Smart entrepreneur: First steps to image-building – words Alexa Wang
Building a business from the ground up is a challenging venture, especially without the backing that already established names may enjoy. However, the 21st century’s digital empire is nothing if not ripe with opportunities for new entrepreneurs and small businesses to flourish.
The latest search trend for 60% of the public, according to VentureHarbour, is through voice. It’s easier than ever to find an audience for your product or service, as long as you’re willing to immerse yourself in the technological marketing wonders at your fingertips. Thinking outside the box is another vital quality if you wish to ensure that whatever you’re selling is not only visible to as many people as possible, but also reaches those it would interest most. Analysed below are two key promotional tools many businesses rely on to make their brand shine brighter than their competitors.
Source: HelloPrint
Merchandise
This can range from advertising boards to cheap sticker printing. Fortunately, everything a new venture may desire to spread its name far and wide can be found with online services catering to that need. HelloPrint is one such service and it offers a range of graphic designs for business stationery. Whether it’s a gradient, abstract or simplistic style that best represents your brand, this provider has these and more options to choose from, as well as guidance on things to consider when putting together a marketing strategy. It’s not enough just to have business cards. They need to impress, as HelloPrint suggests, by making use of trends and coming up with an attractive design that can be used consistently across different types of stationery, like presentation folders and sticky notes. Such items can then move from hand to hand and inscribe your brand in the public’s mind. As a promotional method, it can be as effective as placing custom banners on street corners – if not more so, due to the subtlety of the allure.
Social Media
Their importance cannot be emphasized enough, but effectively using them for promotional purposes isn’t as simple as posting anything on any platform. While developing a presence on multiple channels is definitely important, being careless with your business’s image can be counterproductive, not to mention harmful. Quick Sprout refers to B2B companies, 94% of which market on LinkedIn because they know how much more beneficial this professional channel is to their brands, judging by its ability to generate 80% of B2B leads. By comparison, Facebook or Instagram, consumer-orientated platforms, would, for example, serve an entertainment product better. The bottom line is that your venture’s field and target audience need to be thought out before identifying its marketing goals, customer engagement being a primary concern. There are several ways social media can assist here, including utilizing user-generated content and approaching influencers. With creativity and caution, digital channels can become the spotlight your venture needs.
Source: HelloPrint
Marketing a new business is a puzzle that can only be completed if you have a clear idea of what it’s for. Then the strategizing can begin, starting with how to generate visibility through branded merchandise and media content. One calm step at a time along what can become a taxing promotional journey and your enterprise’s steady success will be a certainty.
