The dawn of 2015 signals the increasing importance of the web to businesses. “Global” is the new goal as enhanced connectivity links most countries. In order for a company to thrive, it must be able to provide appeal on a universal level and through different media.
Despite the dominance of Internet-based advertising, one mustn’t forget the tried and tested methods that have long placed firms into the limelight. The ideal promotional strategy is about the right mixture of modern online methods and familiar offline tactics.
Set up a website.
Nowadays, this is at the core of business promotion. No matter what strategy you use to market your brand, it all goes back to your home page. Your website tells the world who you are, what you offer, what you believe in, and what you want to accomplish. Thus, your site is something that must be constructed with great care. First, you need to have a vision for what you want the site to be. Second, you need to know who your target audience is. These factors can guide how you design your website, the kind of content you provide, and how you advertise it. Moreover, your site should be user-friendly across different platforms, browsers, and devices. In the day of short attention spans, you cannot afford to turn a potential customer away because they can’t load the site on their phones and tablets. If necessary, hire a good web developer—don’t scrimp and attempt to pull it off on your own unless you possess adequate skill. And make sure to test your site properly before giving away your URL in case there are bugs you need to fix. Load the site on different computers, OS’s, browsers, and devices. Click on each link, and check if graphics and text are laid out as you envisioned them. Take on the mindset of a customer and ask yourself if you would be satisfied with what you see.
You don’t have to be online to direct people to your site. In addition to your company address and phone numbers, incorporate your site URL into company letterheads and business cards for easy distribution.
Optimize your content for search engines.
It’s easy for any brand to get lost in the ever-widening sea of information we are exposed to in the current age. This is why SEO is so valuable in promotion strategy. The use of the right keywords in the right context can very easily put a company on that coveted first page of a search engine. Again, taking on the mindset of a customer is important in this regard—come up with words or phrases you would use to look up information on your product or service, just off the top of your head. Then, input them into the Google Keyword Tool, which is free of charge. The tool will feed back search results that are associated with these words or phrases.
Once you have determined the appropriate key words or phrases (it is best to select phrases that are three words or longer), incorporate them into as much of your content as you can without sounding forced. Integrate these key terms into home page content so that users are immediately directed to your main page. And if the task seems overwhelming, you can also avail of the services of the many SEO experts out there.
Socialize on both social media and in real life.
People don’t just flock to your business even if you do provide great content, have an informative website, and sell a good product or service. It’s about getting people to see you. Social media quite possibly the most powerful tool in the world today—in both good and bad ways. Therefore, how a business utilizes it is indicative of the company’s future. Typical social media must-haves for businesses include a Facebook page, a Twitter account, an Instagram account, a YouTube account, and a LinkedIn profile. But don’t be limited—go where your target audience is. If they’re on Pinterest or Tumblr, join them.
These accounts aren’t just to be created and then left for dead. They have to be active. The key to managing social media well is knowing how to interact. Post or tweet regularly, but don’t just be a corporate identity—be a person. Respond to comments and let customers know you see their needs. The most memorable business-related accounts are those managed by people who have a sense of humor, understand or at least aim to understand the current culture, and are always polite.
Society isn’t just located within the cyber verse, though. And oftentimes, your local, real-life network, such as family and (physically present)friends, provides the best starting point for promoting your business because they are generally cover different aspects of your audience, can give you immediate feedback, know you and, by extension, know what the business is probably like. Also, depending on where you are in the world, Internet connectivity is not always at your fingertips. This is why the trusty business card never goes out of style—it is always with you in case you meet someone who could use it right away. A business card can tell a potential customer every possible way to contact you, can lead him or her your company website, and can act as a physical reminder of you.
Join communities or forums.
Communities and forums are among the best places to share knowledge in a natural way and to build networks. Here, you meet like-minded people from all over the world with whom you can discuss topics related to your business, and to whom you can provide answers to queries. This provides with a global perspective of your industry and helps you shape your universal promotion strategy. Moreover, you can build alliances and partner with fellows who can even help you advertise your business.
Communities aren’t just online, though. Join business groups in your area, your local chamber of commerce, and meet as many business people as you can. Swap business cards, and establish connections. Remember that nothing beats human touch, and networks built on actual contact have a different feel from web-built ones.
Build links.
Promotion is a community task; thus, inbound and outbound links are a good way to use your networks to share content to a wider audience. You can cross-promote complementary content, products, or services in collaboration with other businesses on your site. And nowadays, tools have been developed to simplify this process—for instance, LinksManager is an editor-based system that simplifies the establishment of both one- and two-way links.
Start a blog and/or a podcast.
One of the best-selling things in this world is information, and those who can give it. Thus, it’s important to market yourself as an authority in your field. Do extensive research on your industry, be updated on the latest happenings, and develop wise opinions on related issues. And of course, write and/or talk about them! Give visitors (potential customers) the impression that you are an expert in your industry, and it will be easier for them to buy into your offers.
Be visible in all kinds of media.
Information isn’t just given online. You can never go wrong with basic advertising media—billboards, TV, magazines, brochures, and newspapers—because these media remain visible to all kinds of people and not just your target audience, including bored commuters, members of the older generation, and people lounging in waiting rooms.
An important thing to remember is to always highlight your website URL so that potential customers know exactly where to go for more information. Enlarge the font of such important details, put them in a prominent area of the ad, or have them presented in a distinctive color.
Be charitable.
Although it may seem to be a loss at first, giving resources and time to a cause is actually a great way to promote a business. For one, it is often a good way to make the press. Furthermore, it is a way to many mouths that will spread the word. Take the opportunity to initiate team-building activities as a company—have company shirts made for participating employees and sport them as you serve together. Not only does it boost the morale of employees in helping them feel more like they are a vital part of the company, but it can also be a way for them to promote the business when they wear the company shirts during personal activities. You can also give out products to charitable organizations if your products can help meet a need. In lieu of that, you and your employees can collect goods together in the name of the business.
When you give though—it’s not about the bottom line—it’s about sincerely wanting to help. Thus, it’s best to go for a charity you genuinely believe in and are passionate about.
Get mainstream press attention.
Just not bad press attention. Participate in and/or sponsor well-known fundraising activities, set up simple launch events, accept interviews, and have press releases written. People generally find popular businesses to be more trustworthy than hidden ones because they hold to the belief that firms in the limelight don’t want to ruin their reputations.
Invest in excellent customer service.
Happy customers are the best promotional tool a company can ask for because they are an unbiased external party with no real stake in how the company profits. Thus, how you support and cater to the needs of current customers is important to both keeping them and gaining new ones. Have the mindset that there is no customer you can afford to give up. If you can’t address their concerns, be honest but always polite.Moreover, a bane of many customers is an employee who doesn’t seem to know what the company is offering or even what the company is about. Thus, ensure that all of your hires are familiar with your website, your major products, and your main promotion strategy. If they don’t, they should at least be aware of where to guide queries. Most importantly, your employees should be enthusiastic about the business too so that customers can feed off their energy.
On special occasions such as holidays, you can help clients and customers feel special by sending or giving out little gifts. Have mugs or pens custom-made with your logo, business name, and site URL—this is a good way to maintain relations and be visible to the networks of networks.
Be a good deal.
If there is one tried and tested solution out there for promoting businesses, it’s promos. The words “sale” and “discount” have always struck a chord with all sorts of customers, and they continue to do so to this day. Promos help you to highlight yourself as an “accessible” business to the everyman consumer, and they don’t even have to involve significant drops in prices. For instance, many businesses have jumped on the couponing bandwagon through sites such as DealGrocer and Groupon as a way to showcase themselves to large groups of people. You can also provide special giveaways to customers on special occasions, such as a business-related anniversary. In addition, you can offer samples to customers who have spent a certain amount. Another popular strategy involves the marketing of “memberships” that give discounts to those who avail of them.
Conclusion
With so many people going into business, promotion just one can seem like a daunting task. The key is to know what you have, know how you stand out, and work to those strengths. There are many business promotion strategies out there, but you alone know what works best for your business. Never be afraid to ask for advice, and be willing to take risks within you feel you can prepare for should they not pan out.
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