Author - chrisAuthor, Editor, Creator of this website. Archives
September 2024
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed