Starting a business, even though it is just a small-scale one, could still be a pain when you are starting out. One of the main reasons is, it is quite hard to find and gain the trust of customers because your product or service name is virtually unknown. Building up a good brand does take a while, and there are huge challenges to face for small-time business owners because of the lack of manpower and financial resources to launch a full-blown marketing campaign.
However, this is not essentially a deal-breaker. Small businesses can still thrive even without the use of fancy publications and paid media ads. Although it may be quite hard to compete with existing and trusted brand names, small business owners like you can establish a name and be a little competitive with just a little creativity and resourcefulness. Below are some ways to get there:
1. Start at the community level.
Many business owners think about marketing their brand on a large scale because it seems easy and doable with Social Media and the Internet to back them up. However, as many starting business owners have realized, establishing a business name online is actually harder than it looks. So before thinking about promoting your business on the world wide web, start with your own community first. Partner with people who have similar interests as you, including those who might be working in a relevant industry with your business. You can also start marketing products through friends, family, or even to your kid’s friends at school (like giving out free samples for starters). The important thing here is to determine your target market and find them at the community level.
2. Put customer service and engagement at the forefront.
Nowadays, customer service and engagement can make or break your business. No one wants to transact with a business that has rude, impatient and impolite staff. Although some customers could be very fickle and hesitant about your product or service, it pays to be understanding and patient enough to explain everything to them. With good customer service and assistance, they will not hesitate to come back and deal with your business again. Later on, it will be easier for your brand name to be established because of goodwill and reputation.
3. Don’t underestimate good word of mouth.
Nowadays, word of mouth is still a very effective way to gain more customers for your business. Needless to say, it is also an effective way to establish a brand – even for small-scaled businesses. All that’s needed are a handful of satisfied customers that are willing to share their satisfaction and good experience with your product or service. They can even do it via Social Media, and you can further grow your customer base from there.
4. Make use of available technology.
Even though you have to start marketing at a local level, this does not mean that you don’t have to use new technology to help enhance your efforts. First and foremost of that is Social Media – because you want your potential customers to have a channel where they can get to know more about your product, and a place where they send their feedback and inquiries to. If you can, you can also put up a website or blog page to boost your business’s legitimacy and credibility.
Again, it is all about creativity and resourcefulness. Establishing a brand name does not have to be expensive or complicated, as long as you know which channels to use, and who you can tap in order to widen your reach.
About Author:
Sarah Jacobs is an experienced writer who loves creating articles that can benefit others. She has worked as a freelance writer in the past making informative articles and fascinating stories. She has extensive knowledge in a variety of fields such as technology, business, finance, marketing, personal development, and more.
Find out more about her company here: http://www.lea-p.com/
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