If you keep it a secret – how will anyone know?
My mother said this to me one day, when we were discussing how poorly some people market events.
It resonated with me, and became the words of wisdom to live by when it came to building our business.
We’ve all heard the saying, ‘if you build it, they shall come.’ But this is only true, if they know about it to begin with.
If you are putting your heart and soul into your business, trying to grow it – make sure everyone knows, make sure you market it.
When I was at University in the late 1990’s (I’d hate to think how long ago that was now!) – we were taught it took 3 times, for someone to make a connection with your brand. This meant they had to see it 3 times, to be able to recall your brand when the need arose to use your product or service. Fast forward to 2017, to make sure you are front of mind, research proves it’s around 9, and in some case studies I’ve read they say it’s closer to 19!
So how are you going to be seen 9 times? Here’s our top 7 ideas.
We all know Social Media is a must. Just to name a few – Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest.
Website
Road/ Shop Front Signage. Pays dividends, especially if you are on a main thoroughfare.
Vehicle signage. Once you’ve made this investment then this becomes a moving billboard for your business.
Networking. Nothing works better than one to one contact – remember your business cards!
Sponsorship. And if you sponsor something, make sure you get mileage for your money. E.g. Tagged in Social media posts, a link from their website to yours etc. Don’t be afraid to ask.
Local newspaper or online publications. In Cambridge we have the local Rotary Find It, a great place to start is registering with their free online service.
It is up to you whether or not you do 1 or all of the above suggestions. As what works for one business industry, does not always work for other business industries. At the end of the day it comes down to return on investment. Where are you getting the best return for your marketing spend? For example, if 100% of you business is coming from your website and nothing else, then you need to invest into making sure you are doing everything you can to make sure Google and Bing love your website.
So if you want to grow your business, don’t keep it a secret. Market it!
For more information about ways to help grow your business, contact the team at TAG Business Services.