Starting your own business is tough as is, but keeping the revenue coming is a whole other issue, especially when you’ve got plenty of competition to take on. But by implementing a few basic marketing strategies, you can improve your company’s brand recognition without having to invest hundreds of thousands into your marketing budget.
Catch Your Audience’s Attention
In order to market to your audience successfully, your business needs to be able to answer the following two questions:
● Where can I meet my audience?
● What will grab their attention?
Once you’re able to answer these two questions, you’ll be able to come up with a better strategy to not only attract potential leads but turn them into returning customers, too. Keep in mind: Every business’s audience is a little different than others (even if they’re in the same industry). So, you’ll want to be sure you’re tuned into your audience so that you can more accurately target them.
For example, a lifestyle brand company might want to focus its resources on affiliate marketing; whereas a biotech company that makes most of its connections at conferences might want to use their marketing dollars on custom flash drives to hand out at their booth.
When you consider where your audience is going to be and what will impact them, your marketing efforts will be that much more effective and your brand will be more recognizable because of it.
Take Advantage Of Social Media
Social media has taken over both the modern social life and it’s revolutionized how marketers and brands reach their current and potential customers. Best of all, social media is a (mostly) free platform for you to engage with your customers.
Depending on your company’s preferences and industry, some platforms might make more sense than others. For example, a medical company might rely on LinkedIn rather than Snapchat; while a clothing brand may focus on their Instagram presence rather than their Facebook account. Remember, having a social media presence doesn’t mean you have to juggle multiple accounts all at once. Instead, you should strive to do really well on the platform that your customers interact with the most.
To help ensure that you’re staying on top of your posting schedule, content calendar, and engagement strategy, use a social media management platform.
Make Sure Your Brand Image Is Cohesive
When you think about some of the most recognizable brands in the world (Apple, Nike, Target), there’s a reason you’re able to identify their logos, jingles, or even color schemes. These brands have a cohesive appearance that makes it easy for customers to recognize them and keep them at the top of their mind when it’s time to make a purchase.
To refine your brand image, you’ll want to have a well-documented brand style guide that outlines how your brand communicates and how they want to be perceived visually.
Some components you’ll want to include in your style guide are:
● Improper and proper logo usage
● Visual design (photographic style, fonts, graphic preferences)
● Voice/tone of your brand
Build Your Personal Connections
Beyond your brand’s digital presence and visual representation, you’ll also want to boost your brand recognition the old school way...by networking with your local business connections in your industry and community.
You can do this by meeting up with business communities in person or even with the help of an online forum. No matter how you go about it, building these connections on a personal level can help you promote your business and even form partnerships with those you meet.
Better yet, why not host a networking event on your own? This way you can give out branded swag, introduce yourself and your brand, and become a strong voice within your community. There are many ways you can structure this kind of event, including:
● Host a workshop to share your knowledge with community members and others in your industry
● Sponsor a luncheon/forum to get to know other business owners in your local area
Key Takeaways
Promoting your business and bringing in consistent revenue isn’t necessarily easy, but when you use the tips we discussed above, you’ll be fast on your way toward a more profitable business!
