Matthew Podger is a successful entrepreneur, having established a profitable bar business in London. This article provides pointers for new businesses to get their brand and products seen without spending a fortune on advertising.
In competitive marketplaces, it can be extremely challenging for small businesses just starting out. For those with a limited budget, it can be hard to identify and reach potential customers. Many new business owners struggle when it comes to deciding which best-value marketing techniques to adopt to kickstart revenues and increase their exposure. As a result, many adopt a trial-and-error approach to marketing, which can potentially prove costly and unrewarding. However, there are some tried-and-true avenues to pursue without breaking the bank.
Marketing is a specialised discipline. In addition to traditional methods, digital marketing enables companies to leverage complex new tools for analysing and targeting customers. In terms of increasing brand exposure and building a solid customer base, the first step is creating a marketing strategy.
In creating a sound marketing strategy, businesses need to a weigh up a variety of factors. Entrepreneurs should ask themselves:
Why should a prospect buy the product or service they offer from them rather than someone else?
How did existing clients hear about them?
Which demographics are most likely to buy from them?
What additional products or services can they upsell or cross sell?
Building a website is a must for any business in terms of taking ownership of their digital reputation. The website must be easy to navigate, using Google Analytics to track activity and enabling the business to improve the user experience. Mobile friendliness is crucial, with most people browsing the internet via smartphone rather than a laptop or desktop PC. In addition, the Google algorithm favours mobile-friendly websites, helping the business to rank better in search engine rankings.
SEO is another important consideration, and basic steps such as ensuing metadata is set up properly, checking the site has no coding issues and removing toxic links can all go a long way in terms of helping the website to rank well.
An increasingly popular marketing method today is collaborating with influencers to boost brand awareness. Instagram, Facebook and YouTube top the list when it comes to social media platforms. If a business is not yet known on these outlets, it may be worth collaborating with a well-known influencer operating in a relevant niche.
Content marketing is a powerful tool for any business. Infographics, blogs, videos, columns on third-party websites and press releases can all go a long way in terms of increasing brand exposure and building a following. In addition, blogging can be an effective means of generating organic traffic, as can promoting a business on social media.
The post Matthew Podger: Marketing Your New-Start Business first appeared on BusinessMole.
