Year one: top marketing strategies for small businesses

The first year is a crucial year for a start-up business, particularly when it comes to marketing. And yet you haven’t got a lot of money and you haven’t got a lot of time. So, what’s the best way to raise your profile in the first 12 months?

·       Get social. Social media really helps to raise your profile. And if you take the time to make sure you’re on the right channels, talking to the right people, you can make these (almost) free marketing opportunities work for you. First, think about your target customer and where they might be spending their social time. Then set up a profile on that site and start to share. Word of warning? Don’t sell. Have conversations, demonstrate your expertise, thank others for helping you out. Make connections and nurture them.

·       Have a web presence to send people to. Unless you are selling products online, you don’t need – and probably can’t afford – an all-singing, all-dancing website. It’s fine to start with something simple; something you can even build yourself. Use good quality images, keep your messages clear, and include a news or blog page so you can keep the site updated and drive people to it from your social posts.

·       Embrace face-to-face. There’s so much networking on offer that you could spend your life at events and do no work at all. There’s really no substitute for getting to know other businesses in your local area or in your target sectors. Regular networking allows you to keep telling people what you do, offer your expertise, develop trusted relationships and give people a reason to recommend you.

·       Look for partnerships. There are likely to be businesses out there that need what you do and would like to be able to offer it to their clients. Think about what type of businesses they might be, put together an offering for them and arrange a meeting. You could end up with some valuable partnerships that keep your cash flow healthy.

·       Have a great story. Wherever you are meeting people, have a consistent message about what you do and why. Use that message in your social media profiles and on your website. Talk about it at your network meetings when you introduce yourself. Make it simple, so that potential customers can understand the value to them straightaway. This is a harder task than you think, so take the time to get it right.

·       Look after your customers. When you start a business, there’s nothing quite like getting your first few customers on the books. Sadly, those customers often get forgotten in the excitement of growing the business and trying to get everything done. If you nurture those customers; look after them; give them discounts or previews or referral offers, you’ll find they stick with you, increase their spend and refer you to others.

·       Is it working? The most important aspect of marketing is measurement. What are you getting back for the time and money you’re spending on your strategies? What’s working best for you? What could you get rid of? What could you change? Do you have some money you can invest in paid-for online advertising, a better website or some printed marketing materials? Could you offer to speak at an event now? Should you enter an award? Is it time to get some help?

The trick for year one of your business is to focus on a small number of things and stick at them to see if they work. You very rarely see results from just a month or two of effort. It’s worth researching the best approach, making sure you have everything you need to get going and giving each strategy a decent amount of time to work for you. With some planning, some focus and potentially less cash than you think, you could get some great results that will help your business move positively towards year two!