Marketing Fundamentals for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs
You have a new business that you’ve put a ton of time and passion into and you want to tell people about it! But how do you translate your passion to others? More importantly, how can you share your passion in a way that other people become passionate enough about your business to turn into loyal customers? That’s what marketing is for! By taking a few marketing first-steps you can be well on your way to establishing credibility and loyalty with your target market.
Wait...what’s a target audience?
Knowing your target audience will be the most important factor to guide your marketing strategy. A target audience informs where you market your business and how you do it. This way, you can have a much more targeted marketing strategy, which will eventually lead to your marketing being much more effective than if you tried to market towards a more general audience. To learn more about identifying your target, read this blog about finding your target market.
2. Make sure your branding is consistent - you want people to be able to recognize your business quickly!
When it comes to building a brand that resonates with your target, consistency is key. From something as vital as your logo to something as trivial as some branded sticky notes, you need to present the same brand identity across all branded materials. That way, potential customers know who you are and what you’re about. Plus, they’ll be able to recognize your brand quickly. Not sure where to start with your branding? Try creating a style guide so you have hard and fast rules to follow regarding your brand assets. Need some help? Check out our blog, “Build Your Brand Style Guide For Consistency.”
3. Build a website you’re proud of within your budget, whether that means using a DIY platform or hiring a professional.
A website is one of your most valuable marketing tools. It tells potential customers what you do and what your business can do for them without them having to go to the extra effort of calling you or visiting a brick and mortar location. The information they’re looking for should be right at their fingertips. Though we recommend hiring a professional to design your website because it will ultimately save you time and result in a more efficient and professional site, build a website that makes sense for your business and your budget.
4. Do some competitive research - see what your competitor AND businesses you want to grow towards are doing
Competitive research is not only a way to see how you can stay on-par with competitors in your market, but a way for you to identify where you can get ahead. Especially when you’re just starting out, looking into what your competitors are doing can give you an idea of where you should start.
5. Have a marketing strategy so you know what you’re doing day-to-day and what’s coming in the future. It’ll help you reach your goals!
Once you have identified your target audience and built some consistent branding, it’s time to create a marketing strategy. Though this seems like an overwhelming task, your hard work is sure to pay off in the end. A marketing strategy enables you to not only have a plan for what you’re doing day-to-day or week-to-week, but allows you to plan much further in the future, like the end of a quarter or the end of a calendar year. It’s a good tool for you to set goals and create a plan to achieve them.
6. Start with 1 or 2 things - don’t bite off more than you can chew
Thinking about seriously marketing your business for the first time can be daunting, especially if you’re comparing your business to one that is more established or has more marketing experience. In order to have effective marketing, it’s best to start with one or two things that will be more effective according to your research. That way, you can be sure to put real effort into marketing that you know will work before taking on more, rather than trying to do it all at once.
Marketing your business is the best way for you to tell the world about your company and all the cool things you’re doing. Though it seems like a huge, unending task, starting out slow is okay. Marketing is an ongoing process so there’s always time to ramp it up later on. The time and money you spend sharing your business with the world will pay off in the long run when your customer base continues to grow. Now go find your target! Need more guidance? Take a look at our services to see how we can help you promote your business.