Just started a new business? Congratulations!
The first step after setting up your business is to promote it. If you don't have customers, you can't generate sales: it's an essential prerequisite for success! With increasing competition on every market, creating a solid customer base is a vital marketing and communication task.
Numerous solutions exist, both free and paid, without the need to blow your budget, but by using levers intelligently... To create some buzz around your brand, start by following these basic tips for building brand awareness and boosting your sales by multiplying your customer base!
Table of contents
- General public or specific target: What are the best ways to start promoting your brand?
- How can you promote your brand through its identity?
- Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.: How do you advertise (for free) with your social media networks?
- How do you create a winning digital marketing strategy for your company?
- How do you use online directories for small business promotion?
- Advertising, sales, reassurance, international: Why create an online store?
General public or specific target: What are the best ways to start promoting your brand?
Clearly understanding who your potential customers are is the best way to tailor your marketing strategy. That's why it's so important to define your target audience.
Determine who your customers are, locally and online
The first step in defining your target audience, especially if you're looking to increase awareness of your small business, is to carefully analyze your current customer base.
To do this, it's essential to identify demographic characteristics such as age, gender, level of education, geographic location, income, etc. Communication plays a key role in this process.
Why not exploit the data from your website and social media platforms to optimize your communications budget? After examining this data, you'll get a clear picture of who your most engaged visitors and followers are.
Many companies neglect this step, but this information is central to better understanding and targeting the people in your audience. By mastering this knowledge, you'll be able to tailor your communication strategy and promote your online store and business to a wider, more relevant audience.
Identify the needs and interests of your target audience
Before you start selling products or proposing your offers, you need to make sure that what you have to offer will perfectly match your target audience's expectations. This means asking yourself questions like: “What problems does your company solve for your customers? What are their desires and aspirations? What are their interests?”
To answer these questions, you can conduct research on your own, perform research via social media networks, or analyze your market, gathering information about competing businesses or the buying habits of your target consumers.
Find out about your market locally
To better understand your target audience, it's also important to consider the local context. Avoid relying solely on the internet! Analyze your local market to learn about and understand trends, preferences, and consumption habits specific to your region.
The market in your local community can provide you with more global information. If you own a physical store, you can focus on the demands of your local clientele and develop their requirements for online sales. Physical sales give you a good grasp of what's at stake and also give you the chance to talk directly to consumers about what you need to do to win them over time.
How can you promote your brand through its identity?
Think about creating a well-defined brand identity! You'll be able to stand out from the competition, pique the interest of potential customers, and generate an emotional connection with your target audience.
Develop your logo and a unique visual identity
The logo is the central visual element of a brand identity. It must be unique, memorable, and representative of the essence of your company.
If you don't feel like an artist, call in a professional designer. They'll be delighted to illustrate the message you want to convey!
For smaller budgets and those with an artistic bent, online tools exist to create a logo in just a few clicks: such is the case with the giant Canva, which offers pre-integrated templates that you can customize to suit your desires.
The next step in visual creation is to develop your complete visual identity, choosing colors, typography, and graphic elements in keeping with your brand image. Follow your tastes and instincts, ask the opinions of friends and future customers, and draw inspiration from existing brands to create an identity that will blend perfectly with your target market.
Promote your values with a strong slogan
A slogan is another way of promoting a company's values. Think about what makes your company special and what you want to communicate to your customers... Focus on positive emotions in consumers' minds.
Creating a powerful slogan is a key part of building a brand and starts with understanding your brand’s core values and unique selling proposition. Keep it concise and memorable, using vivid language that resonates with your audience. Test different versions to see which evokes the strongest emotional response and aligns best with your brand identity.
If you're feeling stuck and lacking inspiration for your slogan, never fear! Today, there are numerous free tools available to assist you with this.
And if you're using the WiziShop ecommerce platform for your store, you'll have access to a great AI feature that allows you to generate all kinds of text content in flash, including your slogan!
Simply add the name of your website along with your niche, and the tool will give you 10 slogan ideas from which to choose. Pick your favorite, and you're all set.
Define a consistent brand voice
Brand voice refers to the company's personality and tone of communication. Do you want to be friendly and relaxed, or more formal and professional? Adopt a tone that matches your company and your industry. You obviously won't speak in the same way to an audience of teenagers as you would to the managers of a small business...
To get the word out about your company, it's essential to communicate consistently across all communication channels. Don't be all over the place with how you communicate: use your visual identity, your slogan, and your brand voice across all your media!
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.: How do you advertise (for free) with your social media networks?
Over the years, social media platforms have become essential and extremely powerful communication tools for promoting a business or a brand. They're now at the heart of many companies' strategies, whether they're large organizations or small startups. Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube... Each network offers its own best ways of reaching your target audience without requiring a large budget.
What's more, going viral on any of these networks can bring you immediate exposure!
Most basic actions on these platforms are free, although some companies choose to invest in advertising campaigns to maximize their reach. By integrating social media networks into your communication plan, you can not only promote your products but also organize events, strengthen your professional network, and interact directly with your customers.
Ignoring these means would be a mistake for any marketer or business owner wishing to broaden their visibility and strengthen their promotional actions. It would be a mistake not to use them to promote your business and your products!
Source: LEGO
Choose the right social media networks for your target audience
Not all social media platforms are designed for the same purpose: choosing the platforms that best match your target audience is central to any business. Do your research to understand which social media networks your audience is most active on.
For example, if you're targeting a younger audience, Instagram or TikTok may be more relevant, while LinkedIn will be more suited to a professional audience. Don't spread yourself too thin: there's no point in appearing on every social media network at once.
Create engaging content around your professional activity
To attract the attention of your target audience on social media networks, create and post engaging content. Share tips, useful information, customer testimonials, tutorials, case studies, and more. Use qualitative images and attractive videos.
Remember to promote your expertise and added value! Users will be interested in your content and will want to learn more about your company—crucial for great ecommerce content marketing.
Interact with your audience to build loyalty
Interacting with the people in your audience is essential to building lasting relationships and retaining your subscribers. Respond to comments on the posts you share, direct messages, and mentions, and show your gratitude to those who interact with your content.
Encourage discussion, ask questions, create polls... Remember that loyal customers are more likely to recommend your company to others.
How do you create a winning digital marketing strategy for your company?
You don't become a superstar digital marketer overnight... So, to maximize your visibility and reach your audience, let me give you a few tips.
SEO: Optimize your website and blog for search engines
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the key to improving your website's visibility in search results. To boost your rankings, research relevant keywords and integrate them strategically into your content.
Make sure that your website is ergonomic, with appropriate tags, and has a fast loading time. Create well-thought-out content, and, if possible, obtain qualitative links from other websites: you'll be able to improve your search engine rankings.
Create your Google Business Profile listing for local promotion
Google Business Profile is a powerful tool for promoting your business locally. So don't forget to create your Google Business Profile listing, providing precise information such as your address, opening hours, telephone number, attractive photos, etc.
This will enable your business to appear in local search results and on Google Maps. It's one of the best ways to reach local customers!
Use email and SMS marketing
Both email and SMS marketing are highly effective direct marketing techniques for communicating with existing and potential customers. To use them, enrich your customer file with your customers' contact information, e.g., email addresses and telephone numbers. This will enable you to send newsletters, special offers, new product announcements, or appointment reminders.
Better still: consider personalizing your messages according to the interests and preferences of your recipients. This will further increase engagement and conversion. Use these means of communication in subtle ways to create commercial events (flash sales, private sales, anniversaries...).
Create loyalty programs and competitions
Loyalty programs and competitions are highly effective business tools for encouraging customer commitment and promoting a company. In today's fiercely competitive environment, it's vital for businesses to stand out from the crowd by offering perfect services and content. Special events, organized for online customer communities, can strengthen this bond of loyalty.
Offer special rewards, exclusive discounts or advantages to your loyal customers... Organize contests on social media networks or on your website. These levers, along with the power of networks, are designed to attract new customers, encourage community participation or referrals, and thus expand your community for free.
Farmacy Beauty's rewards program
By integrating these elements into your strategy, you'll find that you can help build loyalty among your existing customers, as well as attract new ones thanks to content and services highlighted for your prospects.
Use online advertising as part of your communication plan
Online advertising is a powerful tool that offers companies the opportunity to present their services and content to a wider, more diverse audience. By leveraging advertising platforms such as Google Ads and Facebook Ads, you can promote your new business and improve the rankings of your web pages or site.
However, to guarantee the effectiveness of your campaigns and maximize the benefits of this strategy, it's essential to create content for your ads that's tailored to your target audience. This requires a thorough understanding of their needs and preferences.
With a well-defined budget, you can allocate your resources efficiently to maximize ROI. Regularly monitor the results of your advertising campaigns: analyze the data, identify trends and adjust your strategies based on your performance. By continually refining your tactics and adapting your content, you'll gradually optimize your advertising investments, ensuring that your services and products reach the right audience at the right time!
How do you use online directories for small business promotion?
Online directories are a small business's best friend! This advertising method can boost your visibility, helping people find you in just a few clicks.
Whether it's a local foodie searching for a new café or someone in need of a plumber, these digital listings put businesses on the map—literally and figuratively. Plus, they enhance your SEO, making it easier for your new business to shine on search engines. It's like having a digital megaphone that says, "Hey, check us out!"
Post listings on directory websites to promote your products or services
We've already talked about creating a Google Business Profile listing, but there are additional big-name directory websites that can help you attract massive traffic, giving your business a chance to sparkle in front of a large audience. They're the high streets of the digital world, where credibility soars just by association, and search engines like Google love them, boosting your SEO sky high.
Furthermore, the ripple effect means your details will get picked up by smaller directories too, spreading your name far and wide without extra effort.
Some top directories to consider are the following:
- Yelp
- Bing Places
- TripAdvisor (if applicable)
- Yellow Pages
- Glassdoor
These platforms are proven powerhouses for increasing visibility and trust—essential ingredients for growing your business!
Optimize your business listings
Optimizing your business listings on online directories is crucial. The benefits of well-crafted listings include increasing your visibility and gaining customers online by ensuring you show up in relevant searches. Here’s how to make your listings sparkle:
- Consistency is key: Keep your business name, address, and phone number uniform across all directories.
- Details matter: Fill out every field in your profile; more information builds trust and engagement.
- Keywords count: Use relevant keywords in your business description to boost SEO.
- Visual appeal: Add high-quality photos to stand out.
- Gather reviews: Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews to enhance your reputation and attract new clients. (See more about this tip in the next step!)
By following these tips, you'll maximize your directory presence and pull ahead of the competition.
Obtain online reviews from your customers
As promised, we'll now go into more detail as to the benefits of obtaining customer reviews for directory websites and how to go about doing so.
These online reviews serve as personal endorsements that boost your business's credibility and allure. Working as digital word-of-mouth marketing, glowing reviews can significantly enhance your reputation, making your business a go-to in the eyes of potential customers.
They also increase engagement, encouraging others to leave their feedback, creating a cycle of trust and visibility. Moreover, reviews can boost your SEO, helping your business rank higher in search results.
Note that although it's still a good idea to post testimonials on your websites, many people tend to place more trust in reviews displayed on official directory sites. This is due to the fact that online directories often have established systems to avoid fake or spam reviews from showing up.
Keep an eye on your listings and provide responses
Once your business listings are complete and start gathering customer reviews, you're all set, right? Not exactly... In order to make the most of your listings on directory sites, you'll need to keep an eye on them and respond to any reviews you receive, be they positive or negative.
Responding to negative reviews on online directories is crucial for maintaining a positive business image. It shows you value customer feedback and are committed to improving. Always answer professionally and calmly, acknowledging the issue and expressing your willingness to resolve it.
In addition, be sure to offer a solution or invite the reviewer to discuss the matter privately. This approach not only potentially appeases the dissatisfied customer but also assures prospective customers of your proactive customer service.
That being said, negative reviews aren't the only ones that merit responses from you... It's important to respond to positive reviews as well!
This will reinforce your engagement and appreciation for customer feedback. A simple, heartfelt thank you acknowledges the reviewer’s effort and boosts their loyalty.
Additionally, you can personalize your response by commenting on specific aspects they enjoyed; this is not only going to delight the reviewer but also highlight your business’s strengths to prospective customers. Engaging with positive reviews builds a positive online presence and encourages more customers to share their experiences.
Advertising, sales, reassurance, international: Why create an online store?
Who says your company's reputation has to be limited to your own town or region? Businesses have every interest in extending their visibility far beyond local borders. With the internet, the potential for visibility is endless, and a great ecommerce solution can be the ideal springboard to propel your business into the limelight.
If you're lucky enough to sell products that can be marketed online, it would be a shame not to exploit this opportunity. By integrating an ecommerce platform into your strategy, you can not only offer your customers a smooth and enjoyable user experience but also optimize your online store's SEO.
In addition, you can create your own corporate blog posts with SEO in mind to help increase visibility of your blog and boost your sales. Well-structured, relevant content, combined with intuitive navigation, will help you hold visitors' attention and convert them into loyal customers!
With a well-allocated budget for online promotion, you can showcase your products and services, attracting an ever-growing audience. Promoting your business is not just about advertising: it also encompasses the user experience, which is just as important in building long-term customer loyalty.
A well-designed ecommerce site that puts the user at the heart of its strategy guarantees sales, as well as your legitimacy over time for ever more intrigued buyers. And positive customer reviews will be your passport to prosperity!
With the web, you can conquer an unlimited audience thanks to your communication, your network of loyal customers, and unlimited hours of operation. By implementing a solid ecommerce strategy, enhancing your content and offering a quality user experience, you position your company as an indispensable player in your target market.
To help you create your ecommerce site, today there are specific, highly intuitive platforms. WiziShop, for example, will enable you to create your online store in record time. With us, you can design a website that reflects your image, with ease!
The WiziShop platform boasts over 400 ecommerce features, 50 SEO optimizations, free training, your own blog included, personalized support from our professional ecommerce Business Coaches, automatic text generation AI trained for online sales... In short, all the ingredients to make your ecommerce business a commercial success that will place you in the hearts of your prospective customers from the moment your store is created!
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