7 ways to promote your small business that you haven’t tried yet

According to the Global Entrepreneurship Index, the world hit 52% of its entrepreneurial capacity in 2014. This is the delicate ecosystem of small businesses that continues to grow and thrive every single year.

What does this mean for your small business?

In terms of getting noticed, standing out from the crowd may become an increasingly difficult challenge. But, this doesn’t mean that it’s impossible.

As an entrepreneur, you are creative. Therefore, we’ve given you some ideas of how to promote your small business in Hertfordshire that you probably haven’t tried yet.

All you have to do is give each idea a personal touch!

Online demos

Photo: Sketchport

Whilst your budget may not stretch to the thousands of pounds paid for television and radio advertising, the internet has made it possible for the start-up owner to promote their business for a fraction of the price.

Having a company-specific YouTube channel is already a good step for digital marketing – especially if it’s linked up to your Google+ page too – however the real challenge is creating engaging content.

It costs nothing to upload a video, but the return could be phenomenal if your video was to go viral, potentially reaching millions of people worldwide.

Embrace the freebie

The lure of a ‘free gift’ is often enough to peak the interest of the public, as well as getting your brand noticed. Even better is that gifts don’t need to be extravagant. In fact, your brand is more likely to be remembered if the gift is funny, than if it is expensive.

Gifts aren’t the only thing you can give away, as you can also share your knowledge! Free workshops and seminars, whether these are given to customers or fellow business leaders, will make sure your reputation as an industry authority is upheld.

Giveaways – both items and knowledge – can be given online to keep costs down.

Become a blogger

If blogging isn’t already part of your digital marketing strategy, then you’ve been missing a trick. Whilst this concept isn’t new, it’s often the case that startups don’t have the time or resources to keep up with a regular blog.

However, with search engine rankings at stake, as well as promoting your wider brand, a company blog is worth the time and effort. Combined with a well-implemented social media strategy, the leads will roll in.

Offer a holistic package

Do you now of a non-competing business whose ethos fits yours? Teaming up to offer a package deal for both of your sets of customers could give the edge against your competitors.

Customers love to feel as if they are getting value for money, and if it makes getting to their final destination with less effort a possibility, there will surely be interest.

For you, this means you will have access to a new stream of customers, as well as other connections, whilst possibly getting one up on the competition.

Photo: Flickr

Be the awards

Of course you want your business to win industry awards, but have you ever considered sponsoring them?

Annual award shows give you the opportunity to get your brand out there by becoming a sponsor, as well as networking with the wider industry. Plus these events regularly gain column inches, so you’ll be picking up free publicity too!

An added bonus is that by associating your name with well-known awards, you automatically become a trusted name for the customer.

Use smartphone technology

In 2014, app analytics provider Flurry reported that app usage on smartphones continued to grow, to the detriment of mobile web.

With this in mind, if your business would lend itself well to an app platform, why not invest in the development of one?

Incorporate buzzwords

Embracing current trends and popular culture could be the way that your company breaks through a marketing dead end. This means looking outside your own industry and doing some research into what is going on in the wider world.

Ever heard of a selfie? Not up to date on the latest superfood? Getting the lowdown on what is trending could earn you serious points with potential customers.

These are just a few ways you can get started with alternative marketing strategies.

All it really takes is a little inspiration and some thinking out of the box to come up with new and innovative ways to get the word out about your business and what you have to offer.

The real importance comes with injecting the same passion you have for your business into your marketing. For more information on how to translate that into progress, get in touch with our business consultants in Hertfordshire and we’d be happy to help.