BE SEEN, BE HEARD, BE REMEMBERED THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPERLY MARKETING YOUR STARTUP OR SMALL BUSINESS ONLINE

Starting and establishing a business is exhilarating, but also plenty difficult and tiresome to do. When small businesses get started, their focus is often how to get the first group of customers through the door. The misconception is that since they know they offer a good product or service, it’s only a matter of time until customers find their way to them. Since they are a small business anyway, it’s easy to think you only need a small number of customers to get established anyway.

Sometimes they even believe that they don’t have the time or the money to be competitive online. They are still learning the ins and outs of business in general. Its easier to take things slow and stick to a few basic forms of advertising, like handing out a few fliers, word of mouth, or a few physical sign posts, assuming that their business will evolve as time passes.

This is ineffective as there is no guarantee that the business will attract customers just by existing and even if it does, you may not attract as many as you need to make your business become more profitable. It may bring a trickle of business but there is an easier and better way. Marketing.

Marketing is like the heart of your business, it is essential for your business to survive. The stronger it is, the healthier your business will be. It is crucial to gaining the attention of prospective consumers and clients, developing products or services, creating demand and turning prospective customers into clients. Here are a few examples of what marketing online can do for you:

  1. Top of Mind Awareness (TOMA)

When a potential customer is in need of a particular product or service, often in this modern day, they will get online. Whether they are aware of you in the first place and want to know whether you are the right fit for them, or they are looking for a place to begin their search, an online presence helps you establish your availability and the potential to be their first option for their particular need. People often want to know more about where they will be investing their time and money. Your business cannot be chosen if no one knows about you.

  1. Boosting sales

Your business could have ground breaking industry transforming products and services that satisfy your customers’ needs and stellar customer service, but never have the chance to reach your target audience. Without customers, you will not have sales. As a result your company’s sales may not achieve your targets and you are likely to find it more difficult to develop your business as sales are what keep your business afloat. Visibility converts to clients and their satisfaction leads to good reviews and referrals and the establishment of your brand’s reputation in terms of reliability, which attracts even more clients and sales.

  1. Fostering long lasting relationships with clients

It is important to get your message out to potential clients and entice them to give your business a try. However it is especially important to communicate with and understand your clients; what are their needs, their pain points? When you understand that, you can then come up with solutions that leave them even more satisfied, because they feel heard. It may even be just be the ability to get answers to simple queries like your location, your prices or how to access offers and discounts. Constantly interacting with your clients helps build a relationship that morphs from simply being clients to being a trusted business partner. Relationships build loyalty.

  1. Fair competition

In a super crowded world with too many choices, you’ll be lucky to be seen at all. Whatever the niche of business you are in, your competition is already online. If your potential clients cant find you, they will choose another business that caters to their needs. As you already know, business is all about survival of the fittest . Even if you do have all the potential, you need to be able to establish yourself within the market in order to be a threat at all.

However do not look at competition solely from the perspective of competing, but also learn from them. Find out what works best in your niche. Is it blogging, an effective website? Videos or graphics? How do they communicate with their clients? What makes them unique? Use them as a benchmark to understand what your market demands of you. It doesn’t matter how new you may be in the market, with the right tools, you can easily compete even with bigger and longer established brands.

  1. Time saving

Although most people view marketing as an extra expense, especially in rough economic periods, with all these financial troubles , is it really necessary? Marketing online however is not an expense, but an investment. Just imagine, being able to reach target audiences considerably faster, boosting sales and being able to engage with clients anytime, all while allowing you to get on with the other more critical duties pertaining to your business. Being visible online often means that your business is always open, even when it is not open. Customers can have access to your products or services from anywhere in the world and at the convenience of their time especially if they cannot be available physically. The point is to have your clients coming to you, instead of you having to go out and look for them.

So what are you waiting for? Start crafting an online presence for your business. It’s never too early or too late to start!

Wondering where to start? Here at Ajobintime, we’ve got you covered! Because we love helping young entrepreneurs like yourselves excel, we have come up with a platform to increase your visibility and help your business grow. With our new platform Ajobintime Connect, you have the opportunity to post your business here FOR FREE. All you need is to send us a logo, a description of your business and a link to your website. Hop on to this amazing opportunity and establish your presence to countless potential clients and investors.

Back to News