How Do I Create My Business Startup Marketing Plan?

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computer_PhoneThere are many tasks to starting a new business besides registering business and domain names. Stores and restaurants need to be built and decorated. Supplies and products need to be ordered, then unpacked, and displayed. Employees will need to be hired. During all this time who will do your business marketing? If you have a small business you may not be able to hire someone full-time to do it. Do you want to risk it to your neighbor’s kid, or do you want to hire a qualified and professional business marketing firm such as the Direct West Media Group?

Many newcomers to business may not fully understand the intricacies of business marketing. They may believe that you can set up your Facebook and Twitter accounts and hope that one or two posts per day will draw them in. But it’s further from the truth.

You’re going to need to create not only a brick and mortar presence, but an online presence too. Most businesses rely on both sources of potential income. So many people don’t have time to visit in person—they’ll pick up the telephone to call—or they’ll place an order through a mobile-optimized site.

There is so much to do. Mobile optimize your website. Have someone post up to twenty or thirty times a day with interesting and engaging content. Have someone regularly checking email, social media, and telephone messages to see if customers/clients have any inquiries about products or services.

Plus you’re fairly certain that you should be inviting the media to attend an opening party, as well as placing ads in papers, and perhaps even have a local cable TV ad too.

When you hire an experienced business marketer such as Direct West Media Group you’re not only hiring someone to tackle this end of the work, but their vast experience as well. They’re knowledgeable about which services are effective for which types of businesses. Plan A may not work for all—perhaps your business needs Plan Z. They can advise you on how to get started.

Marketing plans can begin with an affordable plan to get you recognition in the busy marketplace. They can be as simple or as complex as needed for your type of business. The more services and products you sell, including from a number of locations, could mean that you need escalating marketing services to ensure that your business is bringing in the profits it deserves.

Please contact Direct West Media Group today and learn how our marketing services are the best solution to how to bring your business to the forefront in a busy marketplace.

Be Wary of One Size Fits All Advice

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startupgraphicIf there was a golden entrepreneurial template, everyone would be lining up for a share of the profits. Unfortunately, in today’s economic climate, there are no guarantees that what works for one entrepreneur will work for another. Two similar ideas may result in the clumsy business startup succeeding over the carefully crafted business plan, for no apparent reason other than one business opened at the right time. A budding entrepreneur may be facing some of their worst difficulties over the conflicting advice they’re receiving.

The best business plan begins with research. The new business owner will learn from authoritative sources, including books, journals, blogs, and successful entrepreneurs in a similar field. However, over time you may realize that common advice may be the worst thing for your startup launch. You’ll receive many tips during your new business launch, but not all of them will work for you. Be wary of one size fits all advice, particularly from the well-seasoned millionaires who have forgotten what it’s really like implementing startup tactics in today’s competitive market.

Delegate, while strategizing.
One of the main problems with the “delegate first” school-of-thought is that it doesn’t take into account that most new businesses today are lean startups, and there are few funds in the budget to include personnel. There’s nothing wrong with getting your hands dirty, after all it worked for Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. The only person who understands your vision is you, not a CEO for a big box company.

Content marketing will pay off in the end.
Unfortunately, you could hire a celebrity writer to produce the best content for your website, but that’s not what’s going to attract customers to your door. Most new businesses work by word-by-mouth. You’ll get new business when your happy clients recommend you to their needy friends. Great content can attract the attention of your customer base, but don’t forget to focus on your great products or services first.

Buy a time travel machine.
Being everywhere, particularly when you’ve just launched your business is going to be both costly, and time-consuming. Focus on one particular region and find out where your customers are coming from. From there, decide whether it’s profitable to focus on a new target market, or to attract local customers.

Become a salesman.
Most entrepreneurs are not good with salesmanship, nor is it required to have a successful enterprise. Steve Wozniak preferred to stay behind the scenes, while Jobs went out to do the selling. If your products have value for your target market, they’ll sell themselves. Most customers are turned off by harsh elevator pitches anyway. The soft sell is what works today, and as you build trust for your potential client base, you’ll discover that you don’t really need to close the deal, so to speak.

If you need help planning effective marketing strategies tailored to your new business startup, please contact Direct West Media Group.

Mobile Marketing Tips for New Business Startups

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?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????There must be hundreds of tasks to do when you’re planning your new business startup. From carefully crafting your new website, to getting your location and office set up, it can be a bit mind-boggling by the end of the day. One of the best ways to market your business is via the net, and that includes having a mobile website that is optimized for smart phone users. This means that customers can quickly find you online, and find out what you can do for them in less than ten seconds.

Here are a few tips for helping the small business owner to get started with their mobile marketing website.

1. Who’s Your Target Market?

Right around when you had a vision for your company, you must have known exactly who would be purchasing your products or services. Once you put the business plan into play you likely had to tweak your plan to include a wider range of demographics. Keep this in mind when you create a mobile website. Products aimed at teens need to be catchier, while older people may appreciate a more conservative look.

2. SEO 

Likely you keep on hearing about search engine optimization. Be sure you utilize keywords on your website, and that your business is listed with the main search engines as well, so you show up on the Google map. Your customers may need map guidance to lead them to your door.

3. QR Codes

Either consumers use QR codes or they don’t. But as these special bar codes catch on, you may wish to take advantage of their benefits. You can add them to your marketing materials, signs, and packaging, and consumers can scan the code when they’re on the way to work, bus, or shopping, to get more information about your business on their smart phones.

4. Make An App

Many people worry that having a special app created specifically for their business is going to cost a lot of money. There is software that makes creating apps a snap, for a minimum investment.

5. Don’t focus on only mobile marketing.

While you can have special deals on your mobile website not available in-store or online, you must remember not to neglect the other portions of your market who still use a real computer, or prefer to make a telephone call to learn more information about a company. Keep focussing on your mobile marketing first, but make your products and services the second focus. If you have great products, word of mouth will spread, and consumers will be drawn to your business.

Start implementing these tips as soon as possible, so you won’t leave any customers out in the cold, when they go searching for you online. If you need help reaching your customers, or if mobile marketing is still a puzzle to you, contact Direct West Media Group, and we’ll be happy to help you out with your new business start up.