Starting your own small business is never an easy process. Even if you have a unique and quality product or service idea ready to take to the market, you will find the process of actually getting things off the ground to feel like a bit of a challenge at times.
If you hope to give yourself any chance to find success, you will need to handle a variety of moving parts throughout the startup process.
However, one thing that you should make sure to prioritize is the marketing side of things.
No matter how fantastic your business model is and how unique your products and services are, you will find it incredibly difficult to get things off the ground if you do not have the right marketing tactics in place.
Marketing is how you can get the word out about your new business and specifically target those who fall into your key demographic.
That being said, marketing can be a complex and complicated world to step into if you have no marketing experience to your name.
In such cases, it can be more advantageous to start with simpler marketing tactics while you figure out what works and what doesn’t.
With that in mind, here are three marketing strategies to consider for your new small business.
1. Hold a Contest
It might seem like a backward concept to planning to give something away for free or at a discount when you are just getting started, but you will be surprised at how many new customers you are able to get through the door by holding a contest like sweepstakes.
You can model your contest off of successful ones held by big brands, such as the HGTV Sweepstakes, or take a more personalized approach to your contest. Whatever tact you decide to take will certainly help generate buzz about your new business and bring in potential customers that you would not have otherwise reached.
2. Go Digital
The benefits of utilizing digital marketing tactics are almost too numerous to count. However, you might find that some digital marketing strategies are a bit too complex for a beginner.
It isn’t necessary to get into the complexities of inbound and outbound marketing and the like at this stage. Rather, focus on some of the simpler aspects of digital marketing, such as social media marketing. For example, you can very easily set up social media accounts for your business and start reaching out to a wider audience in this manner.
3. Get Involved with Your Community
Another simple way to get your name out there in your local community is to get involved with community events. Is there going to be some sort of festival or community event held in the near future? If so, find out how you can get your business involved.
Charitable events are also a great way to get involved with your community. Taking this marketing approach can also help build some positive buzz around your business that your customers will respond to.