by Don Kyle
In my last article, I discussed the life cycle stages of a
typical business — Seed, Start-Up, Growth, Expansion, Decline and Exit
stages. This month, I would like to
focus on the areas on which a Start-Up company should focus to promote and grow
its business.
Unless
you have started a franchise with a well-recognized brand name, the biggest
challenge you probably are going to encounter is name recognition. So what are some of the most effective ways
to get your name out to your target market?
I have listed several ways you should to consider to do this.
1. Prepare a press
release about who you are, what you do, and how this is going to benefit your
target market. Then, disseminate it to
all local media outlets, including social media channels. It is important to note that news and
information providers want to print or post information that is interesting and
beneficial for their audiences.
Therefore, focus your press release on how you are going to provide a
product or service that will do just that, rather than talking only about your
company or yourself.
2. Establish and
cultivate a social media and web presence.
This is a great way to get your message out and allow you to extrapolate
your person-to-person community involvement activities discussed below.
3. Host a grand
opening event with the help and participation of local business associations
and local media. Be sure to schedule your
event for a time which will allow the optimal attendance, e.g., a Saturday
morning when families are out and about in the community.
4. Get involved with
your community. There are many ways you
can do this, depending on the nature of your business, such as with local
business associations, schools, religious organizations, civic and charitable
groups, other businesses, sports leagues and groups, etc. For example, if your company caters to
children, contact local schools (both private and public), sports
organizations, kid’s activity groups (such as dance studios, children’s theater,
martial arts studios, etc.), and other groups and businesses that also cater to
children. Establish affiliate and
referral relationships with those that are the most likely to help you spread
the word about your company.
5. Research and select
effective channels to advertise your business, such as with local magazines,
social media, etc.
Taking
these steps should help build your name quickly.
Don Kyle works with business owners who want more customers and higher profits. He offers a free consultation to business owners who are serious about improving their bottom line and quality of life.
(404) 580-6331, dkyle@smallbizzmbz.com
