Have you just started a new business and are searching for some advice on ‘marketing tips for new businesses’ to get you started? You’ve come to the right place!
First of all, a big congratulations to you for following your passion and starting your own business! It’s an exciting journey and one that will undoubtedly teach you a lot of lessons along the way as you grow and develop throughout your entrepreneurial career.
While it can sometimes feel overwhelming where to start if you may not come from a marketing background, with questions running through your head such as “what platforms do I need”, the ever-popular “how do I get more followers” and “what on earth is a TikTok”? But not to worry, that’s why we’re here to help at The Small Business Lounge!
Throughout my work at various companies such as Broadsheet Media, Crown Resorts and Sportsgirl, I’ve had my fair share of industry experience that has enabled me to develop a strong understanding of how to build and elevate brands. I’ve decided to cull a list of my top 5 marketing tips for new businesses who might just be dipping their feet in the water of the (not so scary – I promise!) seas of digital marketing.
1. ESTABLISH A BRAND IDENTITY
Know who you are and stick to it. Investigate competitors in the market and find your point of difference. Develop a brand style guide that communicates your vision and how you want to come across to your customers, and share this with any relevant employees.
2. CONTENT IS KEY
Do not give up on advertising or marketing without ensuring your content is absolutely on point – you can’t blame the ad or the email without ensuring your content isn’t exceptional on the other end. It’s worth every penny to invest in stellar content because it helps you earn brand credibility with your audience; especially when you’re a new business!
3. TONE OF VOICE
These three words are integral to your marketing strategy. How are you going to speak to your customer? Are you bold? Are you playful? Are you happy to use emojis in your captions? While it may sound trivial, these things help your customer better understand who you are as a brand and what you stand for.
4. PAID ADVERTISING
Organic is great in a fairy-tale world, but sadly to really cultivate your audience unfortunately sometimes it pays off to pay for it. Well, that’s what Facebook and Google ads are for and boy do they work. Facebook ads are a visual tool great for brand storytelling and awareness, while Google Ads are for the customer with intent who is already on the hunt to find you.
5. STAY IN THE LOOP & TRY, TRY TRY
The beauty of digital is that there are updates, new platforms, and new features all of the time. Sign up to varying digital marketing blogs and websites and stay on the pulse with whatever’s the latest and greatest on the scene. Oftentimes new features on social will be featured before the traditional avenues ex. Reels got a lot more screen time than static posts and videos when they first launched, so you might get lucky and catch someone’s attention by going for whatever might seem a bit new and strange to begin with.
And if it ever seems a bit too daunting and you thought DM stood for “done mate!”, that’s why we’re here to help. At TSBL, have a small and extremely passionate team of marketing managers who love what we do, and we love to help businesses like yours!
About the Author: Megan is a passionate marketing manager with a wide array of experience elevating brand identities through curated content strategies and social media advertising. She has worked for some of the country’s largest brands such as Broadsheet Media, Crown Resorts, Sportsgirl and Luxury Escapes. In her previous role, she helped Crown launch Crown Cellar & Co., a new wine cellar door located in the Crown Towers complex as well as a nation-wide digital shop. She helped them create a tone of voice and produced web copy, social copy, EDMs and blogs relating to wine regions and specific wine variety profiles, as well as conducted interviews with the Director of Wine. Most definitely a people person, Megan enjoys building relationships and thrives when applying her creativity to help clients achieve their goals.
