Startup Marketing Checklist

Question: I know that I need to promote my new business. Are there ways to spread the word about my new business with a minimal investment in marketing?

Answer: Yes, however, all marketing requires an investment either in time or financial resources.

Your website is the front door of your business. It has to be inviting and attractive to potential buyers. Make sure it looks and is current. Keep your website speed updated. If it is too slow, visitors will depart and may not come back. Make sure your website is user-friendly so that anyone interested in your product or service can navigate your site easily.

Find a market niche and focus on it. Know where your high-profit customers are and keep your promotions focused on them.

Blog. If you aren’t blogging, do it. If your website doesn’t have a blog, do it. Share your knowledge and make it easy for your buyers to access it. If they get into a habit of checking your blogs, they will be drawn to buying your products or services.

All messages don’t have to be original content. Sometimes just spreading the “news” is enough to get followers.

Buyers like exclusivity. Make your offers appear exclusive, and you’ll get followers to see what’s next.

Amazing customer service cannot be over emphasized. If you say, you are going to return a call at 9 am. Call at 8:59. If you are scheduled to perform your work on Monday at 8 am, be there ready for work at 8 am. When the service is completed or the product delivered, check to make sure the buyer’s expectations have been exceeded.

Make it easy for buyers to share customer satisfaction ratings. The easier the process, the more feedback you will receive.

Provide content in your marketing messages. The messages should be short, focused and filled with information that will make your buyer’s lives better.

Be a participant in industry discussions. LinkedIn has many discussions that buyers of your products or services will be participating or watching. If you share your expertise, they will see it and reach out to you.

Use Social Media where your buyers visit. If your buyers are a Pinterest user, spend time there yourself. If they use Linked In, be there. Find out where your buyers spend time and be there.

Generate your own buzz. If you are opening a restaurant get an article written about the establishment and offer to share recipes that will raise awareness and provide value to potential users.

Allow your customers to voice their opinions on your website. Part of your blog should be a comments section so readers can share their input with your other readers.

Create a monthly or quarterly newsletter. If you are a landscaper, share some tips on what your customers can do to improve their landscaping in between your service. If you are a carpet cleaner, share hints, tips and techniques for home carpet and flooring care. The more knowledge you can share, the more valuable you become.

Be a conduit between your customers and other services they may need. Share a list of recommended suppliers where they can go to get the same quality of service you provide.

Get your influencers to share their impressions of your products or services with others by getting testimonials or WOM (word of mouth) communications. Incentivize your influencers to take the call to action by sharing their impressions.

Know what your competitors are doing so you can eclipse their promotion activities.

Measure everything. “If you don’t measure it, you cannot manage it” is a business axiom that never fails. Every initiative should be measured to determine if you should continue doing it or move on to another approach that might generate a greater return.

The most important. Be out there. Be visible. Be vocal. Let buyers know what you have to offer, the need it fills and how to buy it from you.

Check out: Jason James Delodovici, “51 Ways to Acquire Your First 100,000 Customers Without Any Marketing Budget”. justjasonjames.com/ways-to-acquire-your-first-customers

For free and confidential mentoring, contact Cape Cod SCORE at 508/775-4884 or visit us at http://www.capecod.score.org/

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