How to Promote Your Business

When you have a sizeable marketing budget to spend, it seems easy to know how to promote your business.

But for start-ups, small businesses, and entrepreneurs with limited capital, how do they get their names and ideas out there?

Self-promotion can be a valuable tool for those without big marketing budgets. Use every opportunity to talk about your company and optimise every platform to your advantage.

When you are promoting on a shoestring, it is all about attracting attention, engagement, and traffic.

Talk Yourself Up

The advent of social media marketing means there are more opportunities than ever to shout about your business. However, there’s also much more noise and competition for the customers’ attention.

Whether you have a marketing budget or not, there is a simple truth. If you don’t tell your story, it is unlikely anyone else will.

When you see a high street name shown in a positive light in a mainstream media new story, it isn’t by chance.

The big brands get their names in the traditional media by employing PR and marketing experts to push their stories. They find new angles and creative ways to generate air time and column inches that promote the business.

Smaller businesses and new entrepreneurs are unlikely to have the money or the contacts to achieve this themselves.

So, when you wonder how to promote your business, use the avenues that are open to you.

You probably have a website; write regular ‘blog’ content that not only tells your story and what you do, but is also search engine optimised so your business starts getting ranked on Google searches.

You probably have social media profiles; use them to share engaging, informative, and entertaining posts about your business. Even with a small budget, effectively targeted advertising on key social media platforms is achievable. Do your research first, so you know the best platform for reaching your target audience, the type of content that people engage with there, and the best times to share content.

You probably know what you are talking about; volunteer to contribute articles and commentary to websites, podcasts, TV and radio stations, newspapers and magazines – in fact, anything with a relevant audience. Most news providers, especially in the digital space, need new, quick, and regular content to compete. Use that to your advantage; they get the content they need, you and your business get the promotion.

You probably get invited to conferences, exhibitions, and corporate events; stop saying no, thinking it is a waste of your time. This is about networking. Go along, shake some hands, introduce yourself, explain what you do, and make some contacts. When you get home, follow up on those meetings with a friendly ‘nice to meet you’ email or phone call. Yes, you may spend many fruitless hours at dull events meeting people who will never use your business. But, equally, you may make a handful of contacts who will become customers or refer others to you.

Comfort Zone

There are many more self-promotion ideas we could discuss, but one thing they all have in common is getting ‘out there’.

For most, this means pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. You know your business inside and out and excel in your industry. You may feel less confident pushing yourself into the public arena of social and traditional media, but that’s what it takes to share your business story with a bigger audience.

You will learn as you go, gaining confidence every day, as well as acquiring the attention your business needs to grow.

Many people feel uncomfortable with self-promotion. They perceive it as unseemly or arrogant.

On a personal level, I don’t enjoy talking about myself, having my photo taken, or standing up in front of an audience. I know, however, that is a necessary evil. That is why I have pushed myself.