Marketing

MARKETING YOUR NEW SMALL BUSINESS

You’ve been working hard for months or even years to launch your new small business and the day is finally here. You’re open for business, the ribbon has been cut, but now what? How do you get the word out to the community about your products or services?

Marketing a new business can be daunting… there are so many options. What is the best use of your time and money? Below are three areas where you should focus your time and marketing dollars in the early days.

1. MAKE SURE YOUR BRANDING IS ON POINT

Some people obsess over their business’ name and logo for months before actually getting started, and others don’t even give their branding a single thought. Execution and consistency are the most important tips for the most effective branding. You need to decide on a logo (even if it’s really simple - that’s okay!) and then make sure you use it everywhere. Here are some tips to make sure your brand is professional and effective.

Define Your Brand

Once you have decided on a direction for your brand, pick a logo and color scheme and stick with it. Always use your logo on all your advertising, marketing, and communications and be sure to use the same colors and fonts so your branding is always consistent.

Create a “brand manual” that outlines how to use your logo and what fonts, colors and sizes are appropriate. If you hired a designer or agency to help you with branding, ask them to create a brand manual or style guide for you.

Get the Brand Essentials

Every business is different, but once you have a brand, here are some of the brand identity marketing pieces that can give your new small business a professional look and help get the word out:

• Business Cards

• Embroidered Shirts

• Vehicle Magnets

• Window Clings/Vinyl

• Brochures/Catalogs/Menus

You can get a few embroidered shirts, some business cards, and a pair of vehicle magnets for just a few hundred dollars and generate instant credibility when showing up to give a customer a quote.

Building a professional brand can help quickly build trust and credibility with potential customers.

2. INVEST IN SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is one of the most effective (and inexpensive) ways to market your new small business, but it can also be very intimidating. Below are some pointers on how to get your new company’s social media off to a great start.

Decide on a Platform & Plan

Which social media platforms should you focus on? It will depend on your business, the products or services you offer, and your customer base. Don’t try to be everywhere, initially just pick the one or two platforms that will best allow you to connect with your audience and focus your time and energy on those.

• Facebook - Generally older audience, both B2C & B2B

• Instagram - Younger audience, B2C mainly

• TikTok - Youngest audience, video-only

• Twitter - Short form text, great for starting conversations

• LinkedIn - B2B, great for making connections with professionals

• YouTube - Great for instructing, reviewing, or storytelling

Create Business Pages & Profiles

You may be tempted to just use your existing Facebook profile for your business since you already have a lot of friends, but you should create a dedicated business page for your company. The same goes for Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media platforms.

Most platforms will walk you through the process of setting up your business page or profile, from uploading cover image and profile image to setting your location, hours, and listing your products/ services. Take your time here… don’t skip steps or hurry through these sections. Add as much information as you can - it will help potential customers find information about your business.

I recommend creating graphics specifically for each social media platform you are joining. It can really make a big difference to hire a designer or agency to create brand packages for your social media.

Post Regularly

This is by far the most important tip – it’s all about engagement and building trust and relationships with your potential customers. You have to post regularly. Set a schedule and stick to it. Whether it’s weekly, two times a week, or every day, choose how often you can post and be consistent.

Even if you just go live on Facebook to give a quick 30–45 second tip or offer a piece of advice, the more often you post and the more consistently you post, the higher your level of engagement will be. The social media platforms’ algorithms favor people and companies that post regularly and get engagement, so the more you post and the better your posts are at getting watches, likes, and shares, the more they will be shown to new potential customers.

3. GENERATE BUZZ WITH PR

New businesses are newsworthy, but so many new small businesses don’t take advantage of the potential free marketing that PR can help generate.

Local Newspapers, TV Stations, and Radio Stations

Local media outlets love featuring small businesses in the community, but they are often understaffed and overworked, so the easier you can make it for them to write a story about your new business, the more likely it will get published. Create a “media kit” that has all the information and assets they need to easily craft a story. Be sure to include:

• Logo

• Photos

• Description of business - both short and long • Quotes from the owner

• Location, hours, etc.

Reach out to each local publisher by email with a short one-paragraph summary of your new business - tell your story in just a few sentences. Why did you want to start a business? What makes you better than the competition? Why would anyone be interested in reading about you?

Chamber of Commerce

Being a member of your local Chamber of Commerce has it’s benefits! Be sure to schedule a ribbon cutting, fill out your online business directory listing in detail, and attend and sponsor Chamber events. Attend the chamber’s New Member Orientation to find out all the ways your local Chamber can help you grow your business.

Sponsor & Support Local Organizations

Supporting local nonprofit organizations that you care about is a great way to give back to your local community while also generating some cost-effective marketing at the same time.

As a new small business, it may be difficult to make large financial contributions, but many local nonprofit organizations would love to receive in-kind donations of products or services as well.

A side benefit of supporting local organizations is the publicity that comes along with it. Don’t be shy – toot your own horn! Any publicity you generate about your sponsorship or partnership also helps to raise awareness for the organization you are supporting. It’s a win-win.

Conclusion

Launching your new small business is hard, but with a consistent, professional brand image, you can get the word out through social media and PR and instantly build credibility and attract potential customers.

Brandon Eley Eley Digital brandon@eleydigital.com 706-407-1047