Is Your New Business Ready for its Debut?
The new year is almost upon us. Is your new year’s resolution to start a new business? Have you always dreamed of being a kick-ass entrepreneur that blows the competition out of the water? Are you sitting on a collection of products that is sure to become an overnight success, make the top of everyone’s must-have lists, and be worn/used/sipped/eaten by famous celebrities? Congratulations! You have the drive. Now let’s get back down to reality. If you’re planning on starting a new business and you’re still ironing out the details, here are some new business new year’s resolutions to get started on the right track.
Dress Up Your Business with Beautiful Branding
Ever wonder why grocery store no-name brands have never put their name brand counterparts out of business even though they offer the same thing at a cheaper price? It’s because no matter how much we hate to admit it, we tend to judge a book by its cover. The visually appealing draws us in and maintains our interest. When it comes to the success and reputation of a business, branding is the most important thing. How do you build a beautiful brand? For starters, unless your new business is a graphic design and marketing firm, hire a professional. Branding firms, are built up of talented designers and industry connoisseurs that will take your company and give it a visual identity. And since your company won’t survive without social media, branding is crucial for your online profiles. Want more proof that building a strong brand from the get-go is the most important investment your new business will make?
Being Discoverable Starts with Digital Marketing
If you’re a brand-spanking new, pre-launch business, you may not have decided to take the plunge of opening a brick and mortar store. Understandable. Amazon just declared 2016 as its most successful year, with over a billion products shipped this holiday. The popularity of online shopping has put countless stores out of business. So, you’ve got the brand. But what’s the point of spending your time and money on a beautiful logo and design if no one will see it? The key, my friend, is digital marketing and responsive web design. Search engine optimization and proper website building go hand-in-hand. Showing up on page one of a search result is only possible by implementing and maintaining current SEO strategies. It’s not enough to have a beautifully designed website. Digital marketing requires a lot of moving parts, and maintaining your site while regularly producing fresh content is practically a full-time job. But since SEO requirements are always changing, hiring a digital marketing firm to implement up-to-date search engine.
Gain Attraction with Social Media
So now that you have your beautiful brand and a responsive, cross-platform website to match, your next step is to generate followers. There are many ways to go about this, but most companies agree that social media advertising is a low-cost solution with a proven ROI. Social media platforms are powerful tools, but it’s important to maintain your account and to engage with your new and potential customers. In other words, people don’t respond to automated posts. They want to know there’s a human behind the company. Statistically, 25% of people viewing social media ads wind up on business websites. That’s a huge number. This year, social media ad spending reached a peak because it’s been proven that users are positively responding to paid ads. To get the attention of billions of users, engage socially with them on as many platforms that make sense. If you play the social media game right, your followers will come to you naturally.
Ready For the Ball to Drop?
As the new year approaches, we’re constantly looking forward to the 365 days ahead. Before the clock even strikes midnight, we decide what our new year is going to look like. Personally and professionally, our intentions are pretty much always the same: to make the new year the best year yet. If your new year’s resolution is to launch your new business, then start with your best foot forward. If you have a great product or service and a dedicated team of go-getters, then you’re halfway there. Start January off with a bang by hiring a professional branding and digital marketing firm.
