As a startup company, it’s sometimes hard to know where to start marketing. Sure, you can get an online presence by having a website, but if nobody knows who you are, nobody is going to find your website.
It’s important to think outside of the box and create buzz for your business. Then, allow this buzz to lead people to your website where they can gain more information and (hopefully) make a purchase.
Since startup companies have very small marketing budgets, you need to get creative with your buzz, which is why you need to use the following tips to help get your company name out there without going broke.
1. Create partnerships.
One of the best ways to generate buzz for your company is to find another company or event to partner with. For example, if you are in the floral business, try partnering with bridal expos or reception halls. These businesses and events will help promote your company if you help promote theirs, and these partnerships can help get your name in front of new clients.
2. Follow the trends.
Trending topics are changing every day, and a great way to gain buzz about your company is to use these trending topics to your advantage. Try and find a way that your business can tie in to a current trending topic and start pushing out information with the popular hashtags on Twitter to get your company in front of a large audience.
3. Make a video.
Make a video that relates to or promotes your product or service and post it on YouTube and your own social networking channels. People love watching videos, and if you create a quality video that contains information people can actually use, you will see a great deal of traffic. Plus, videos quickly go viral, so it’s possible that one small video is all you’ll need to generate buzz. Make sure that you use keywords and tags to describe your video to help it appear in search engines too.
4. Hold a contest.
People love winning prizes, and a great way to create buzz about your company is to start a contest and give customers the chance to win a prize. Social media is a great place to hold the contest. It can be something simple, such as asking a trivia question for a discount off your products or services, or something longer and more detailed with a bigger grand prize.
When you hold contents, people will be more willing to learn more about you and what you do, and they’ll quickly start talking about your brand.
5. Send samples.
Create a list of people you think could benefit from your product and send them a free sample with a personalized note. Taking the time to move yourself offline and provide potential customers with something they can actually use (and also showing you took the time to personalize a message) is a great way to earn business and generate buzz.
6. Use your vehicle.
Invest in some magnetic stickers and put your company’s web address on your car. People will see the web address as they’re driving or even notice it on your parked car, and it may intrigue them enough to check out what it’s all about.
7. Shout it from the rooftop.
The only way you’re going to earn business is if you tell people about it. Use your words and make sure that you tell everyone you know. Post it on your own social networking accounts. Send emails to friends and family members, and even ask them to pass the information on to others. If you stop at the grocery store, make sure to tell the cashier about your new endeavor. Even if you don’t earn business from everyone you tell, you’re still getting the word out, which will go much further than keeping it to yourself.
Marketing for a startup business can be draining and overwhelming, but if you use these tips, you will have created a large amount of buzz without spending a fortune. And that is the key to smart marketing.
Kathryn Thompson is a SEO consultant and writes valuable marketing articles for SEOMAP.