The most discouraging thing about starting a new business is thinking about how you are going to spread the word. The idea of putting a lot of work into your project or startup, and then nobody knowing about it, is an absolute death to motivation. Not to worry! There are plenty of ways you can promote your business without breaking the bank, and here are some ideas to get you started:
Get People Excited
Simply announcing a new product or service is nothing compared to first getting the crowd excited for it, and then releasing it into the world. Reminding your customers every day through social media, commercials or announcements that something new is coming will get your audience thinking about it and wondering what it will be, well before it is actually revealed. However, you have to be very careful when doing this, since overselling your product before it is even out might backfire. So keep your audience engaged and interested, but don’t lie to them, creating unrealistic expectations.
Social Media
We live in a digital world, and people spend so much time on their phones all day long. Investing some time into making a social media marketing plan and perhaps some money into advertising is well worth it. Even if your business is not something that appeals to the majority of social media users, you never know when someone will see your ad and tell someone else who is looking for your services.
Collaborate
If you are new in the industry, it might be hard for you not only to get people to know who you are, but also to get people to come to you, as opposed to people who are already working in the business for years. Instead of trying to compete with the other companies in the business, try cooperating instead. Make joint promotion parties, refer to each other to your customers and just help each other out. A lot of bigger and older companies will not want to do this, because it doesn’t bring a lot of benefit to them, but teaming up with other smaller and newer players in the field can be mutually beneficial for everyone. Another way of collaborating is seeking out well-known individuals or groups whom you can gift some of your products or services in exchange for them talking about it to their own audience.
Must Read: How to Build a Company Culture that Attracts Creative Millennials
Study Marketing
There is a good reason why marketing is studied for years in universities and anyone who thinks that just a few flyers will do the job is gravely mistaken. There is so much more to marketing than just “telling people about it”! It is a combination of psychology, sociology, understanding of different target groups and so much more. The least you should do is get some books about marketing and promotion and study them well. And to make sure that you are contacting your audience in an interesting and engaging way, investing in content writing courses will be well worth it. The most important thing to take from this is: don’t put marketing at the bottom of your task list, and discard it as something you will easily do later. Give it the proper attention and it will pay itself off over time.
Once you dive into it, you might find yourself drowning in all the new information and adaptations you need to make. The most important thing to do in order to avoid this is to plan well in advance. Try to have at least one month planned in advance at all times. Being prepared for all scenarios is what makes the difference between a well-organized company and an absolute madhouse, so make sure you make the right choice.
