Running
your own business isn’t easy. It normally involves a limited budget, a bold
idea, and possibly an untapped market. Whether you’re working in tech,
marketing, or the like, taking your startup from inception to successful is
bound to be a challenge. If you’re already familiar with this struggle, you’re
likely desperate for tips to help your startup get noticed fast.
Lucky for you, we’ve got some tips that can help you generate more leads, build your services, and ultimately,
help you pull in more profit.
1- Focus on Your Online Presence
From
shopping for holiday to finding local car mechanics or a new restaurant, just
about every buyer’s journey begins online. What this means for you is that you should
be focusing most of your brand-building efforts on your digital resources.
There are many different ways you can do this.
- Hire a local SEO company to evaluate your presence on Google and other search results. SEO is a strategy that’s used to optimize how your business appears online which can inherently lead to more traffic on your website.
- Use a social media scheduling software to help you build more authority on social media websites, which can increase your audience and help you spread the word about your business.
- Set up your Google My Business account to ensure that your business’ location can easily be found online. Provide essential information like your business hours and phone number so that potential clients and prospective talent can contact you without issue.
2- Treat Your Employees as Your Best Asset
One
of the most unique things about startups is the close-knit culture. Whether
your team is a small-but-mighty crew of five or a lively group of fifty, you’re
going to be highly dependent on your staff to boost your business. Here are a
few tips to help:
- Incentivize your staff
to refer clients by offering bonuses, extra time off, or other prizes when a
client signs a contract. - Encourage team members
to attend workshops and local networking events to help spread the word about your
services and employment opportunities. - Invest in custom business cards for each member on your staff (not just
sales). You never know who you’re going to meet!
3- Build Partnerships with Local Businesses
Another
way to draw attention to your local business—no matter what industry you’re
in—is to build partnerships with your neighbors! Many startups build their
primary customer base on referrals alone, so make it a point to support other
local businesses and they’ll likely do the same for you.
4- Keep up With Your Leads and Contact List
If
you’ve already built up a list of contacts, congrats! That’s half the battle!
The other half? Keeping communication consistent with them. Whether it’s a
“Happy Holidays” email or a message to update them on a project status, making
sure your contacts feel appreciated is a must! With that said, you definitely
don’t want to overwhelm them.
Stick to a schedule, whether it’s monthly or weekly (for warm
leads) and always make sure you provide them with the option to “opt out” of
your messages. While you’d hate to see them go, it’s part of legislation
instated by the CAN-SPAM act, meaning that you’re legally obligated to do so.
When crafting your marketing emails, remember that the ones that are most
successful are those that are informative, newsworthy, unique, and helpful!
Whether you provide a helpful tip or talk about industry-level changes that
affect your contacts, make sure you’re hitting at least one of these marks.
5- Become a Resource in Your Industry
As
we mentioned before, being a helpful resource to your customers and contacts is
essential to your success as a startup. But it’s also important to act as a
resource for others in your industry. Whether you connect via email, host
workshops, or offer internships, there are plenty of ways you can become a
thought leader in your vertical. How this helps you: good press! If your peers
think you’re a good resource, potential customers will likely hear this
positive feedback, too.
Final
notes
Launching
a startup can be seriously challenging; but building your client base can be an even bigger mountain to
climb. Use these tips to help you navigate startup life and start boosting your
business today.
