Whatever business you’re running, marketing is an essential part of it. Without making your business known to as many people as possible, you’ll never be able to progress as it will be very difficult to draw in customers. Here are some tips to help you make your marketing the most effective it can be.
Market Research
Before you even start your marketing strategy, it’s important to do market research – and a lot of it. You need to connect with your target audience and figure out what it is they’re looking for, so you can determine the right message you and your brand need to connect with them. Ask questions to find out what matters most to them – for example, are they looking for the cheapest or are they willing to pay a little more for higher quality?
Understanding Marketing
There are four things that are essential to consider when planning your marketing strategy – product, price, promotion, and place. The product is what your company is selling, and for marketing, you need to consider how many products and different versions of your product you are producing, your packaging and the service you’re providing alongside the product (e.g. delivery). Price requires some research – you need to look over the market you’re entering and analyse the average cost for the products you’re selling, including competitors. Promotion is about how you advertise your product – where you’ll promote it, as well as what message you need to communicate (this is where your market research comes into play). Finally, place is about where you distribute your product – the product needs to be in the right place for people to find and buy it.
Promotion
The biggest fall for business-owners in marketing is the promotional side and can confuse even the most educated of people. It can seem overwhelming, but this is actually a good thing – this means you have free reign over how much you promote your product and where you promote it. It’s worth investing in a few online and offline methods – online advertising is great for reaching lots of people, but not necessarily grabbing their attention, whereas offline advertising may only reach a certain area but is physically in front of them and so more likely to be taken in.
For offline advertising, we recommend looking at HelloPrint – they are a great source of flyers, as well as other offline sources of advertising. As well as offering flyer printing, they can also allow you to produce advertising boards and roller banners which will immediately grab attention; they also offer business cards, which are great for giving your customers an easy way to reach you and hopefully encouraging them to return, as well as something which you can offer to local shops and businesses to put in their window. If you’re feeling particularly passionate, you can also invest in some more niche markets like tote bag printing and offer your customers a bag with your logo. With so much to offer, even including business stationery, they are well worth a look to find the best source of advertising your company.
Marketing can seem complicated, but with the right dedication and preparation, your company has endless opportunities to soar to the top.
