A huge part of owning a business is growing your brand and bringing in new customers.
Nowadays, almost all customers turn to the internet for information regarding a product. Customers rely heavily on company websites, customer reviews and the world of social media when it comes to making their next purchase.
Gone are the days of cold-calling people trying to make a sale and in are the days of using the internet to grow your business. Luckily, this actually makes it easy for the business owner (with a little know-how, of course).
Tips on how to grow your brand online
Though there are hundreds of ways to grow your business in general, there are a few sure-fire ways to grow your brand online. These include:
- Build and maintain a company website. Include pricing, new product information, customer reviews (both good and bad), personal information about yourself and any changes going on with the company.
- Utilize all forms of social media. Create a Facebook page, blog and Twitter (at the very least) for your business. Update regularly and respond to customer questions, complaints or feedback. Responding to customers via social media shows that you care and you value their opinions.
- Connect with other like-minded businesses. Find businesses similar to your own and add them to your social network. Though you may view them as competition, it’s important to know what they’re doing to bring customers in and to learn from them.
- Promote your products online. When potential customers search for a product on Google, you want yours to be on the first page. This is known as Search Engine Optimization – or SEO. Study up on this or enlist the help of an SEO professional. Remember, if you’re customers can’t find your product online, they can’t buy it.
- Offer promotions. Give your customers deals via social media weekly or monthly. This encourages both old and new customers to stay connected with your company in hopes of receiving a good deal.
- Know your audience. One final step in growing your brand is knowing your audience and understanding what they want. For example, if your product appeals to children you would market that product completely different than if your product was geared towards middle-aged, stay-at-home moms.
Tips on advertising for free
Though growing your brand online is ultimately going to be the best way to grow your business and bring in new customers, it’s still good to advertise – especially if it’s free.
Craigslist is what most businesses are turning to for free advertisement – and it works! You can post ads daily and it only takes a few minutes of your time. Even if you only make a few sales per month off of it, it was at no cost and barely any time to you, making it more than worth it.
Other free advertising websites include yellowpages.com, Google places and your own personal blog. You can also advertise locally by posting flyers in coffeehouses, on mailboxes and at your local grocery store.
When growing your brand, remember to let your personality and what makes your business unique stand out. Come up with a creative slogan or one-liner to help customers remember you. Also, be patient.
Growing a brand isn’t something that’s going to happen overnight, but with consistent work put in daily you’re certain to see results.