Creating a name for your company and increasing awareness of your offering are two crucial steps to building a positive image in the public’s eye. Regardless of the size of your business, if your customers do not know your business’s name or location, it will take a longer period of time for your business to grow. Grand openings are a fantastic tool to help launch your business into the public eye, but what you may not know is that there are four additional tools you can leverage to execute a door-busting business launch.
Launching a new business isn’t just about getting customers into the door; rather, it is about convincing them to come back repeatedly. Here are five ways to propel your business into the public eye and drive reoccurring foot traffic:
- Grand Openings- Grand openings are a momentous occasion for a new business as they offer the public a chance to experience new offerings in their area. Inviting the public to attend such events leverages marketing tactics to bring awareness that may otherwise go unearned. A successfully executed grand opening ensures that the local community has a reason to try something new.
- Newspaper Publications- Even with paper-products disappearing from our daily lives, newspapers remain highly relevant and function as a far-reaching public bulletin board to announce the latest news for the region. With steady readership, purchasing an ad or covered story in a local or regional paper can help spread the word about a new location opening. The best part about newspapers? Readers can easily cut out and save the pieces that interest them- ensuring that your announcement serves as a salient reminder to check out what is new and local.
- Television Appearances- TV exposure is beneficial for your new business as it affords a targeted, broad reach in addition to offering the authority that comes with appearing on television. Rather than paying for advertisements, focus your efforts on reserving airtime on local news segments that highlight small to medium-sized businesses similar to yours.
- Partnerships- Just at the old saying goes: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. Occasionally, launching a new product or service requires support from similar companies already in the area. By partnering with a well-established company (not a direct competitor, of course!), you can leverage knowledge of the market and existing relationships with local customers. Successful partnerships are the product of bringing together complimentary services (for example between apparel and shoe stores) that share “the same” customers. Sharing a target consumer base ensures that great co-marketing and promotional opportunities are on the horizon.
- Social Media (a.k.a. buzz marketing)– Perhaps one of the best uses of social media in launching a new business is not actually the targeted advertisements and information pages (although these represent two other valuable digital marketing strategies), but rather the buzz that can spread like wildfire through customer’s own social media posts. As long as you take care in the image that you create for your business in the public’s eye, you can leverage the power of social media to drive buzz and attention.
Building a business from scratch or expanding an existing operation can be stressful and challenging. The Image Marketing Consultants team is staffed by public relations, marketing, and event planning experts to help reduce worry and guide you throughout the journey. If you are interested in introducing your business to your community on a grand scale, reach out today to schedule a 15-minute call with one of our strategists.