From a cake shop selling extreme cakes (think 3D Unicorn cakes in a few tiers) to an antiques emporium, millions of people now own all sorts of businesses. Indeed, it is estimated that just in the USA more than 50% of the population work for or own small to medium sized businesses. Entrepreneurs are the heartbeat of any economy and they form the backbone of a healthy business sector.
If you run your own business, then you will know just what hard work goes into getting it going and achieving success. However, getting beyond that tricky first few years of trading is not the end of the work.
As your company expands, you need to grow with it to make sure it progresses smoothly and positively. One key area for any expanding established business to get right is marketing. That may seem less important as you will have already done lots of marketing to get your brand established. However, it is vital to continue to market your services when heading into a new period of business growth.
Why is marketing vital for a growing business?
That is the question that many business owners ask. After all, if you have conducted effective marketing campaigns in the past, surely your brand is already firmly in your customers’ minds. While that is possibly true, it also explains why marketing is crucial to maintain the profile of expanding businesses. Expansion means attracting new customers who may not have heard of you and moving into new markets that may not know anything about your brand. Through clever marketing you can make your business known to your new target market and expand successfully.
Great marketing tips for any expanding business
If you are looking for some great marketing tips to use when growing your business, then the below should help:
- Leverage social media more – if you are expanding into a new market or trying to gain new customers then social media should be a key part of your marketing push. You will no doubt be using it already but put extra effort into reaching out in new ways to new consumers. Make sure details of your expansion are on all your channels for people to share or view. One great advanced tip is to use popular social media influencers in your sector to help spread news of your expansion plans.
- Consider working with affiliates – as with social media influencers, partnering with affiliate businesses can really help you grow into new markets. Even if you are expanding within your current sector, partnering with other respected names can help inform more customers of your services.
- Court returning custom – pretty much everyone in business knows that loyal, returning customers are the golden ticket. Get a strong base of them and you will always have a steady stream of income. To use this when driving expansion, why not use e-mail marketing to inform existing customers of any special offers or new stock that you have. That will drive new sales, build loyal repeat custom and facilitate expansion.
- Make the most of your premises – if you are planning to expand as a business then make sure your premises do also. Many forget just what a powerful marketing tool your offices can be and any signage that may be on the grounds. Make sure this is one area that moves with you as you expand to help attract more passing custom and also to project the right image as you grow.
- PPC ad campaigns – another great marketing tip for any expanding business is to think about using Pay Per Click Ad Campaigns online. As an established business, you will have the funds to do this properly and you will reap the rewards. The secret lies in crafting a punch ad that contains the relevant keywords people are searching for.
Do not forget video
Video is a powerful marketing tool that you should be using already. If you are planning to progress as a business, then it becomes even more important. Why not create an online animated video to tell more people about what you do that will make you stand out from other businesses? Not only will it stick in viewers’ minds but videos are also very easy to share and sometimes go viral on social media. Using an online animator is both easy and fun so there is no excuse not to come up with something amazing.
Make business expansion simple with marketing
There are naturally lots of things to consider when thinking of expanding your business. If the time has come that it makes sense to do so, then make sure you get your marketing efforts right. Being able to get the correct message across to people in a way that will be heard is a critical element in ensuring business success.
