Starting a new business is very exciting, especially if you’ve dreamed about doing so for a long time. Once things get up and running, you need to ensure everyone knows about your services. Luckily, advertising startups can be easier than you think. From putting your logo on business card designs to hosting events, the name of your company can soon be on everyone’s lips. Read on for more insight about promoting your new company.
1. Utilize Social Media
If you understand how to work social media, you’ll have access to a huge network of potential clients. According to Oberlo, 4.89 billion people will use social media worldwide in 2023—a 6.5% increase from a year ago. One of the great things about using social media for advertising startups is the diversity of platforms available. You can switch between platforms depending on your preferred audience, the type of service you’re advertising, or the event you’re in. Remember, you have YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and of course the top one which is TikTok. You can use a variety of content across social media. Just remember to make sure it’s engaging and relevant for today’s audience. There’s a lot of competition on social media, so you need to make sure the work you put out stands out from the rest.
As mentioned, you can target your social media preference based on your audience. If your demographic is mostly business professionals, LinkedIn should be your top choice. If you’re focused on a younger crowd, your company may want to create a TikTok account. You can play it safe and utilize several or all social media platforms. Take any idea and repurpose the content across different networks. For example, you can create a video and post it on YouTube, but then take still shots from the video and post them on Twitter and Instagram.
You can always hire a social media manager to produce content to advertise across these platforms. Over time, you may realize that certain platforms work better than others for advertising startups and decide certain ones aren’t worth your time. From there, you can target your market marketing efforts accordingly. Maybe your clients mostly respond to long-form blog posts. They may prefer product demonstration videos. Make it easy for people to find you and include all of your social media handles in your promotions. You can only put so many things on your business card designs, but find a way to include your most popular social media handles.
2. Hire Influencers
There are some very successful people online making lots of money as social media influencers. Many people look to them for guidance in terms of what’s hot, the best services to use, clothing to buy, and more. So why not use them for advertising startups? According to Forbes, eighty-one percent of the Instagram users surveyed said they use the platform as a tool for researching products before buying. By finding the right influencer to show off your product or service, you can quickly amass more customers. However, you should be aware that all influencers aren’t created equally.
Before you bring on an influencer, check that their reputation and values align with your start-up. For example, if your startup prides itself on being eco-friendly, you may not want an influencer who is wasteful. If you specialize in vegan products, you probably don’t want an influencer who is always talking about chowing down on burgers and steaks. Plus, you must consider their audience. Is their audience the type of people you want as customers? Would they buy your product? Don’t waste your time, money, and energy associating your services with an influencer or group that will never end up being a real client in the future.
The best way to go about finding an influencer is by looking through the relevant social media platforms and seeing who’s popular. You can use relevant hashtags related to the type of business you have to narrow down your search. Find people who are very active in their field and would be eager to work with your service or product. After all, an influencer partnership must be beneficial to both people. Once you bring on an influencer, make sure they’re properly tagging their content with your hashtags when speaking about your product or service.
3. Identify Opportunities for Partnerships
While other businesses are competition, that doesn’t mean you can’t work together. Strategic partnerships can take your business to the next level. If another company has a larger presence in the market, it can also help you tap into those customers. Of course, a strategic partnership has to benefit both companies. That’s why it’s important to look for other startups or established businesses with complementary products, but not the same service. Some of the biggest names out there have mastered the art of successfully partnering with another large company in a way that benefits them both.
A great example of two companies with complementary products that manage great cross-advertising is Hershey’s Chocolate and Betty Crocker. Years ago, Betty Crocker paired up with Hershey to supply the chocolate syrup for their brownie recipe. It was a genius idea since Hershey’s already had a huge name and reputation as the top chocolate manufacturer, and Betty Crocker already had a name for baking mixes. That’s why you often see the label “Made with Hershey’s chocolate” on their boxes. Another example is Apple, which has partnerships with Mastercard. According to Hubspot, To get out ahead of its competition, MasterCard became the first credit card company to allow its users to store their credit and debit cards on Apple Pay. As a startup, you can do the same thing. For example, if you have a travel excursion company, you may want to pair up with a company that sells high-end luggage.
4. Do a Building Renovation
If you own the building your company is in, you could use a building renovation project to bring new life to your company and the general area. You can make updates, such as adding stylish and comfortable furniture in the lobby. Include access to free Wi-Fi and add TVs in the public area. Hire a landscaping professional to add trees, flowers, and a custom walkway. And of course, don’t forget to advertise your company with new signage. Make sure you display your business card designs and have a bunch out in the open for people to take.
A business in a more attractive physical environment can pull more customers off the street, especially with attractive signage. Call a local building contractor for two to get estimates on the ideal renovations you want. They can sit down with you and plan the best paving updates for safety, electrical upgrades, and more. Once the renovation is complete, your business can have a grand reopening and invite many people to an open house or party that can get your name out there.
5. Host an Event
A building renovation isn’t the only reason to host an event. With the right event space, you can promote your business in a fun way that can help build relationships in the community with other vendors, business partners, and potential customers. With the right budget, you could host weekly, monthly, or holiday events. These events can include open houses, so people can become familiar with what your company does. Using an event venue space for advertising startups can promote a new product launch. You can also have networking happy hours to build B2B business relationships. Your car wash is a great example of how to host a lively event. The local car wash may host an event for a promotion to bring in new customers or a fundraiser for charity.
6. Print on Demand
T-shirts won’t be going out of style anytime soon. According to Credence Research, the t-shirt industry is expected to be worth more than $10 billion by 2025. It’s never been easier to create and mass market your clothing for a specific event or as part of your marketing strategy thanks to a local t shirt printing service. It’s a perfect way for advertising startups, as you can use your company logo, slogan, or image of your main product.
Thanks to Print-on-demand, you don’t have to produce tons of shirts at one time. You could simply produce a small amount as needed for a particular event. You can have a company website where clients can buy a T-shirt that they want. In addition to T-shirts, you can sell caps, bags, pens, drinking items, and so on. As long as it has your logo or advertising on it, you can print it on demand for further advertising and revenue. You can incorporate t-shirts and other branded products into a social media campaign by giving discounts to people who wear the items and tag your company in a post. When they wear the shirts on the street, your startup name will get out there.
7. Use Custom Signs
While social media and other forms of technology have been great for advertising startups, it’s not the only way to do so. Traditional custom signs are still a great way to attract organic attention. Whether you have your company name on parking signage, a bold lit-up overhead sign, or large banners, you can easily catch the eye of pedestrians walking by who may want to stop in and see what your business is about. The great thing about custom signs is you don’t only have to place them in front of your business. You can place custom signs around the city in places such as trade shows or special events. If you’re making a charity donation, your company logo will also be featured on an event sign as well.
8. Utilize Email Marketing
If you’ve checked your e-mail lately, you probably realize that e-mail marketing is just as popular as ever before. From newsletters to personalized ads, e-mail is a great resource to directly connect with customers and continue building your advertising list. According to the Direct Marketing Association, this type of marketing yields an estimated 4,300 percent ROI. Using email for advertising startups and other businesses can offer a return of $44 for every dollar spent, says ExactTarget.
9. Get a Company Car
Did you know your car or truck rental isn’t just for transportation purposes? You can also use it to promote your business or event. Advertising startups can be fun and mobile thanks to vehicle wrapping. Take your company logo and use it to create a colorful advertisement as someone drives around the city. If you have the budget, you can rent or buy a few vehicles for this purpose. Who knows, you may even stop traffic with your company branding!
10. Make a Donation
While giving back is a great thing to do altruistically, the reality is many companies also do it as a promotion. When you donate to a charity, the organization will often acknowledge the company either in an advertisement or banner. This way of advertising startups makes your name more known while associating it with a good cause. If members of the community associate your brand with compassion and service, they may be more likely to utilize your services and products.
Even if your startup is too short on money to make a direct donation, it can still give back. Run a promotion in which you donate a dollar or percentage from every product sold. Members of your startup can volunteer their time instead of money for charity events like clothing drives, food drives, park cleanups, and more.
Once you’ve taken the time to create a business, you need to find ways to reach your audience. When it comes to advertising startups, you have several ways to get your name out there. Take advantage of T shirt print design, vehicle wrapping, charitable work, and more. If you need help promoting your new company, contact us for more information.