5 Powerful Ways To Market Your Business
While technological advances have certainly helped marketing efforts and business in general some ways, some tactics have stood the test of time and are still arguably the best ways to go around marketing a business. We profile the 5 powerful ways to market your business
Create an Elevator Pitch
When grabbing someone’s attention, you don’t have much time. Research shows that the average attention span of the typical adult is approximately eight seconds. An elevator pitch is a brief, clearly expressed and persuasive sales pitch. If you successfully engage with your potential customer, then you only have a short amount of time to really sell them on your product or service. When you create your pitch it is important to consider the following:
- Make the customer care – when engaging with a customer you need to answer the important question of “What can you do for them?” In order to get to answer the question you first need to introduce yourself, address the problem and answer how you are going to solve it. It’s important to personalize the person’s problem into a question and get them to understand that the best solution is your company.
- Mention your previous work– Don’t be afraid to mention big name brands or clients that you have previously worked with. This will show that your company has credibility
- Leave your audience wanting more – your pitch is meant to be short so don’t overload it with too much information. Your main objective is to confidently broadcast that you know exactly what you’re doing. Explain your expertise, why you are best suited for job at hand and emphasize your unique selling point.
- Have a call to action – Let your goals be known and communicate openly. Let them know exactly what you are expecting from them and what they can expect from you.
- Be natural – You need to be comfortable with your pitch. When presenting you need to be passionate and shouldn’t sound like a pre-recorded program. If you happen to stumble it’s not the end of the world, smile and start over. It is important to practice your pitch and find what works best for you.
- Test yourself and get feedback – One of the best ways to improve your pitch is to receive feedback, evaluate it and make necessary adjustments.
Networking
One of the greatest assets any business person can have is a strong network. This is a skill that many people may find hard as the idea of approaching strangers may intimidate you. With a bit of practice anyone can become good at networking. Consider the following when networking:
- Approach the networking experience from the perspective of “How can I help this person?” – If you are genuine and try help out others they will likely do the same for you. This will create a relationship built on mutual assistance.
- Locate who you want to talk to – Any professional will tell you about the value of time. You owe it to yourself to be discerning and selective. It may be intimidating at first but approach the person of interest confidently and introduce yourself, over time it will become less intimidating.
- Never dismiss anyone as unimportant – Don’t make the mistake of discounting people due to their titles. Try find the value in each person that you talk to. They could have valuable connections or knowledge which you would not have found out had you not engaged with them.
- Learn the art of small talk – Most conversations start off with a bit of small talk as people get a feel for one another. Don’t worry if it feels unnatural at first. Smile, people are more likely to warm up to someone who is smiling than someone who is not, and remember to be confident in your abilities, and listen intently.
- Listen – People love to talk about themselves. If you can get someone to talk about their interests and opinions you can have a great conversation without having to say much, all you have to do is listen and show sincere interest.
- Business Cards – Always have your business cards handy as they are an effective way for you to leave your name behind so that people remember who you are.
- Social Media – Engage with people and companies using social media. It provides the ability to network online and establish an online presence. Popular social media channels include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn, Google Plus and Snapchat.
Contest and Giveaways
This is a good way to build brand awareness and connect with potential customers. If you give customers an opportunity to experience your product or service, if they enjoy it, then they will be likely to purchase more or use your service again. Many businesses give away a free trial or a sample of their product. In today’s economy, people are more comfortable purchasing something they have been able to experience first.
Running a contest or competition is also a good way to connect with potential customers. Social media provides many platforms to run your competition on and you may also attract new followers to your business.
An example would be running a competition on Facebook, whereby you can promote the competition if users like your Facebook page or share the post. Thus, generating brand awareness and user engagement.
Using the Media
If you get your business featured in the media then you are getting free marketing. The following are some ways that you can try capture the media’s attention:
- Create a publicity stunt – a planned event designed to attract the public’s attention to the event’s organizers or their cause. A good example of publicity stunt was when Felix Baumgartner became the first person to break the sound barrier without vehicular power by jumping to Earth from a helium balloon in the stratosphere. The stunt was coordinated and broadcast by Red Bull and pulled in 8 million live views on YouTube.
- Do something for the community and send out a press release prior to the event. Not only will you receive publicity but you will also build respect and a good reputation for giving back.
- Sponsor an event or donate your products or services as giveaways. Examples include organising a run fun or sponsoring a local school soccer team. This can be integrated with doing something for the community.
Guerrilla marketing
This is an advertising strategy that focuses on low-cost unconventional marketing tactics that yield maximum results. This involves high energy and imagination focusing on grasping the attention of the public on a more personal and memorable level. It is important to remember that Guerrilla marketing is not like traditional media. Instead of investing money in the marketing process, you invest time, energy and imagination.
