Running a business means having to take on a variety of different roles and doing a variety of different things. Marketing is always going to be front and center of anything you do; without good marketing, no one is going to know enough about your products and services to want to buy from you. More than that, no one is going to know about your brand.
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Building your brand is one of the most important things you can do as a business owner. Often when you have a good brand behind you, one that people trust and recognize, your marketing budget can actually decrease if need be; your brand is going to be doing the selling for you. Yet to get to that point where you are recognizable and trusted, you will need to put in some hard work. Read on to find out what you need to do to build your brand without giving too much away.
Give Something Away
Ironically, one of the best ways to build your brand without giving too much away (because it will cost you money) is to actually give something away (because it will bring you more money in the form of additional sales). You will need to be extremely careful when doing this, though; although the old adage does say you have to spend money to make money, and although that does hold somewhat true today, spending too much too soon can be disastrous.
Some companies choose to let their customers win real money, which is sure to garner interest and be exciting. Others will offer free goods, free shipping, or perhaps have a ‘buy one get one-half price’ offer. There are many different things you can give away to make your customers feel valued and excited to use your services, and they don’t have to cost you a huge amount. Think carefully before launching your competition or offer and you can find many new customers in this way.
Focus on Service
Another way to build your customer base without giving too much away is to do something that won’t cost you any money at all – give your customers excellent customer service. When done right, customer service can help you rise above your competition and be the difference between making sales and making a loss.
People want to be treated well, and because there is a lot of competition around, no matter what sector you happen to be working in if they aren’t treated in the way they want to be by you, they will go elsewhere. A smile, a greeting, going a little further than you really have to, these things can all make the difference you and your customers are looking for, and it won’t cost you anything at all.
Tell Them Why
You can tell your customers what you are selling, you can show them how it works, but what they are really interested in is the ‘why’. Why your product or service will make a difference in their lives and why they should buy from you and not someone else.
If you can answer the ‘why’ questions, you will find you make more sales, and all it will have cost you is some time to think about the answers and come up with an innovative way of showing them to your customers.