Your New Business:Getting the Word Out

   So you’ve decided it’s time to branch out and start your own business. Great-congratulations! What could be more rewarding than working for yourself? Since your business is new, not many people know it exists yet. So how are you going to get the word out? How can you let potential customers know: “Hey! Here I am! I started a new company!” There are certain methods that will ensure the exposure of your business to a large audience.

 Print is still an essential part of advertising. One easy thing to do is take the best ad you’ve made so far, put it on a postcard, and send it to business prospects. Direct mail is an effective way to get attention. You can also submit a short press release to local newspapers. It’s also a good idea to submit articles summarizing your business to industry magazines, which are often in search of new valuable content. Have you seen those bulletin boards in grocery stores, churches, and community buildings? It doesn’t hurt to make a simple flyer and post it around town—people do read these and it will open up a bigger audience. If you can afford it, you can also create a vehicle decal or wrap. You could get custom made products such as pens and t-shirts. You never know who will be given one of these free items and believe it or not, it can lead to more business.

 Branching out in the community is much needed for a new business. If you know of another company that would benefit from working with you or could offer you support, try “buddy marketing” with them. Offer to advertise for them on your marketing materials if they will do the same for you. It increases your chances of being recognized and shows you work well with other businesses. Joining your local Chamber of Commerce will allow you to network among peers in your community. You can also offer a free class or presentation at a community center. When you answer your business phone, try making some kind of announcement about your company such as “serving nine varieties of homemade bread made fresh every day”. Related to that, you can also make cold calls if you feel comfortable doing so.  Get involved with charitable events in the community to show you’re a business that cares.

It’s very important to find your audience, because you can’t target and attract everyone, nor would you want to.  Things like cable commercials and YouTube videos are inexpensive ways to narrow your audience and target the right people. Attend trade shows with samples of your products or information about your services—these include local fairs and festivals.

For the customers you do already have, work really hard to provide excellent service so that they tell other people about you. You can also send out follow up surveys to gage how well you’re doing. Finally, the Internet is an essential and valuable marketing resource. It’s a good idea to create a company blog. You definitely want to create a website and get it done right by professional web developers (and that’s what eMarketing 4 Business is all about). Make it happen!

© 2012 eMarketing 4 Business LLC