You've got your brilliant idea, created a solid business plan, and scraped together the funding to get your start-up business off the ground, but then what?
Reality hits - you have to actually get someone to buy from you! For some, the sales may seem to come in effortlessly, leaving the rest of us wondering what their secret is. Its more than likely that youll have to spend some amount of time and money marketing your product.
If youre not a marketing professional, it can be daunting but fear not - youll be better at it than you think. You know your product better than anyone and are its most enthusiastic advocate, so here are some ideas to get you started.
1) Offline marketing is still a trusted marketing method, even in this highly digital age. You could advertise your business with printed materials such as posters, leaflets, brochures, and even postcards and stickers. If youre looking to target customers who may not be big users of the internet, then printed materials can be highly effective.
2) Face-to-face networking is old fashioned but still works. Attend events run by your local Chamber of Commerce or Biz networking group, and see if you can drum up some interest. This works well if you are a service-based business or want to connect with local people. Dont be disheartened if you dont get any interest in your first meeting - get yourself out there and stick with it. Once others get to know you and what you do, youll find the referrals coming in.
3) Social media is a brilliant way of spreading news of your product. Networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are free to use and are something that a lot of people are already familiar with. Regular users talking about your product are worth a lot, and are generally more trusted than sales messages direct from the company themselves. Get people talking about you by using competitions, free products, and through genuine engagement with your product and the word will soon spread. See what Fire Star Toys did to get themselves noticed.
4) Hold an event such as a launch party or a free taster session. Not only will this help sell your service or product to those in attendance, it will also give you something exciting to talk about in the printed media and online. Events can get costly but inviting local dignitaries and media-type people and filling them with free food and wine always goes down well. Dont forget to send press releases to your local media before and after the event.
5) Cold-calling can be a minefield for B2C but still works well for B2B. You dont have to be all hard sell on the first phone call. Your primary goal should be to find out the decision makers name and the best way to contact them with more information.
Once you have their name, you should then research the company a bit more using LinkedIn and the company website, and pitch your email or letter just right.
Marketing a start-up business can be a scary prospect but it doesnt have to be expensive. With time on your part, and a little imagination, getting publicity for your business will reap rewards.
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