Running your own business is challenging and complicated enough. You’re trying to do your best, keep working overtime, make your customers and employees satisfied. No one but you can really see how much you have on your plate. No one but you has to remember about every single deadline, meeting, and email to reply. You’re trying to do as much as possible all by yourself because no one else can do it better. All of us, entrepreneurs, have been there.
Even though you’re doing all you can, your business seems to be stuck at one point, and there don’t come as many new possible customers as earlier. If you’re out of ideas for what you could do better, here are a couple of simple and effective marketing strategies that will boost your company’s visibility.
The Power of Coffee
Coffee houses became real temples of these days. We need and we cherish caffeine every day. In the subway to work or school, you can see more and more people for whom coffee-to-go became a permanent part of their morning ritual. As an entrepreneur, you can easily use this trend as an advertisement tool for designing your custom coffee sleeves.
When someone is eating or drinking something next to us, we naturally take a look at the packaging. Especially if it’s untypical and well-designed. Smelling coffee at a tram station makes us hungry for caffeine and we start looking for the source of this devine smell. The moment our tired morning sight detect the source — let it be a person sipping coffee from their cup-to-go in this case — we analyse the design of the cup in search for any name and logo on it. It’s a completely effortless and effective marketing method.
Choosing the right marketing tools for your business is also a kind of both environmental and social responsibility. Advertising industry definitely is contributing to the increased production of waste. That’s why it’s good to get to know the work philosophy of a marketing company or a printery before making the ultimate decision. You can find specialised print shops on the market that offer cup sleeve prints on recycled paper exclusively!
Linen Business Cards? Why not!
A couple of months ago we spoke to the owner of a small private school of foreign languages. After having a short but very inspiring conversation, we wanted to make the ritual business card exchange. Surprisingly, they didn’t have one! Instead of an elegant, carefully designed card we got a linen tote bag with their company’s name and logo.
Not only did they offer us a really practical and tasteful advertising gadget but also made a significant statement through this gesture.
They went upstream and despite everything that the fellow entrepreneurs were saying they decided not to produce traditional business cards. Apparently, potential clients keep responding very well for this form of eco-friendly advertisement.
There are more and more online print shops that offer good quality organic and fair trade textiles for your custom prints, e.g. 100% cotton t-shirts, and various different accessories like tote bags, towels and pillow cases. An important tip: make sure to choose a company that uses non-toxic, water-based ink to print! If you can’t find such information on their website, ask them — they are obliged to inform you!
Spread Your Knowledge
Lectures, workshops and internships organised by your company are a unique opportunity for you to let the world see you from a completely unexpected perspective. Sharing your knowledge and explaining your skills of an entrepreneur is also a kind of a valuable marketing tool! Free well-designed gadgets and aesthetic business cards may be the first step to make your work visible but don’t stop there.
If there are no networking meetings in your area — roll up your sleeves and make one happen! Don’t wait for invitations from others. Ask culture centres and schools in the neighbourhood if they’d like to host your professional workshops. The success won’t come to you itself. Combine the passive way of advertising (tote bags, posters, facebook ads, etc.) with a fully active and educative marketing approach. You’ll see the effects immediately!
Passion Is The Key
It doesn’t matter how expensive and impressive your advertising will be if you don’t have a candid passion for what you do. You won’t fool anyone with a colourful mask you put on to make yourself visible. Look for the perfect balance of promoting your business.
Take proper care of the visual ads aspects but don’t settle on the short term effects of it. Think ahead, keep developing yourself, educate others, and share your goals and the love to your work with others.
This way your business will stay afloat naturally and it’ll draw people’s attention and trust automatically. With passion, honesty, and hard work you will help your company reach completely new heights!
