You are about to open your new company but are struggling with getting new customers through your doors. There are many innovative and effective ways to get your business in front of the people who would be interested in what you have to sell. Many are affordable for an entrepreneur just beginning their operations. Here are some of the best avenues to use when marketing your company.

But first up, what’s the difference between business development and marketing? Deeply understanding the nuances of this question and how business development and marketing can work together to grow your business is essential knowledge for all business owners, CEOs and marketers. Both disciplines have the same goal: to grow revenue for the business. Business development may focus more on identifying areas of the business that can improve profitability, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, etc. Marketing is more focused on customers. Getting new customers and selling more to existing ones. Marketing is sales multiplied. A truly skilled marketer can launch a campaign that makes impressions on thousands of people, but the messaging makes people feel as if they are being spoken to directly.

Develop What You Want To Say About Your Company

When you meet a potential client, you will want to hit them with a quick blurb about your business, just enough to catch their attention. Try to pack as much information in a few words. Prepare questions to get to know more about what they need in the event that they like what you have to say. This will draw out what interests them and engage them into a deeper conversation. Show a genuine interest in what they have to say and be ready to reply to their comments. In this brief encounter, you can begin an initial relationship with your possible client and pique interest in them for what you do and what you can provide for them.

Build An Internet Presence

Whether you are trying to build a local clientele or reach customers all over the world, you need to have a website. Develop an address that is easy for others to remember and that will find its way to the top of mlops internet search lists.

Add your operational hours to the site as well as directions to the facility, contact information, and what you have to offer. Add colorful photos of your products, your storefront if you have one, and the activity that happens in your facility.

Invest in Social Media Advertising

Along with your website, open up pages on different social media sites to reach new customers. Using hashtags and boosted posts, share your latest sales, newest products, and other important information with those who follow you. Purchase advertising on these platforms. It can be far more affordable than other types of marketing. As you develop your ad, narrow down your audience to the geographical areas where your clients reside. Use keywords that apply to your products yet are popular enough that many people will search for them. Like your other internet sites, use colorful photos and videos to attract the attention of potential customers. Talk with those that comment on what you post and respond to messages in a timely manner. Connect your social media to your website so those searching for you can get from one to the other easily. Let your current clients know about your sites and invite them to take a look at them then share them with those people that they know.

Create Promotional Materials

Design and produce items to hand out to those interested in your company. This should include promotional items, such as shirts, reusable bags, and other trinkets, as well as flyers and business cards. Make sure that your company logo and website are printed on each piece. Your potential client will be reminded of your company every time that they use them, keeping your business forefront in their mind when they need your goods and services. You can also set up a free trial of what you provide for your customers to try. If they like what you have given them, they will be more inclined to continue doing business with you.

Optimizing Local SEO

Local SEO can do wonders for your business websites. Local search engine optimization is the process of optimizing a service, business, or product for a search query that is a location specific. Search engines like Google identify a user’s location and then uses that information to display results match the user’s location and will give you places that are in close proximity to where you are. Optimizing your business for local search queries will improve your visibility on a search engine’s result page, therefore bringing you more business. Local Google search results are based primarily on relevance, prominence, and distance. These three factors will have a significant impact on your local business ranking. 

Local search rankings will favour businesses that have relevant, complete, and accurate information. This makes the small business easier to match with their corresponding queries. Use the attributes below in order to stay relevant: 

• Physical address of brick and mortar store
• Business phone number
• Category 
• Attributes

Partner With Your Neighbors

Contact your local Chamber of Commerce to inquire about membership and other opportunities that you can take advantage of to get your name out in the community. Ask if they ever have programs that spotlight certain organizations during the year or if they hold contests for those in the city to visit small retailers in exchange for prizes. Talk to the other companies in your neighborhood about cross-promoting each other and possibly joining in events with each other to drive more business to your area of town. Consider being a sponsor for a youth team or adding your name as a sponsor of a charity event. Reaching out to those in your community, whether to other businesses or the people who live there, shows that you are committed to the place you live in and want to be an active part of it. Customers will be inclined to shop at places that support the things they love.

Offer Your Expertise

While you are working with those in similar industries to yours, offer to share what you know with them and their audience to help get your company’s name in front of those who want your products. Volunteer to speak at a conference or write a blog for a website that deals with subjects you are knowledgeable on. Each time that you do this, be sure to include your company’s contact information in your biography or have materials on hand to give to interested parties. Be prepared to answer questions if you are asked whether verbally or as a message on the blog. For hosting you at their event, offer to the blog owner to submit something for your website also or the organization that held the meeting to speak to your customers as well.

Utilize Your Current Customers

A positive experience with your company will bring more clients to your business. Quiz those that shop with you to find out what they like about your products and services. Offer a discount or free item if they complete your survey and let you know where you are succeeding and what you need to work on. Hold a referral contest for your customers, asking them to bring a friend in for a chance at a prize. Their odds of winning can increase if their guest signs up for your email list or provides their contact information for future marketing efforts. Getting customers to your new business can be a challenge. However, there are several unique marketing opportunities to tell them about your products and services. Utilizing a mix of face-to-face moments as well as internet based advertising will make those in your community and around the world aware of what you have to offer and how to reach you.