The first year for a new business is often classed as make or break and getting noticed when you first start up can be very difficult. With so many new businesses starting up on top of those already established, it is easy to get lost in the crowd, especially if you don’t have an unlimited advertising budget. So how do you get your new business noticed. After all, if people don’t know who you are they are unlikely to buy your products or services.
Start with Your Local Area
For most businesses, it is best to start in the local area instead of focusing on trying to capture a global or even national market. This is a mistake many new startups make. They try to do too much too fast and spend their time trying to get their name out online before building up a local customer base.
Being part of the local business community can do wonders for your company. You will develop a local support network and can liaise with other business owners to see what works for them. The experts at Full Tilt Direct recommend a direct mail marketing campaign using things such as postcards, flyers, or brochures. You can get these delivered to homes and businesses in your local area with information about who you are and what you do. You can even include discount codes to encourage people to buy whatever it is you are selling.
Get Out and About
As well as informing people of your business, you need to get out and about in the community so that they can put a face to the company. Start attending local events and volunteering. You could even sponsor a local sports team or help at a local charity. The more that people in the community see you, the more they will learn about you and your business.
Ask for Reviews
Follow up with those who have purchased from you and ask them for a review that you can put on your website. More and more people are looking for reviews and testimonials before they buy anything online these days, and this is especially true for new businesses.
Focus on Your Online Presence
While it is really important to focus on offline advertising in the local community, you should also remain committed to your online marketing. Most experts recommend using more than one online platform when trying to generate brand awareness. You should set up social media accounts for your business and post to them regularly. Being socially active online might mean posting several times per day as well as interacting with your followers.
Work with Social Media Influencers
Many companies find that working with social media influencers really helps to get their name out there. Look for someone who might be interested in what you are selling. Those with a large following online might be willing to sample your product or service and then talk about it on their page. This strategy has the power to catapult your business into the minds of thousands of people in one go and could end up being massive.
Run a Competition
Another method that works well is a competition. Running your own giveaway competition with one of your products as a prize could increase your following online, with people encouraged to share or like to enter. It is important to check that running this type of competition is permitted in your state though.
To conclude, to get your business noticed, it is important to spend time focusing on your local market first. Doing this will benefit your business and you can then start working on a farther reach.