In today’s fast-paced, cutthroat business world, the competition is fierce. If your company doesn’t stand out, it won’t get noticed. A lack of recognition deals a devastating blow to a business, leaving it to fade into obscurity.
A well-marketed company has a raised profile which will get it on the industry radar. There is no one-size-fits-all marketing strategy that works for any organization. The market, context, and product play an important role in how the business is promoted.
Here are some universal ideas that should form part of your marketing campaign:
- Start small
When you’re raising your company’s profile, start in your local area. This approach allows you to build a loyal customer base before spreading your wings to cover a larger area.
Advertise in local media such as the newspaper and local radio or television stations. Make catchy adverts that will grab the attention of potential customers. Distribute flyers to encourage people to use your product or service.
Consider using a discount code for first-time buyers. People like to feel that they’re getting a bargain and a discount is a sure way to get them interested.
- Branch out
Once you’ve established yourself in your local area, move outward geographically. Start attending trade shows to display your product or service. Don’t let people leave your stand without a reminder of who you are.
One of the most effective ways to do this is to print a rack card. Rack cards are easy to produce. Printed on both sides of heavy cardstock, rack cards are 4” x 9” in size. Make use of color to attract the eye. Provide a limited amount of text that is relevant and promotes your product or service.
Rack cards are meant to keep your business at the forefront of people’s minds and respond to your call to action. You can leave them in waiting areas, showrooms, and communities. Many malls and stores offer a display case where you can place your rack cards.
- Create a digital presence
A core element of modern marketing is creating an online profile to raise awareness beyond your local area or country. You need to set up a website for your business. It should contain text and graphics describing your product or service and a place for customers to make online purchases.
While you could set up your website, it might be a good idea to use a professional web designer. They can help you put together a more attractive, interesting site. Their know-how adds to the quality of the site and gives users and visitors a positive customer experience.
Include a blog on your site. Publish well-written knowledge-focused content to make yourself stand out as an industry authority. If need be, make use of the services of a freelance copywriter to help you. Blog posts should be uploaded regularly. Research to make sure you’re including keywords in your content to move your business up in the search results on internet.
- Get social
Make use of different social media platforms to spread the word about your business. This strategy is predicated on the idea that you cannot create one post and deploy it on multiple platforms.
A good post for Facebook won’t necessarily be effective on Instagram or Twitter. Send the same message, but make sure you’re optimizing it for the platform. Don’t forget LinkedIn, which is excellent for networking with other professionals working in the same industry.
Just like web content, social media content should be relevant and aimed at making potential clients find out more about your operation. Offer links to your site or to the blog posts you’ve published.