You’ve had the brainwave, put the business plan together and secured the necessary finances; you’ve fine-tuned your branding, launched your new website and maybe even acquired some bricks and mortar… So, what’s next?
Now it’s time to get your brand and business in front of as many eyes as possible and ensure your target demographic are aware of who you are, what you do and why they need to get involved. This will form your marketing strategy which, when executed well, is instrumental in your success and the bottom line of business.
Here are some essential things to make sure your new venture is reaching the right radars and ensure the weeks and months following your initial launch have maximum impact:
Get your social media up and running
As of April 2018, the world population sits at 7.6 billion people. More than 3 billion of those people are active social media users according to Brand Watch, with a new social media user emerging every 15 seconds. That’s a huge, global audience you could potentially be connecting with via free-to-use platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Social media interaction is one of the most effective catalysts of word-of-mouth marketing and organic brand exposure but can also be boosted significantly via paid promotions even with just a small amount of budget. For example, an Instagram post could reach an extra 5,000 people by spending as little as £15.
Fill your diary with industry events
Another great way to capitalise on word-of-mouth marketing and get your brand spreading like wildfire is to attend as many networking events, seminars, conferences etc. as your spare time will allow. Attending these types of events is a quick and easy way to talk to lots of like-minded professionals about your business and your plans for the future, so don’t forget your business cards!
Do something to engage local media
The launch of a brand new business always makes great press release material so put your story down on paper and circulate with any local publications you think may pick it up. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t built up a big black book of contacts up just yet – you can find plenty of email addresses and telephone numbers by just doing a quick Google search.
As your business continues to grow, make sure you keep the press contacts you do engage in the loop of any newsworthy appointments, local charity work or exciting events you hold or even sponsor. This is an ideal way to boost exposure in your area, demonstrate involvement with your local community and also encourage lots of social interaction around your brand.
Another effective way to boost your brand exposure and put your business on the digital map is to implement a strong SEO strategy that will help you climb those all-important search ranks. Speak to the experts over at Team Organic to pinch some of their search marketing pearls of wisdom.
