Starting up a new business is difficult- there’s so much cost involved and it’s likely that your budget is limited. Sometimes, there’s so much going on that you’ll need to simply step back and decide on who your target audience is, and how you’re going to reach out to it.
Don’t know where to start? We understand. That’s why we’ve got you covered with this list of simple ways to work marketing in your favor.
These solutions are easy to implement and will ultimately lead to more wins and more custom for your business, both in the short and long term.
Here are 6 ways to build an empire using marketing.
Use social networks well
The likelihood is that as a new startup you will have created accounts across all social media, but only really use Facebook. Social media is a fantastic way to build an audience that can be entirely free if you want it to be, so it’s important that you utilize it.
Facebook, for example, is a fantastic way to engage returning customers as these are the most likely to search and like your Facebook page.
On the other hand, Twitter is fantastic for reaching out to new customers, whether that’s through paid ads or just word of mouth.
It is important to know what will work best for your business. Instagram works particularly well for foody businesses but might not have the same engagement if you’re selling timber.
A fantastic way to reach this custom is through using relevant hashtags, location tags and engaging with those who comment on your posts.
Invest in an SEO strategy
Investing in an SEO strategy would begin by creating a search engine friendly site that uses relevant keywords. This is the best way for your business to make its way onto Google’s first result page.
Getting your products above your competitors on search engines results is really important. The first position on Google search results receives 33% of all traffic, the most out of every result.
However, most will click on the top five results, so aiming for those is a good way to start.
Creating blog content with good, reliable backlinks will also help to increase engagement time on your site, which Google also really likes.
Adopt a social cause
Having a charitable cause is especially important when trying to market towards Millennials and Generation Z. YPulse reported that 59% of 18-36-year-olds and 29% of 13-17-year-olds donated money to a charitable organization in the past year, and four in five said they buy products from brands that support causes they believe in.
Marketing with a cause in mind is fantastic for grabbing the attention of those who care the most. It’s a really good idea to link your charitable cause to the business you’re running – for example, Tiesta Tea has created the Tiesta Tea Foundation that provides assistance to those facing economic hardship, increasing acceptance and awareness of those with special needs or disabilities, as well as providing clean, safe drinking water to villages of developing countries.
In a similar way, Kool8 sends 20% of the profits made from its water bottles to support projects that give a source of clean water to disadvantaged areas.
Soapbox Soaps also links its products to its charitable cause, donating one soap bar to a child in Africa for every soapbox bought.
Try B2B marketing
Digital Authority Partners describes business-to-business marketing as the marketing of products, services, and solutions to other businesses. Unlike business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing, B2B marketing aligns around the ROI a specific product or service brings to an organization.
B2B marketing is fantastic for increasing your business’ exposure and will drive much more traffic to your website through better search engine optimization. This is likely to increase new leads and strengthen relationships with B2B customers.
Using social media is a perfect way to utilize B2B marketing as it is a great way to expand the reach of your content and create trust between your customers.
Getting social is fantastic for targeting your ideal audience and providing information on exactly what your B2B company offers.
Provide staff with customer service training
No matter whether your business does a really good job at providing a service or goods or does utterly awful, how your staff deals with the feedback from customers is crucial.
That’s why Healthcare Weekly strongly recommends that anyone who wants to build a business empire invests in providing every single staff member with customer service training.
Put a standard policy in place to deal with complaints, make sure every staff member is aware of it, then train them on how to deal with complaints.
This will not only improve your company’s relationship with its customers but also create a better working environment and increase business.
Nextiva reports that globally, 54% of all consumers have higher customer service expectations than they did just one year ago. It’s better to be ahead of the game than get left behind by competitors.
Use journalistic resources
Getting press-friendly is an easy and free way to get the word out about your business.
Hiring a press content writer, or team depending on the scale of your business, is one of the best things you can do to not only share great company news, but handle the negative stuff as well.
The best way you can contact journalists is through email. Send out snappy, well-written press releases with all the important information at the top of the article and a picture attached. The press love this as it makes for an easy way to add new content to their sites or to fill the newspaper.
It’s also important to consider setting up a press section on your blog so that journalists can access your press releases easily. 61% of journalists use Twitter to find stories, so make sure you’re sharing your press releases there with the relevant hashtags too.
