Marketing and image-building might not be the first priority for many small business owners, but it can make a big difference – and a little can go a long way. Developing a stronger image, or even building a brand for your business, can help attract new customers and make sure they remember you.
Rachel Ray is managing director of cleaning business Bright & Beautiful and uses a range of different methods to communicate her company’s values and offers. She says that creating a strong image for her business was important from the outset. “I really felt it was important to build a brand, not just to let clients know about us, but also to build a reputation through our marketing,” she says.
Natalie Tuer is marketing manager at Manchester-based Business Finance Solutions, which provides technical support and alternative business finance to entrepreneurs. She agrees that marketing is crucial.
“It is a cliché but perception is reality and small businesses do need to think long and hard about how they want to be seen by their clients. When you launch a business you have a golden opportunity to get people talking about you and to come and see you, and it is a huge waste if you don’t have many marketing channels in operation,” she says. “You can be running the most exciting business in the world but if no one has heard about you that means absolutely nothing.”
You don’t have to do much, either – marketing doesn’t have to mean huge budgets and attention-grabbing tactics. Neither do you need a complicated message. It can be as simple as sending a message of professionalism, making sure that people trust your business.
Ray says: “The domestic cleaning industry is notorious for low service standards and poor marketing, so we felt it was important to differentiate ourselves. We’re a professionally managed service, it was important our marketing communicated that.”
So what steps should businesses interested in expanding their marketing presence take? The first, Ray says, is to invest in high quality literature. This can include postcards, referral cards, brochures and business cards. They should be clear and professional-looking, and should all use similar designs.
Tuer advises thinking carefully about what the business means to you, and communicating that. “Of course you can’t do everything, but at the very least think about having a logo, business cards or postcards, a simple website that tells people what you do and how to find you, interesting collateral, basic PR and ideally a social media presence to support them.”
She adds that it’s a good idea to use marketing channels in a canny way. For instance, PR can be hugely helpful – one client of Tuer’s clients attracted significant investment after an investor saw a piece about them in the business press. Offline marketing materials can also be used to point customers to more in-depth material online.
She says: “People think they need to invest in costly printed brochures or cards, but a lot of what you invest in offline marketing can be used to direct people to what you’re doing online. So a cleverly written and designed business card or postcard that you can hand out can be a signpost to your website or social media channels.”
To start, write down a few key words that you’d like your customers to think of you by and use those keywords to guide your design, recommends Lisa Campana, head of design at MOO. “Your cards should reflect your brand personality, so spending just a little time creating something unique will make a real lasting impression. You don’t have to be a designer, there are so many tools on our site to help you create something that stands out.”
When it comes to choosing designs and slogans, there are several factors to consider, says Ray. First, you need to know your target client. “Our target client is a busy, professional working woman who doesn’t have time to do their housework. They want peace of mind. I focused on that to help me create what the brand needed to look like.”
Secondly, trust your instincts. “It’s quite an intuitive process,” Ray says. “The overall feel of the brand is important.” Thirdly, get inspiration from a range of sources. Tuer says: “We all have a friend or colleague who loves, and is great at, design – get their views and opinions. Create a mood board and file of leaflets, cards or bags that you have received and think are well executed. Work out just what your ethos is as a business and ensure that those principles are incorporated.”
She adds that if you want to use a designer, it’s best to find an independent designer through recommendations, rather than using an expensive agency.
Once everything is in place, it’s important to understand what’s working and what isn’t. Ray uses software to track sales after a leaflet drop, and keeps an eye on the return on investment of each marketing move. Tuer says it can be helpful to ask friends and family – although she advises caution when asking people who don’t know your market as well as you do – and adds there are other sources of advice available too.
“Most regions will also have business support organisations – in Manchester it is the Business Growth Hub, for example – who will also have marketing experts and courses that you can attend to get some external and commercial feedback on your image and how you may need to review it to allow your business to grow.”
It is deceptively easy to dip a toe into the world of marketing, and spending a bit of time and attention on your business’s public image can reap impressive rewards. For entrepreneurs who are keen to take their business to the next stage, marketing will be a crucial part of achieving that growth.
This advertisement feature is paid for and produced to a brief agreed with MOO, sponsor of the Guardian Small Business Network’s Branding hub.
