For many people, starting a business can be a stressful and overwhelming undertaking. Well, this is especially true for those who want to not just start a business, but start a business that will succeed! More often than not, however, this is only the start of a bigger and more involving responsibility. The real challenges come in keeping the business running, enough to see it grow and expand over time.
Now, if you started your business with a target of a national audience in mind, it can be even tougher for you. This is because, obviously, satisfying a larger demographic is more challenging compared to serving the best coffee in your local area. This is just an example, but it is safe to assume that you get the point. Regional or nationwide expansion requires a more strategic approach.
Of course, you must have sat down and discovered a loophole in the national market. You must have done some research and thought of ways your business could profit from a larger audience around the nation. Perhaps you even have a website for your business, a GBM page, and a considerable online presence. Whichever the case, your success in expanding your business will depend on how well you promote your brand. With this having been said, here are some tips on how to promote awareness of your business nationwide.
Leverage The Power Of Pr
Well, public relations as we know it, is quite a lengthy topic. It encompasses a wide range of strategies meant to promote brand awareness. Nonetheless, it is specifically crucial for expanding businesses, and nothing spreads the word better than a press release. A press release clearly communicates your message and intentions as a business, letting your audience know that you are getting closer to them.
However, press releases are only effective in brand promotion when created professionally and distributed through channels that make them more accessible to the intended audience. As per the folks from eReleases.com, having your press release promoted by professionals can make all the difference. Your press release is edited to make it more attractive to your audience and distributed through various channels to put the word out there more effectively. The professionals have great connections with popular journalists, media stations, radio, TV, and influential bloggers.
They also have a network of online marketing pros to ensure maximum viewership of your PR message. With this kind of exposure, brand awareness becomes way much easier, and you’ll be reaching an exponential amount of people in just a short while. It could cost you quite a bit, but your investment will be all worth it as long as you pick the right promoter.
Ensure Heavy Social Media Presence
Social media platforms have become the number one-stop for upcoming businesses aiming to thrive and introduce their brand and products to the world. Setting up eye-catching profiles is the ultimate goal. Captivating logos and profile display ensure the client is motivated to click in and explore. With the awareness and easy use of the Facebook platform, businesses can make themselves known and open to millions of people without requiring a physical location. Putting out good, relevant content and using quality photos of what products your brand represents is one way to announce your presence. The best part is that parading your items is not limited to just photos. You can use captivating videos and engaging illustrations as well to maximize your outreach. Tagging friends and making the content shareable with other people help create faster growth and awareness of your business.
Tweeting, re-tweeting, and quoting tweets is also a great way to earn an audience. Be active, interactive, and sensitive to your followers. Always appreciate by replying to questions, leaving comments, and liking their comments on IG. It makes them feel appreciated, and they will come back more and more, keeping the page active. Before you even think of expanding, ensure a heavy presence on at least the following social sites.
- Tweeter
- YouTube
Participation In Brand Partnerships
As times change, our eyes open wider, and we can see things from a different angle. New technologies are always being invented, and trends are always changing. Off late, businesses have been using other brands and influencers to profit and build a name for their business. Many entrepreneurs invest in and get partnerships from expos and events such as us:
- Workshops
- Sporting events
- Music concerts
- Charity events
As a business owner, they help you in networking, brainstorming ideas, establishing professional connections, and expanding your horizons. Most importantly, they are a rich source of partnerships that could help showcase and advertise your brand to a larger audience.
Paying For Ads
As mentioned earlier, for you to get returns in your business, you have to be willing to spend wisely. In this case, when we talk about advertisements, we are referring to various fronts, including social media, online forums, blogs, web marketing, SEM, and so forth. Newspaper, magazine, radio, and TV commercials should also not be ignored as far as you can afford it. You just have to think about your priorities and identify the platforms that carry more of your target audience.
Advertisements can be a very great way to reach a large number of people at once. The good thing is they go from TV commercials to radio mentions and publishing of fliers. Ideally, radio, print media, and TV adverts are usually a bit costly, even though they could be worth the effort considering their multitude of coverage compared to social media and online ads where the older demographic, for instance, may not be quite active.
On the other hand, social media platforms like Facebook have an advert option that is flexible to suit your financial state. Spending a few coins on a fifteen-second advert whenever users access a web page or content can give you good publicity. It will reach a wide range of audiences who will have a chance to be your next clients. You could also consider advertising on YouTube, which is the world’s current internet giant search engine for all things video. In addition to the offline and online ads mentioned above, other types of ads you can invest in may include:
- Directories
- Banners, billboards, and signs
- Email ads
- Direct mail (a bit cumbersome)
- At exhibitions and trade shows
- Search engine optimization
Product Reviews By Influencer
Who knew that social media would employ people 20 years ago? Instagram has taken over, and the influence there is overwhelming. It is not a new thing to see influencers being sent for products as gifts and PR packages. That is the new norm in business nowadays. By sending them a free package, they are supposed to show their followers, and that will automatically get several people interested in the product. Normally, the gift may be a loss in your business, but it comes with an overwhelming response. The good thing is, being an influencer and a content creator comes with money bags. For instance, YouTubers are a perfect example of people you can collaborate with to help you market your products. They are a great choice because of the multitude of followers.
Partnering with great and renowned content marketers and influencers can be a great way to get the word out there. You can consider gifting some of them with one or some of your products for them to review, for instance. This can be a great way to spark off a good relationship, which could help promote your brand exposure by a few times over.
This is based on the fact that many consumers out there consider celebrities and successful people as their role models and mentors. Just a photo or video of a celebrity holding one of your products on IG or Facebook could be enough for that product (or service) to go viral. If the influencer goes the extra mile to type in some words and give a positive vibe about the brand, then your marketing efforts will soar to a whole new level. This is not to forget that consumers are curious about the lifestyles of their favorite celebs and role models. They want to wear, eat, and sleep on what their iconic figures use. They want to experience a taste of the stellar, elite, and popular figures in their lives. These are just a few of the many reasons why influencer reviews go a long way in branding and marketing.
Do Free Giveaways
The best things in life are free, they say, and we love free things for sure. Who doesn’t like them, especially from this generation that allegedly doesn’t like to break a sweat? We are more likely to shop for a “buy one, get one free” offer than a product with no offer. Using your social media platform to give your followers a challenge related to your products is a good opportunity for a free giveaway to the winner. You can involve them in your timelines by initiating interactions with your followers. This motivates or encourages more people to pay attention to your account activities and get involved in what you post.
You can use questionnaires or even post a video and ask them to challenge you. For some, the insatiable urge to win will definitely make them participate. When you get the time, you can do live videos to talk to your fans and followers one on one. Allow them to ask questions and play along. In the course of your live video, you can use the time to show your products and push for their sales. You can do it on a discounted offer, which will pull buyers. You can use all the best ventures to make sure that you get the best out of your business. You can go to any extent that you ensure that your business flourishes.
We have seen several influencers asking you to mention two or three friends so that you get a chance to get to the draw. That should be the same thing you should do to your business. The friends mentioned will like and most likely will go through your page to have an idea of what your business is all about. That is a slow but sure way to make sure that your business territories are growing and reach a wider audience.
Provide Great Customer Care
Businesses are out here to make money, but we have all encountered a business that does not have the best customer service. And after that, we swore never to go back again! Nobody wants to pay for a service you will not love. Good customer service is mandatory, and that is what makes a business thrive even more. We have found ourselves going back to the same place for years because you felt appreciated as a client. What is the point of having great products but poor customer interaction? We have gone the extra mile of maybe paying a higher price, paid for delivery, and waited a little longer to feel that you have been appreciated for your efforts as a client.
As the saying goes, the client is the boss. They have the right to choose what, where, and why they should shop from. Businesses rely on clients for them to remain relevant in business. Giving the client great service is the best way to make other people more aware of your business. They will mention your business when they post your products, and they will recommend other people to shop from you. It’s the little things that count. So, before you take longer strides as a business to satisfy your customers, make sure that you offer the best service to them to stick around and tag a friend along.
You can also win their attention by making follow-ups about the kind of experience they get from your business. Ask them to share their opinions and suggestions on how to improve your services as a business. Showing your client that you care about their concerns and requests will help you grow as a business.
Expanding a business to a national or regional scale doesn’t come without a fair share of challenges. However, these are challenges you can easily navigate with the right approach. If you want your business to gain nationwide awareness, the following tips will hopefully help you out.
