Attracting and retaining customers holds the key to success in business. If you run a company, or you’re launching a start-up, it’s essential to be proactive in shouting about your brand and encouraging people to want to find out more. If you’re on a mission to boost sales or introduce more customers to your brand, this guide contains ingenious ideas to drum up more interest in your business.
Social media
Social media is one of the most powerful modern marketing methods. What started as a networking app for friends and relatives to stay in touch has become a hugely influential marketing tool. If you’re not already using social media to raise brand awareness and promote your business, you could be missing a trick. Social platforms offer an array of benefits for companies across multiple industries. You can sell products and services, run promotions, spread the word about your brand and reach new customers. You can also use social apps to build strong relationships and engage with your followers and virtual friends.
When drawing up plans for a social media marketing campaign, it’s critical to define your target audience and choose platforms that are popular among your chosen demographics. Pinpoint the best apps and platforms and use market research to find out more about how your ideal customer uses social media. Use surveys, online polls and questionnaires and analyze data to gather information about the types of posts people like and dislike. Once you’ve chosen apps, look for ways to grow your following, such as incentivizing shares, encouraging followers to tag friends and recommend your account, and running competitions and giveaways. Brand partnerships are also a great way to attract new followers.
Always remember to post content that is relevant to your brand and your target audience and be authentic. Social media offers golden opportunities for brands to connect and engage with customers and create positive relationships. Avoid using posts to promote and sell products all the time. Include images, interviews, stories and videos that provide useful information about your brand and show its human side. Tell people about the backstory, share your company values and let your followers know what you’re doing in terms of corporate social responsibility. Over 70% of consumers want to buy from businesses that have shared values.
Events
Hosting an event is a fantastic way to gain exposure for your brand and create a buzz around your products and services. There are all kinds of events you can stage from exhibitions and concerts to festivals, virtual events and pop-ups. When planning your event, think carefully about the venue, the guest list and the logistics. You want everything to run as smoothly as possible to create positive impressions and ensure that your guests have a brilliant time. Curate the guest list to build contacts and create high-quality leads.
Write a list of jobs to work through during the planning phase and don’t forget the practicalities. If you’re hosting an outdoor event such as a festival, for example, you’ll need to ensure that people have access to food, drink and toilets and choose a venue that is easily accessible. Research local catering and events companies and consider options like Letloos portaloo hire. Give yourself plenty of time to book and organize entertainment and order customized merchandise to promote your brand. Once you have a date and details about the event, go all out to market it and spread the word. Use social media, press adverts, signs and posters and your website to create a buzz and provide people with information and a simple, quick way to book.
Search engine optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a digital marketing method, which drives traffic from search engines. The goal is to get to the top of page 1 when customers and web users search for products and services or keywords and phrases that are related to your business. If you have a high search ranking, you’ll create more leads and you should see an increase in sales and interactions.
SEO is a complex marketing technique. If you don’t have expertise in marketing, it’s worth considering working with experts, hiring new employees or outsourcing. Working with people who have marketing experience can help you capitalize on targeted, tailored marketing strategies that will reach the target audience, optimize lead creation and boost conversion rates.
Local SEO has become particularly influential in recent years. More than half of Google searches now have a local focus and over 80% of people who conduct a local search on their smartphone will contact or visit a business within 24 hours.
Collaborations and brand partnerships
If you are looking to expand your client base or boost brand awareness, have you thought about teaming up with other brands? Partnerships and collaborations can help you to take advantage of other companies’ popularity and reach to enhance your online presence, increase sales and build a bigger following. Look for businesses that have shared values and a similar target audience and focus on brands that have a positive reputation. Promote brands on your social media and website and in-store if you have physical premises. You can establish long-term or ongoing partnerships or collaborate on one-off projects. If you own a beauty brand, for example, you could team up with another brand in the industry to do a limited edition collection. This approach can also work well with influencers, bloggers and celebrities. It’s very common to see influencers and TV and sports personalities join forces with brands to promote limited-edition products or capsule collections.
Drumming up interest in a business is one of the most challenging aspects of getting a company off the ground and growing a start-up. Competition is fierce and it can be difficult to persuade customers to choose your business over others. If you’re looking to turn heads and create and convert more leads, use social media to spread the word and promote your brand, host an event and capitalize on the popularity of search engines. Look into brand partnerships and collaborations and use market research and analytics to identify opportunities and make improvements to your marketing strategy.