The hardest part about running a business as an entrepreneur isn’t developing products: it’s marketing them. Developing your products and services is tough – no doubt about it. Whether you sell cosmetic jewelry or have your own hair salon, every business owner has to work hard at providing customers with what they want.
However, getting your customers to know about your brand is the hardest part. You can’t simply open a store – be it online or a brick-and-mortar store– and expect customers to flock to your business. To get customers onboard, you need to market like crazy. No matter what products and services you offer, there are likely some other businesses nearby that offer exactly (or nearly) the same, so you need to use the power of marketing to distinguish yourself!
- Create customer personas
Customer personas are (fictional) profiles that detail your target audience.
For example, you might start a smartphone accessories store and create a handful of customer personas, from affluent college students to businessmen and women. Each customer persona should include relevant details, from ages and genders to behavioral traits and interests. All of these factors will then help you to construct excellent marketing campaigns and materials, as you know exactly who it is you’re targeting. In other words, you aren’t simply throwing paint at the wall to see what sticks.
For example, many massage businesses create customer personas, as it helps them to gain large customer bases. When you are considering how to start a massage therapy business, coming up with personas is a good place to start.
- Consider paid ads
Although some people are against paying for ads online (claiming it’s not an organic way to increase your audience), almost every major business participates in this practice. Apple, Netflix, PayPal, Pepsi, New Balance, and Under Armour all pay for ads, as it’s a great method for boosting brand awareness and profits.
So, if you’re an entrepreneur with a start-up or really small business, paid ads could be the missing piece of your puzzle.
- Spread the word
Although it won’t make you a millionaire, using your family and friends’ word-of-mouth could significantly help your business. It’s a classic marketing tactic that all businesses use in the early days.
You should also consider your social media strategy and how you plan on reaching people online. Here are the core social media platforms you should use to build your brand awareness:
In addition to these platforms, you should also consider these (although their value to you is dependent on you having a younger audience):
- TikTok
- Snapchat
As an entrepreneur, you also need to throw LinkedIn into the mix. LinkedIn is excellent for building contacts and connections, especially when you’re a growing business and need to find those who will help support you. Doing a quick search on the platform can be one of the fastest ways to make connections that will continue to benefit you long after you are finished with the early days of your business.