How to market and promote your business
There are many different ways in which you can advertise your business and it may involve a bit of trial and error to see what works or a combination of approaches to reach your customers. You can do some research initially to understand who your customers are, who your competitors are and develop a plan on how you want to market your business to them.
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Some suggestions on marketing your business are outlined below. There are online programs that you may be able to use to help you design a company logo, branding and materials for your business, or you might like to pay for a professional such as via Fivver or a graphic designer to do this for you.
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Word of mouth
It is important to stay professional with your customers and try to keep them happy with the services they receive as word of mouth is an important way of promoting your business. Some suggestions include:
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Being honest, polite and respectful to customers
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Being responsive to phone calls, emails and messages
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Being punctual and turning up on time (not too early or not too late)
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Ensuring good quality products and services
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Store and personal cleanliness and presentation
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Cleaning up after yourself if performing works at someone's home or worksite.
You can also think about how you can use your existing customer base to generate further promotion and sales. This may include discounts for referring a friend, promotional codes for repeat purchases, shipping discounts and prize draw opportunities.
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Build a website
You can register a domain name and pay for web hosting through websites such as GoDaddy, Bluehost and Crazydomains. A domain name is what is put in the web address bar whereas web hosting stores web content and makes your website accessible to people. There are several website builders that you can use, some of which incorporate domain names and web hosting, including Wix (as was used to build this website), Elementor and Squarespace.
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If you are selling products online, you may need to look into other functionalities that allow shopping cart facilities such as Shopify or BigCommerce.
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You may also want to show examples of your work on your website and / or testimonials from people who have used your products or services.
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Social media
Creating a Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn profile and linking them to your website can be a great way of reaching your customers. You may not need all of these platforms, depending on what your customers use. You can then write posts promoting your business, boost your posts or pay for advertisements to reach your customer base further. You can even engage with social media influencers to promote your business for you.
Printed materials
You can promote your business via letterbox drops with business cards and flyers or pay for advertisements in newspapers and magazines, depending on who your target audience is and how you want to reach them.
Online advertising
You can advertise your business online through social media or you can look at other online advertising options depending on your budget. Think about the use of Google Adwords advertising or whether there are any specific websites, online newspapers or magazines or how you can place an advertisement on a platform that they might frequently visit.
A lot of people use Google as a way to find the services they are looking for. It is therefore important to look at your own Google presence and whether customers can find your business using general search terms that describe your business and the services you offer. You can also set up a Google Business profile so customers can easily see your contact details, trading hours and website address. Customers often leave reviews and it may be worth responding to both positive and negative feedback to show potential customers that you are willing to listen and take on their feedback.
Email Direct Marketing (EDM) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
There are many Email Direct Marketing (EDM) platforms that you can use to connect with your customers, such as those who might subscribe to your newsletter through your website. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is another system which can overlap with EDMs and present more detail on the interactions your customers are having via email. Some companies that offer EDMs and / or CRMs include ActiveCampaign, Moosend, GetResponse, and AWeber amongst others.
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Other
Depending on the scope of your business, there are also methods of promoting your business to people in your local area. This includes through sponsoring a local sporting team, networking with other businesses and adding signage or stickers to your car so people can see your branding while you are out and about.
