Whichever industry your business operates in, it’s a crowded marketplace these days. The Internet has made trade and commerce truly global, and customers are spoilt for choice and bombarded by an almost endless stream of marketing messages. So, what business development solutions should you choose to boost your brand awareness? How do you make sure your branding has an impact, and that you’re speaking to the right potential customers at the right time?
Consider A Referral Scheme
The best customer you can get? One who recommends you to others. Not only have you gained their business, but someone with a referral from a happy customer is more likely to come to you – so you get a double hit. So it makes sense to do all you can to encourage and incentivise recommendations. Decide what you can offer and think of it as part of your marketing budget. If customers spread the word, what perk can you give them? It could be extra service for free, or money off their next bill. Word of mouth marketing and social media recommendations are hugely powerful and can build your business without you spending on costly advertising that may not target the right people.
Brand Everything Up
Starbucks, McDonald’s… Whenever you think of a titan of business, the one thing they all have in common, no matter what they do, is consistent branding. This is an area where many small businesses fail. Think about the customer touch points and how you can increase your branding – whether it’s on invoices, putting your staff in branded polo shirts, paying attention to the packaging that your products come in or look into something like Sydney ute hire to brand up the vehicles your business uses – vehicle wraps are relatively cheap and easy to remove when you need to without damaging paintwork.
Form Some Partnerships
No business is an island, and collaborating with a non-competitive partner is a great way to get your brand in front of a whole new audience – and ones that are already warmed up! Build your brand by finding a non-competing company and find ways to combine your offers. From holding events together to offering discounts, there are many avenues to explore that will bring you new business.
Hold Some Social Competitions
Social media is an almost limitless platform to find new customers – you just have to make your message clear. Running a social media contest is a great way to attract new followers. Set a task that isn’t too onerous to get people to join in – like submitting a photo or a video, inviting friends or sharing what they like about what you do, to get new followers on board and spread the word with their friends and family. It’s a great way to build your brand awareness.
Get Networking
Reaching out to other businesses and new customers should be a constant process, so build local networking events in as a part of your routine. You can also get networking online by joining LinkedIn groups and publishing white papers to get your name out there as a thought leader and get your brand associated with cutting edge developments – whether you are are B2B operator or a B2C, it can work well for you.
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Hrvoje Horvat
hrvojeh75@gmail.com