When you’re creating a business, you need to think of the best ways to share your work with the world and get your name out there. It’s a good idea to start locally, enticing customers close by to you and building up a good reputation in your local area. But how do you begin? Follow these tips on how to effectively advertise your small business and enjoy great success.
Consider your branding
It’s a good idea to spread your message across multiple platforms, including print, online and social media. Before you begin, take a look at your branding. A strong logo and name ensures you’re remembered by those who see you’re advertising and this attention to detail won’t go unnoticed.
There are a number of easy to use designing apps, so you may want to try one out for yourself while you’re beginning your new brand. As it grows and gains more success, it may be worth looking into hiring a professional to adapt your work.
Design a website
It’s so important that as a business you have a website with all the relevant information your customers could need available in an easy to digest format. There are many affordable websites to prepare you for the launch. When you start planning, you need to consider how to arrange your SEO, get engagement on Google Business and gain more traction on social media. Fill your website with backdated content, videos and images so users can engage with what you’re doing.
With the website ready to launch, begin releasing the leaflets to local stores, homes and even your local paper. Consider buying up some advertising space in the paper and promote both the company and the website.
A perk about having the website launched is that you can keep up with the number of people coming to your page. With the ability to look at what is working for different pages, it makes it substantially easier to adjust information based on what is doing well.
Do some guerilla marketing
Start locally, and distribute the likes of flyers and folded leaflets with all of the information about your new company. Ensure they look attractive and that any text has been carefully checked for grammar and spelling mistakes. Leave them in local businesses such as your nearby fish and chip shop, the hairdressers on the high street or on the coffee table at the doctors surgery. You should also consider the nationality of the people in your area – you will appeal to more people if you talk to them in their own language, a bilingual creative digital agency can help you out here.
Set up social media
Many people expect a business to at least have a Facebook page but you could also branch out to the likes of Twitter and Instagram too. Try to post regularly with updates about services, the business in general and behind the scenes tidbits.
Encourage people to come back
Once the website is live and the initial marketing has been done, it’s time to keep any initial customers coming back again and again. When someone buys something you can send a promotional code when you send the invoice or confirmation, it’s likely to repeat business.
Additionally, Simply Business encourages people to enter awards which they think they could have the potential to win. Whether it’s local start-up businesses or regional or national awards, it’s worth getting your name out there. There may be a fee for entering some awards, so make sure you put effort into your application to ensure you have the best chance possible.
Advertisement is key, so try and do as much as you can with the finances you have available.
