Marketing ideas for your start-up

If you have recently started a new business, you may be looking for key ways to market your brand. Around 10% of start-ups fail in the first year so implementing successful marketing tactics is key to ensuring the success of your company. Here is a range of offline and online strategies that can help to grow your business and increase revenue.

Visit trade fairs or events

Visiting trade fairs or business fairs is a great way to showcase your products and begin networking. At these events, you will be able to meet with industry partners, and customers and examine rival strategies which you may look to implement within your own business.

Local events are great recruiting opportunities and help you to gain exposure which is key for any start-up. The more brand awareness you generate, the wider your reach will be for sales and marketing which starts up a positive feedback loop.

If you are attending a trade fair you should take a range of your products with you to showcase and invest in some personalised posters or banners which advertise your company name and logo. Recognisable logos are vital to growing your business as customers often forget brand names. As such, an outstanding logo will make your brand memorable and help to build brand loyalty.

Combine offline and online promotions

For start-ups, promotions are a great way to attract new customers. Depending on the type of business that you are running you could look to offer trials or discounts to persuade customers to try out your products.

The combination of offline and online could be used at a trade fair. You may look to offer a voucher code for a product trial which the customer will take home with them and be directed to your website. Using promotions in line with special occasions such as Christmas is also a tactic used by many businesses and can trigger customers to revisit your site.

Utilise social media

Digital marketing for start-ups is more important than ever and many brands have failed due to poor social media strategies.

You should first identify your target audience and from there you can choose relevant social media sites, such as Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn. This will allow you to personalise your social channels to your ideal customers. Once you have created a business profile you should keep it up to date with the latest happenings relevant to your start-up. This could include promotions, services or ‘meet the team’ posts that help potential customers connect with your brand.

Social media also gives customers the opportunity to leave positive reviews which can increase your revenue. Studies have found that 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family above all other forms of advertising.

Consider direct mail campaigns

While everything seems to have gone online nowadays, 87% of people who receive direct mail have been influenced to purchase online. Furthermore, 86% of people have connected with a business online which suggests that this form of marketing can open the door to further brand engagement. For a start-up, engagement and conversation is key for your brand to grow.

There is a suggestion that physical mail connects to the audience at a more personal level and is much less likely to be discarded without being read (unlike an email that is easily deleted).