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Thanks to the internet, everybody has the opportunity to be their own boss. This means that everybody has a chance to discover the joys and challenges of running a business. One of the biggest challenges newer and smaller businesses face is simply getting noticed. If that sounds familiar, here are five tips to help.
Register for (local) business directories
As soon as your business is up and running, you absolutely must register for all relevant directories. In particular, you need to register for Google My Business and Bing Places for Business. This makes sure that Google and Bing know who you are, where you are, and what you do – so others can find YOU!
Work on your search engine optimization
These days, there’s simply no two ways around this. This means that your only options are to learn about SEO yourself or to get help from someone who does. Unless you really know what you’re doing, it’s a good idea to get help, at least in the early stages of your business. Once you’re more established, you might be fine taking it over as part of your other business tasks.
Get a logo made (and protected)
There are plenty of free online logo makers. If you’re really working on a tight budget, they could get you going. Once you get past the earliest stages, however, you should make it a priority to get a unique logo. Ideally, you should also get it legally protected. An effective logo instantly conveys your brand identity to both established and potential customers.
Reach out to local/trade media
There are basically two ways local/trade media can be useful to you. First, they’re obvious places to advertise. If you choose the right media, their user base is already highly pre-qualified. What’s more, their advertising rates will probably be SMB-friendly.
The other way local/trade media could be useful to you is by giving you free coverage. For this to happen, you would need to give them some kind of “hook” for their readers. This generally means some kind of compelling story and/or a special offer/competition/giveaway.
Special offers and competitions are great ways to showcase your product/service. It can, however, be difficult to make a widespread offer in a budget-friendly way. Giveaways raise awareness of your brand. They can often be more economical to run. The key is to choose a supplier with a wide range of products at affordable prices (e.g. dynamicgift.com.au).
Get active on social media
The smart way for new SMBs to use social media is to pick one platform as your “posting platform” but use other platforms as your “listening platforms”. In other words, focus all your financial budget and most of your time posting great content on one social media platform.
Be as active as possible in the community there. Like, share, and comment on other people’s content as well as your own. Remember, the name is “social media” not “sales-talk media”. Spend the rest of your “social-media time” on other platforms just listening to what people are saying there.
And remember Who your boss is and where your blessings come from…
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
Colossians 3:23 NLT