How to Get The Word Out When You Start a New Business?
You’ve finally taken the plunge, and decided to start a new business. Maybe it’s a passion project you’ve been putting off because it’s “not practical,” or maybe it’s a business idea you’ve been planning for years, but finally decided to go for it.
You are ready to make this thing official. Whether or not you’ve already launched your new business, there are several things you can do to get the word out. Making people aware of your new venture is vital, because people won’t shop at your store or ask for your services if they don’t know they exist.
Here are some of the things you can do to get the word out about your new business.
Offer a Launch Sale or Deal
Even if you’ve already launched, you can still plan out a special sale or promotion. Nothing entices a new audience than an offered incentive. People love the feeling of getting a good deal, and it will help make them feel valued and appreciated from the beginning. This will help encourage them to come back, and to tell their family and friends about your business as well.
You could offer select products at 20% discount, or a buy one get one free deal. Find something that works for your business, and offer it for a limited time for new customers.
Be sure to share it with your network, and with those in your circle so that people can start getting to know what you are doing.
Marketing
Every business needs a marketing strategy to spread awareness and gain momentum. Marketing is a tricky subject, especially for new entrepreneurs. It can be expensive, and require a lot of upkeep and investment. Advertising, for example, can be beneficial to drive awareness to your business. But a lot of new entrepreneurs can’t afford a lot of advertising.
However, there are ways to market your business that aren’t as time consuming or costly. One of the best ways is to establish a social media presence. Most social media accounts are free to create and maintain. You may only build one platform at a time, but we encourage you to set up the accounts right away. The best options are Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. If you provide services or products locally, don’t forget to go build a Google Business Listing so you can start being found in search results.
You can create posts using Canva, and schedule posts using a software like Later, and create a week or even a month’s worth of content at a time. You don’t need to post too often, but it’s always good to update as much as you can.
Alongside this, creating a website for your business is vital. There, you can have a definite place for people to go to learn about your business, running hours if they apply, and learn more about you and your business without having to scroll through a feed.
This is your time to shine. Share your story, and why your business is so meaningful to you. What made you decide to start this? What are you hoping to achieve? Why should customers come to your business?
We also encourage you to make a list of current customers, and start collecting email addresses of people who are interested in what you offer so that way you can send out email communications to those who are interested in what you offer. No need to be spammy or pushy, but having a contact list in a free Mailchimp account to send a quarterly newsletter is never a bad idea.
There are other things you can do to market your business, but these three are key from the beginning.
Get Involved
Finding ways to get involved in your local community will help spread the word about your business throughout your local community. Volunteering your services, or offering to create something and give some of the proceeds to a local charity are great ways to show your values and your commitment to the local community.
Other ways you can get involved include setting up a booth at farmers markets and craft fairs. If you create a product, selling them at these places will inspire more people to check out your products, since a lot of customers prefer to support small and local businesses.
Leverage Your Network
Your network is one of the most powerful tools you have when it comes to growing a new business. This includes everyone you know, from family and friends to coworkers, other business owners, and neighbors.
Tell everyone about your new venture, and offer them incentives to check it out. Ask them to give honest feedback so you can make any needed changes, and ask them for testimonials and reviews.
These establish trust and confidence in your products or services, and encourage others to give your business a try.
When your network goes and tells their network about your business, it proves that word of mouth referral, which is one of the best ways to establish a new business in the community.
You can also grow your network by connecting with other business professionals who share similar types of customers who may need your services. For example, someone who is injured in a car accident might need a chiropractor, an auto body repair shop, and a personal injury lawyer. Finding people in your network who can help solve problems you help solve can help you create relationships, and provide lots of value to your customers.
Offer Immense Value
People appreciate products of high quality, or services that directly benefit them and address their needs. One of the best ways to get the word out about your new business is to prioritize service and value from the very beginning. Figure out what people are looking for and the ways in which your business can help them find it.
Is there a way to package your services in a way that will meet more people’s needs? Do you have a return policy in place that will ensure satisfaction for every customer? Running a new business is tricky, and you won’t have all the answers. But knowing the direction you are headed in is a great place to start.
Also, simply taking the time to prove your expertise in your craft is important too. People want to see what you have to offer, so showing off your best work in a portfolio or your best products for people to test out when they visit your shop helps to build a level of trust in you and your business.
Starting a business is not easy, and establishing one takes time and effort. It won’t happen overnight, but with these tips it will be off to a good start.
Here at Biz to Biz, we believe in the potential of every new business. We know that to get to where you want to go, networking is one of the best ways to get there. We offer networking groups that can help inspire, challenge and grow your business and you as a person.
You can learn more about what makes our chapters different here, or register to attend a group as a guest here.
And hey, if you want to grow your business and build relationships within our COMMUNITY of small business owners and sales professionals focused on their businesses, community & personal GROWTH and on giving/receiving MENTORSHIP with other like-hearted people, then make sure to check out Biz to Biz networking groups!
Learn more or contact us directly by email at info@biztobiznow.com
COMMUNITY ✼ GROWTH ✼ MENTORSHIP