Coming up with a great business idea for products or services that people actually want is just the start. You might have the best company in the world, but unless the right people are able to find it then you’ll never be a success. For this reason, marketing and promotion is so important, as it’s this that allows you to get your name out there. But what different ways can you both reach and appeal to customers?
Business Expos
Business expos can be a minefield if you’re new to the game, but attending an event like this can be the perfect opportunity to market your business. Start with the stall itself, make it interesting and appealing so that passing customers and clients are more likely to get involved. Games, competitions, challenges and live demonstrations will be far more interesting than bland presentations. You could look at tabletop trade show displays by Exhibe Corporation for eye-catching ideas that will draw people in. Choose a good spot for your stall too, since location is everything at these kinds of events. Ends of aisles do well, and think of the routes people will take to things like toilets and to find food. Placing yourself along here will boost your foot traffic. Be sure to follow up on all of the leads gained at the event, after all this is the reason why you attended. If you take down contact details of interested businesses, you can send them a polite follow up shortly afterwards and proceed from there.
Social Media Marketing
Social media is an extremely effective way to connect with customers and clients- plus it’s free. This form of marketing is actually is one of the most important things to get right when it comes to advertising and promotion. As well as being a useful platform for communicating offers and marketing materials, but it helps you to connect with customers and even builds up loyalty and trust with your brand- it helps to show your potential customers that you’re a legitimate business and not just a scam. From a practical point of view, social media marketing also has higher conversion rates than other types of marketing so is a good place to invest your marketing budget.
Gain Customer Reviews
Most customers will read company reviews before shopping with you for the first time. That way they are able to see from past customers what kind of experiences they have had, and can judge if they want to take the risk or shop somewhere that they know. For this reason, good customer reviews are so important. They will help you to appeal to customers and can help to sway anyone who is currently sat on the fence. When asked nicely, most people will leave a review- so it’s always worth sending a polite follow-up email after the transaction asking your customers to review you. It’s a great, free way to build up your reputation, although of course negative reviews will have the opposite effect so it’s important to put out good service always.
Drive more traffic to your website with SEO
Most consumers will now visit a website to find out more about a business, even if they don’t want to buy or place an order online. With screen time increasing and online sales booming, it has never been more important for businesses to attract attention and create leads via web traffic, apps and social feeds. SEO, search engine optimization, is a means of capitalizing on the popularity and reach of search engines like Google to encourage people to visit your site and click on your links. The higher your search ranking, the better. SEO is complex, and if you don’t have experience and expertise in digital marketing, it’s wise to consider small business SEO services. If your content is optimized and your links are appearing at the top of page 1, you stand a good chance of generating more leads. To boost conversion rates, make sure your landing pages and homepage are mobile-friendly, design pages that look appealing and engaging, create original, useful, informative content, use different content types and provide an enjoyable, stress-free experience for your customers.
Foster A Sense Of Professionalism
You might also want to try fostering a sense of professionalism in your business. Sometimes, businesses that get their start in the dorm room can hang onto their informal roots. But, while endearing, this type of branding can ultimately backfire.
The best approach here is to create a sense of professionalism. Make sure that every member of your team dresses well. Always wear ID tags, name badges, and lanyards when in public, and brush up on your public speaking skills. Even if you’re still operating out of your bedroom, never admit that. Always use terms like “capital-light” and “agile” as these make you sound more forward-thinking and innovative
Be Compliant With Rules And Regulations
Meeting the legal requirements not only ensures that customers trust you but it also helps protect your business. Always stay updated on local and national laws that affect your industry and adhere to them at all times. Customers will feel confident doing business with a company that meets and adheres to all industry regulations. For example, individuals wanting to get a mortgage loan would rather do business with a company that complies with new industry rules and regulations. To ensure they meet all the new 2018 HMDA rules, they would need to use an HMDA scrub service to analyze and submit their data correctly. This reassures the customer that they are in good hands and increases their trust in your company. So if you have noticed that your potential customers have been hesitant or unsure about doing business with you, check your compliance status. In a world full of fakes and dodgy businessmen, your clients want to know that they are dealing with a legitimate and trustworthy company.
Start Using SaaS
Okay, so SaaS might not be the first thing you think of when trying to appeal to new customers. Most people think of SaaS as tools for the back end of your business; but that’s not always the most useful way to think of SaaS – that possibilities are more wide-reaching than that.
SaaS is completely cloud-based allowing you to streamline your business like never before. It includes services such as customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, accounting software, project management software, email marketing software, and saas management. Using these tools reduces the pressures on your business and gives you more time to focus on customer engagement strategies and brand building.
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