16 November 2021
By Roger Jones
roger@TheCork.ie
Creating a product or a service is only half of the story. Now you have to get your idea out there and you also need to start telling people about it. In the days before social media and the internet, promoting your company ultimately meant having to spend a small fortune on PR and advertising. This was a very high cost for a company that is only just getting started. Thanks to the new technology that is out there though, there are many ways for you to try and grow. If you want to find out more, take a look below.
Create a Brand and Logo
Don’t be fooled as to how simple this is. Widespread recognition should be your ultimate goal and if you want to achieve this then you need to do your bit to inspire credibility. You also need to spread the word about your work as much as possible. It’s so important that you create a brand that you can build on from the start. You have to take inventory of your unique value proposition and you also need to take note of your business personality. If you can do this, then you will soon find that it is more than possible for you to begin thinking about your business brand.
Create a Website
Setting up a site is very easy to do. That being said, making sure that it is functional, attractive, functional and even mobile-friendly is very hard. There are many affordable website services out there that you can use to try and get your business online, with very little cost. These services tend to offer ready-made templates and they have lead generation features too. They may even offer you free logos and various other bonuses. If you prefer to have a lot of control over your site, then you can use WordPress if you want. The overall cost of a website can vary, depending on the design and the functionality you are looking for. Additionally, before you market your site, you have to make sure that your meta data is correct, and that you are following all of the guidelines when it comes to Google Webmaster.
Get some Stationary
You might have your brand and your logo and this is a great way for you to really rocket your brand, but you still need to make sure that you create the strongest association possible for your customers. This is where stationery comes in. It is so important that you print out business cards and that you also invest in letterheads and envelopes. It is vital that your website is listed on your business card, and at the bottom of your emails. This will establish a high level of mental imagery within your company. If you want to see if you are marketing your company well enough then make sure that you track your sales. You also need to try and go online to see the worth of a competitor, so you can compare it to your own to measure your growth.
Utilise Google
Google has some great tools out there and they are all designed to promote your company. It is very possible for you to create an account on Google Business if you want, or you can look to Google Places. Either way, you have to remember that most people will search for a business online when compared to anywhere else. If your business cannot be found online, then this will work against you far more than you realise.
Focus on SEO
Your website will be of little use if people cannot find it on their chosen search engine. If you want to generate online traffic, then you need to rank highly on Google. If you want to rank, then you will need to use good SEO techniques. You also need to refine your features as well. Find out what terms your customers are searching for and put in the work to answer their queries. If you can do this, then you will soon find that you can market your company effectively and this can really work in your favour.
Check your NAPS
In the world of SEO, NAP stands for your name, address and your phone number. It is a huge factor if you want to rank well in terms of organic results. Google will take your details into account when it comes to geo-targeting. If you have listed your company on Google my Business then you need to make sure that your details are correct and that they are synchronised with other parts of your site.
Go Mobile
Effective online promotions involve you having more than a mobile-friendly site. Firms that have an app tend to be way ahead of the game when it comes to marketing. Having a mobile app will also greatly increase the amount of visibility your company has, and it can also help you to improve your customer engagement. As if that wasn’t enough, it can turn them into loyal fans of your service or product.
Socialise
When you try and set up your business profile on Twitter, Facebook or even LinkedIn, you have to make sure that you include a good description and that you also add in some relevant keywords. You also need to ensure that you do what you can to join groups that talk about your products or your services. Participating in discussions will also help you out quite a lot. Just make sure that you do not spam people with constant promotions regarding what you sell. If you do this, then you will surely damage your reputation, and this is the last thing that you need.
So, if you want to advertise your business, this guide should help you to do just that. If you need to get some more help, then don’t underestimate how useful a marketing agency can be. You might also want to appoint a business mentor, as they can help you to get things off the ground faster than you might think.
