Youth Incorporated Magazine

More and more people are deciding to leave their 9 to 5 jobs and open up a business of their own. But once you’ve actually hung out a shingle for your new business how do you get customers in the door? Or maybe you don’t operate a brick-and-mortar business but you have a service that you provide. Either way, there are ways to draw attraction to your business and make you stand out in the minds of potential customers.

Start with Friends and Family

This may not be the most exciting way to get the word out about your new business, but it might be the most practical. And it’s only logical. Chances are you’ve already mentioned starting a business to your friends and family, and now that you’re officially up and running, you’ll want to make sure to give the people closest to you the opportunity to become your first customers.

Close friends and immediate family can be a soft and reassuring landing ground for a new business. In addition to gaining new customers from friends and family, they can also be a means of providing feedback about your products and services.

Don’t Forget About Social Media Connections

Social media is the new business owner’s best friend. The beauty of social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter is that they open up the entire world to the new business owner. Let’s say you’re pretty popular, so your followers are in the thousands. That’s thousands of potential customers. 

And even if the number of followers you have doesn’t number in the thousands, your followers have followers, and so on down the line. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are three of the biggest players when it comes to social media:

• Create a Facebook business page to promote your business or even set up a shop.
• Instagram also allows you to create an online store and is good for business promotion, since it’s highly visual.
• Promote your business through Twitter using promoted tweets or Twitter ads. You can always tweet about your business for free and link to your company’s website.

It’s important to keep in mind that although Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are the more traditional sites when it comes to social media marketing, there are many more, including YouTube, Tiktok, and Snapchat.

Promotional Items Aren’t Just for Big Corporations

This may sound a bit old-fashioned in this super-connected world, but you shouldn’t discount the use of promotional materials, particularly if you’re a brick-and-mortar business. Items to promote your business range from cups to pens to company reeting cards. They also add a personal touch, while serving to make the customer aware of a new business or service in the neighborhood.

Keep in mind that there are costs to obtain mailing lists and, of course, there will be postage costs. You’ll also want to make sure that you’re familiar with the regulations regarding bulk mailing.

The Power of Email

Email marketing is another way to get the word out about your business. And although email marketing sometimes gets a bad rap, it’s an effective way of reaching potential customers. One advantage of email marketing is that it’s simple. What can be more simple than an email blast? And although it may be considered less personal than mailed promotional items, it is no less effective.

You can develop lists for marketing emails using the contacts in your email account or simply use an email marketing service.

If You’re Really Industrious…

This last one is not for the faint of heart. But if you’re highly motivated and have a lot of energy (and free time), there’s always the tried and true method of stuffing mailboxes. Another throwback from the golden age of marketing is the flyer under the car windshield. Again, both are throwback marketing methods that you may not have the time or patience for but it is indeed a way to identify opportunities necessary to get your business out there.

Conclusion

There are a number of ways to get the word out about your business. Whether you choose to use modern technology or any number of old-fashioned methods, making customers aware of your presence is the ultimate goal. After all, customers can’t patronize establishments or take advantage of services until they know they exist.