Unique ideas that the average business owner does not think of when starting their own business including automation technology, branding, creating blogs and setting viable goals.
Automation Technology:
Create an automated system that will make your customers feel that you have taken time out of your day to send them a thank you or to survey them about the services that you provided them. Your message should be personal in nature and let them know that you care about them and their needs. You want that customer to know that you are working with them. A business owner’s biggest mistake is not having contact information on hand for their customers. Without this vital information, you lose touch with that customer. A good auto responder can take orders from your web site, send out follow up letters to customers, automate digital delivery of information, track the visitors and sales, follow up with prospects, and take subscriptions to your mailing list or ezine.
Blogs – Not Just a Journal:
Blogs today are not just for the ramblings of teenagers anymore. With technology changing, creating your own blog can very well be one of the most valuable marketing tools you have. They enable you to develop and strengthen customer relationships as well as improve your website’s search engine standings. Create a blog that is professional looking yet informal. Blogs were invented to be more of a conversation with your customer and should be written as such without being condescending in nature. When blogs were first created, the typical blog was navigated chronologically. If you were creating a journal that would be fine, but in the business world it just does not work. Be sure to create a navigational tool for your blog that makes it possible to search your blog by keyword or topic.
Branding:
Your brand is your identity in the corporate world. From your name and logo to your business philosophy, each piece must fit into a large picture of what your business is about. First, take a look at the customers you have and the customers you want to have. How do they talk? What are they concerned about? If you do not take the time to get to know your customers you will not be able to effectively market them. For example, if you are focusing on senior citizens, make sure that your website is done with a larger font that will be easier for them to read. Yes, even the font you choose for your site is part of your “brand”. Reflect your brand in everything you do; from your website design, to your marketing, to the sale of your product. Stay consistent and your brand will become readily recognized which will gain your customers trust.
Goal Setting:
Believe it or not, setting goals is also an effective way of growing your business. Without measurable goals, how will you know if you are making any progress? What do you want to accomplish with your business in the next ninety days, six months, one year and ten years? Prioritize your goals and develop a strategy to measure the incremental milestones along the way. Make sure that your goals are practical and achievable otherwise you will never be able to make a strong commitment towards them.
These are just a handful of unique marketing ideas to help you promote your business. Choose the ones that work for you and then you can begin integrating more great marketing avenues.
~~~Suzette Walker
