Marketing: Where Should New Companies Start?

Marketing: Where Should New Companies Start?

As a new business, you know that you have to put your name out there and market yourself, but it isn’t always clear which steps you should take to promote your new business. Between Twitter, Facebook and other social networks, people share information in a myriad of ways. So, where should you start when devising a marketing strategy for your new company?

Identify the Value of Marketing

Marketing is looked down upon by many as an expense rather than an opportunity for client and customer outreach. Yes, the initial cost for a marketing team may daunt you if you’re a small business owner, but the payoff is worth the investment. An efficient marketing team greatly expands the outreach of your business and gains the attention of potential customers and clients. With the information you gather from your first marketing campaign, you’ll also learn how your business can better reach your target client base by understanding their needs.

Develop a 90-Day Marketing Plan

When you’re part of a startup, most of your clients or customers are local. Start with a 90-day marketing plan. This plan can be as simple as you want, or a more complex one that lays the groundwork for later installments. First, set clear objectives. This could mean reaching out to other companies in the area who offer products or services that compliement your own. Discuss with your marketing director who your target audience is. For instance, if you’re a home and garden business, consider local landscapers. Visit headquarters of businesses that may need your services, or if you deal directly with customers, take out an ad in the local paper, put posters up around town and hold a grand opening.

Within this 90-day plan, lay the groundwork for expansion. Use social networks, collaborative services and statistics. Have your marketing team start Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts. If there are other social network platforms you think are appropriate and relevant for you company, such as a blog, include them as well.

Use the Right Tools

As your company grows, collaborative projects will be key. Find a cloud storage service that your employees can use to share digital files and documents. Mediafire, for instance, has a simple interface anyone can learn in minutes. It also has free and premium options, and users sign in with a SSL encryption password for security.

As your social media garners interest, use statistics and analytics tools, so you know which tweets and posts get the most attention. Google Analytics syncs with any blog or website and can show you how many people visit your site, where they come from on the Internet, how long they spend on your website and what they look at. For your social networks, utilize a planner such as HootSuite or Buffer. These services sync with all your social network accounts, so you can post to many social networks at once. You can also schedule posts and tweets for publication. This cuts down on the time spent on social networks.