So, You Want to Start a Business: Spreading the Word
This content series covers the initial steps for aspiring entrepreneurs to take when setting up their business. We’ve discussed what first steps to take when starting a new business, as well as how to write a business plan for the company. With the business set up and business plans in place, it’s time to promote the value of your company to prospective clients and customers. Here are some cost-effective ways of establishing and spreading your company’s market presence.
Master Social Media Management
Spreading the word about your brand is vital for the longevity of your business. The main objective is to send a message to your desired audience and invite engagement regardless of your marketing budget.
For most companies, social media is a tool for them to engage, educate and promote their business to the public. Whichever social media platform you’ve chosen, consistent quality is important to fully maximise the power of social media for your business. Gimmicky posts may be fun to create but most are shallow in content. Instead, create well-planned and thoughtful posts that speaks the voice of your brand to transmit useful information to your audience. Take note of the frequency of your posts. It is far better to post quality posts sporadically than to post viral content frequently to hit the spike of interest. Your audience should know your brand story and products, and not be inundated by insubstantial filler posts.
One way to ensure you don’t miss posting at scheduled timings is to utilise apps like HootSuite or Sprout Social. These apps assist users in making timely posts on social media platforms, ensuring that your followers are updated with your brand. Such apps are also a good way to consolidate all your social media accounts in one place, making it convenient for you to manage your different pages.
Take Advantage of News-jacking and Trending Hashtags
It is always challenging for new businesses to build a strong fan base. Nonetheless, with meticulous planning and effort, you can build a sizeable group of followers on your social media platforms. One way is to make use of the latest news and trending hashtags. These will help ensure that your company stays up-to-date and current with the times. Utilising hashtags is also a good way to help potential clients and customers find out about your business organically, increasing your brand’s exposure.
Stimulate User Generated Content
User Generated Content (UGC) refers to content that has been produced by fans and followers of a brand. Encouraging users to create their own content is very helpful to brands as this signifies an active engagement between brands and users. You may want to hold contests or campaigns where users can submit posts of your products or services to share with the public using hashtags tailored to your business. The reach from such user-generated content far outweighs the cost of prizes to reward the selected users/winners.
Invest in Visual-content Marketing
Most successful and highly shared posts are visually engaging. You may vary your posts by using various multimedia content to appeal to your users. Besides this, you should also take reference from the pages of other businesses who have successfully engaged with its audience. From these case studies, you can get a sense of what strikes a chord with your target audience and plan for your posts accordingly.
Besides promoting your company online, here are some things you can do offline to get word around about your business:
Using Cross-promotion with Other Brands
Cross-promoting your business with other brands, also known as buddy marketing, can help you reach your target audience far more effectively than doing it alone. Additionally, you would also be saving cost by combining your resources for promotions with other complementary businesses.
Promote Your Business by Giving Seminars or Presentations
One good way to introduce or increase the presence of your business is to give a presentation on topics that you are highly knowledgeable or experienced in. Not only will this help improve your visibility and that of your company, it is also a good way to network with your industry peers and potential customers.
The possibility of promoting your business is endless. You may choose to carry them out offline or online, but most successful businesses focus on putting their best effort towards doing both. With planning and experimentation, you will eventually find the best solution that fits your brand, which will, in time, reap enormous benefits for your business.
This concludes our three-part series detailing certain aspects enterprising minds should think about before starting a business. Our previous articles in the series, First Steps and Writing a Business Plan, provide more tips on the subject.
For more business insights, follow Canon Singapore on LinkedIn.