Starting a business much hard work on the part of the founder, and no small part of that work is getting others to buy the idea you’re trying to sell. If just starting your business and doing what you set out to do was all that was needed to ensure its success, we’d surely see many more startups launched. But businesses need customers and clients, and drawing their attention requires some level of marketing.
Two loudspeakers on a pole on a gray background.
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Marketing can seem daunting to many, a foreign skill to those suited more for making than selling. But like many tasks required for your business, marketing is necessary for the long-term survival of your company whether or not you possess that skill. Even the best products require potential customers to be aware of them, and the odds of those people stumbling upon your own offering without any assistance or inducement is slim to none.
Entrepreneurs are thus left to figure out the best way to market and sell their product, often with only the vaguest notion of an approach. For every serial entrepreneur that knows the ins and outs of how to market and grow a business, there are numerous newcomers learning on the fly, trying their best to juggle the demands of running a business with the requirements of promoting it as well. And while professional marketing is something that might require outside help, some of the basics of marketing are simple enough establish on your own.
Though it might not seem like marketing, having a quality website is an important part of marketing. While not everyone will necessarily be turned off by a poor website, plenty will dismiss your company immediately based on that alone; conversely, no one has complained that a website is too well-designed or easy to use. A website is your company’s first impression to most everyone, and it speaks to potential customers in not only what it says but how it looks and feels. A good website suggests a quality product and a dedicated team behind it far more than a clunky, outdated one.
Another key ingredient to any success at marketing is making sure that you’re capitalizing on search engine optimization and keywords with your website. So many businesses now live entirely online, and making sure that people are able to find your website with relevant searches is the only way those businesses can hope to succeed. Even traditional brick-and-mortar stores will do better with a stronger online presence that gets their name in front of locals searching for particular businesses in the area. You might not be an expert in that area, but there are plenty of online guides to help you find the right keywords and how to use them to boost your visibility on search engines.
Social media is one of the best ways to make an impression on an audience in the age of Facebook and Twitter. We all spend too much time on social media because being there with everyone allows you another opportunity to get your name in front of as many eyeballs as possible. It’s a great way to let followers know about any news or updates you might have, and posting pictures and videos gives potential customers an opportunity to put images to the words and a human face to the company.
A company blog on your website and email blasts to subscribers are also great tools to keep leads informed and engaged. You might feel intimidated at the notion if you’re unsure of your writing skills, but working with an editor and proofreader will help to smooth out any of the rough points. Ultimately, the most important thing about any sort of writing is the message you’re conveying to an audience; if you’re offering insight and expertise as well as news and notes, you’re sure to draw in readers. The most important thing in your writing is consistency; it’s best to stick to a schedule that you can manage rather than posting three blogs in a week’s time followed by a month-long break.
For all of the tools and tips that can help you online, there’s nothing wrong with good old-fashioned networking as well. So many of us spend so much time behind screens that the human interactions we have can stand out, and having a chance to meet someone face-to-face and tell them about what your company is and does can create an impression that sticks. There’s a reason that trade shows and conferences persist in an era of virtual meetings, and the human connection still carries a weight that digital marketing can’t quite equal.
None of what is suggested above might seem particularly groundbreaking, but it’s important for any business to establish a good foundation for marketing before moving on to more advanced efforts — to walk before they can run. And doing the basics well is what every business should aspire to, in marketing and beyond. #onwards.