Building a business requires a great deal of effort on multiple fronts. Once it is up and running, there is still a lot to do to make your venture viable and attract customers. Creative marketing strategies can help you gain the traction and recognition you need.
Choosing the right marketing efforts to use is very much about the type of business you are running. For instance, a crafting business needs to find avenues to share images of its products. Meanwhile, when looking for ways to start a physical therapy franchise, you have to make partnerships with clinics and hospitals to strengthen your brand. If your business is entirely online, then your marketing efforts must focus on social media.
Social Media Engagement
No business can avoid having a social media presence these days. Customers are now more reliant on social media and search engines to find products and services. Building an online community is very much the same as growing a loyal customer base. Often, you will find that it is the same.
Making pages on social media platforms is easy and manageable. You can share engaging content and use it to attract people. Answer customer queries, and use it to communicate openly with your loyal and potential customers.
Support Others on Social Media
A great way to attract and retain customers is to show that you are a business invested in helping others grow. People want integrity in the companies. There are already too many businesses that treat people as just a source of income. Show people that you care about the community. It will come back to you in the form of increased interest and customer engagement.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to lend your social media sharing and tagging to other brands and influencers. Tag customers in CSR-related posts by your vendors, suppliers, and complementary businesses. Offer support to influencers dedicated to important social causes, such as the environment or increasing diversity. This will highlight your business values to people and inspire the same companies you helped to give you the same aid in return.
Hashtags Are Your Friends
Create a dedicated hashtag in preparation for a product launch or a marketing campaign. It is a great way to disseminate information about your event and catch people’s attention. Trending hashtags can bring a wide range of people to your page and increase engagement with your marketing campaigns. It is a good way to reinforce your branding. The type of people drawn to the hashtag will likely fit within your target demographic for customers as well.
Consider making a custom filter for the occasion to give your social media following something fun to play with and share with their followers. Use more than one hashtag to give people variety and increase their reach as they get shared across different platforms. Be ready to meet increased demand for inquiries and customer support, and use the opportunity to provide excellent customer service.
Become Engaging
You do not have to spend a great deal of money to make content. There are large companies that hire big-name photographers, directors, and models to make video content. However, that is more about sustaining their image. Customers want to see that a business genuinely cares about the products and services they offer.
Network with people who are in your industry, join seminars, and give talks both in person and online about your field. Write and share blogs and essays about different elements of the industry and invite people to forums to discuss issues within the industry and how best to fix them.
These are the kind of marketing tactics that can help build a reputation for excellence. Entrepreneurs are the face of their business, so taking the time to show your vested interest in the field will benefit the growth of your company.
Make Infographics
Sharing infographics is a wonderful way to engage an audience as well. They do not require a lot of effort to make. Moreover, they are visually appealing and have a high rate of sharing among social media followers. Share an informative and aesthetically appealing infographic at intervals to drive up traffic or generate interest before a soft launch.
You can link these infographics to videos on how to use your products. People enjoy learning new things, and customers will appreciate the tutorials on how to get the best use out of their purchase. Have short videos for common issues that they may run into as well as cleaning tutorials. This does not require a great deal of production value but will be even more appreciated for their direct and helpful guidance.
Marketing does not have to be big and flashy. Sometimes, it is about showing customers that the company cares about their happiness and appreciates them.