Whether you have a brand new startup business or you have been trading for a few years now, there are plenty of ways to make your business stand out from the crowd and get noticed. That is why today we are sharing with you 6 ways to put your business on the map.
Ask for customer recommendations
There is nothing more powerful than a customer’s personal recommendation. When a happy customer tells their friends about your business and recommends your services you know that you are doing something right and you know that you have built up trust with that customer.
Customer recommendations are a great way of putting your business on the map. People talking about you positively can only ever be a good thing for your business and you then want to have people sharing their experiences with you online. Set up a feedback form to capture customer’s opinions or ask them in person when you see them. Get their permission to add their testimonials to your website or ask them to share their views on review websites.
Get out there and network
This one can put some of us right outside of our comfort zones, but it is worth pushing those boundaries as this can be really fruitful.
Be sure to let everyone you know about your business and what you do. Always carry business cards with you and samples of your work if it is relevant and practical for you to do so.
Many towns and cities have business networking groups so look around for yours and make an effort to get to them regularly. You never know where those connections might lead and there are often talks and workshops on inspiring and useful topics.
Make the most of social media
Social media is free to use and so you really should be making the most of it.
If this is something that you have yet to master for your business, it is best to begin by choosing no more than two social media channels to develop. This will allow you the time to grow them and share content on them regularly. Any more than two at a time and you will find that you do not have the time to dedicate to running them properly. It is better to have two active channels than six dormant accounts.
Share content that is relevant to your business and brand and interact with customers and other companies. Social media is an excellent tool to show off your business when it is used correctly.
Good old-fashioned sign writing
Never underestimate the power of good old-fashioned sign writing. The digital age does not control everything and people are far more likely to spot a new sign on the high street or on a vehicle driving around town than they are to filter your ad out of the hundreds they see online daily.
Ensure that you get some support with your graphic design so that your branding and image look professional and eye-catching. Ask your sign writing company for their advice on how best to write your frontage or your vehicle. They are the experts so allow them to take the lead once you have given them your brief.
Work on your SEO
As well as wanting to be on the map in real life, you are going to need to be on the map digitally-speaking. Your business website needs to show up in search engines in order for new customers to be able to discover you.
If this is an area that you are not familiar with, then it might be worth working with an SEO expert so that they can help you to ensure that your website is optimised and learn how to deliver this going forward. They might be able to run this for you on an ongoing basis too, freeing you up to focus on other areas of your business development.
Hold a launch party
If you have recently started up, a launch party is a great opportunity for you to shout about what you do and invite people to come and check you out. Be sure to make a big noise about it and notify the local press about what you are doing as they are likely to be keen to cover a new small business if you are running a free or fun event.
If you have been in business for a while, then throw an anniversary party for your business. You could celebrate one year of trading, a new product launch or your 1000th sale, host a party for whatever works best for you.
