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Promote It
Branding • Advertising • Media • Online • PR • Measuring Results
Without adequate promotion, few small businesses succeed. Advertising and promotion for your small business can take many forms, some of which you can do yourself for relatively small sums of money. What is important at this stage in your business planning is that you give serious thought to how you might best promote your new venture and that you set aside money in your operating budget right now to cover that.
Word of Mouth
One of the most effective types of promotion is free — it’s called word-of-mouth. Happy customers tell approximately three to five friends or relatives about their good experience with your business, and as those friends or relatives tell their friends or relatives, the positive buzz for your business begins to build. Unfortunately, however, word-of-mouth advertising has a dark side too. A dissatisfied customer will likely tell nine or 10 others about his or her unhappy experience, and they in turn will not only tell others verbally, they might even decide to post it online in a blog or review site. Yikes!
The moral of this story is twofold: (1) provide the best possible products and services so there’s no reason for customers to complain; and (2) don’t limit your advertising to word-of-mouth; take control of your message by creating an actual advertising plan.
Branding
First Impressions Do Count
A company’s brand epitomizes the business and communicates to the public exactly who and what you are all about. It’s the image you want to create, the impression you want to make.
A good logo is the basis of any business identity package, but it is just the beginning. You’ll want to use it practically everywhere — on your business cards, letterhead, signage, website, boxes, bags, receipts, advertising, etc. It needs to be clean, well-designed and professional in appearance. If ever there was a time when you should not cut corners or go for the lowest bidder, this is it. Hire a skilled professional to design and execute your logo.
Aside from the look of your business, the words you use matter too. Your language, whether as a slogan, the copy on your website or the recorded message on your answering machine, should reflect and enhance your company’s culture and personality.
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