Every business needs an enticing shop window. Especially start-ups
A group of start-up founders told me recently what their biggest challenges are, excluding the obvious one, having enough money. 43%* said ‘attracting customers’ is the most difficult thing, with closing sales and marketing coming second and third in a recent poll. Does this surprise you?
So what if I shared some tips to help start-up founders attract more customers? Growing your business is no easy feat. After all, you do everything - you have the idea, raise funds to realise it, pay the bills, sell the product, hire the team, look after the money - and on it goes.
Tip one - a good place to start is understanding the customer journey map and where you are in the cycle. Are they aware of you, what you do and how you can help them? For example, you may be at the very beginning, making potential customers aware of what you do. How will you tell people about your business? Through your network and word of mouth, or through some targeted advertising or PR? Don't miss out this stage - it's crucial to make a plan and build interest before you can make any sales.
The customer journey map – what to do at each stage
If you are further along the cycle, with a decent customer base, and need to expand sales or retain customers for example, your marketing choices are different. Wherever you are, the diagram gives you a framework, showing which actions are generally best at each stage. Note how the mix includes digital activities above the line, with traditional marketing channels below. All count. The secret is to use those that match with the behaviours of your customer.
Every business needs a shop window. Even B2B and start-ups
Let’s bring this alive with an analogy.
Tip two - every business needs a shop window, period. Think of your business needing a shop front (whether its physical or virtual) and think about what you put in the window (to attract buyers in). Once in the shop, how will you signpost and guide them to find what you do.
Tip three - think also about the location of your shop – is it in the real or virtual equivalent of a High Street, an out-of-town shopping centre or in a market? Whether you offer products to consumers or to businesses, find out where your potential customers gather, and locate there, making sure you stand out from competitors. Next, think about how to attract more people to your virtual store, using a mix of social and traditional media (choose the ones your buyers use). So that’s the shop analogy. Here is a five-point plan to get you started.
Five-point master marketing plan for any start-up
1. Unique selling point (USP) – if you don’t know and aren’t able to tell someone what is special about your product or service, you won’t succeed. Having a difference which is yours (and only yours) is critical for attracting customers and giving them a reason to choose you over rivals. Brainstorm if your difference is about product (does it do something equivalent products don’t?) is it about the superior service you offer? are you better value for money than your competitors? Are you doing something brand new which is valuable, and which you must explain? Make sure you have a USP before investing time and money in step number two.
2. Get in front of customers - once you are clear who your ideal customer is, think about where they go for information on what to buy, and make sure you are visible in these places. For example, if buyers go to events and networks to find new providers, be there. Take a stand or better still, negotiate with the organisers to be a speaker. Letting people see and hear what your business stands for and what it can do for them will deliver a better return than any mailing. Honest. Or if you want to get in front of a mass market and build a list of prospective customers, start with a GDPR-compliant database list broker and build a list you can market to directly. Try one of the well known names such as Dun and Bradstreet https://www.dnb.com/products/small-business/reach-more-customers.html or Experian https://engage.experian.co.uk/b2b/?utm_campaign=&utm_adgroup=&gclid=CjwKCAjwu_mSBhAYEiwA5BBmf7VnlPk3lv6lYkyaRH3T3UQVFvzwJUjv_M7kjIN_Kq838cPPjJKEehoCABgQAvD_BwE.
3. Create and dress your shop window – whether it’s a physical store or a website showcasing your goodies. Put your ‘must haves’ in the shop window, giving a flavour of what you do, encouraging people to browse. Once in the shop or if you are B2B think website, consider making it easy to navigate and help people find what they need. Signpost your products, make the experience fun, clear and easy. Update the window regularly, keeping it alive with offers, case stories, products and news. Add a ‘subscription’ pop up to build your mailing list with people showing interest (incentivise people to register by offering a discount or promising valuable content for example) and follow up, keeping the connection alive
4. Offer something valuable – this is critical for attracting more customers. For example, can you offer an enticement encouraging first-time custom or incentivise people who are interested yet not buying? Other more subtle (and proven) ideas are to offer valuable content – a piece of research for example or true stories from customers showing your product in action. Don’t forget to refresh your shop window (or website) with any valuable content. Keeping it fresh and integrated across all the channels you use to market is smart and expected. If you need any help with writing, check out the fantastic team at https://www.valuablecontentschool.co.uk/ who offer brilliant support and tools that enable businesses to create content that really works for the customer, driving leads and revenue to your shop door
5. Be social. Make it good – capitalise your USP and your shop window, with any content by making regular use of social media channels that your buyers use. Use friendly and accessible language, keep thinking about your ideal customers, their needs and tell them a story to engage them. Show how you help and deliver real benefits. Aim your posts at them and ditch the direct sales pitch. Good content will build trust in your brand, so understand how to use it, and use it regularly. Add pictures, polls, videos, live streams to vary your posts – making your business visible and visually appealing is what the best start-ups do to attract customers.
Once you have your enticing shop window and follow these five steps, you can be sure to be on the right path. Make marketing part of your daily routine. Chunk it up into small, bite-sized actions, say one or two a day. Momentum will build and results will follow.
To discuss any aspect of marketing your business, contact Terri, who offers a free half-day workshop https://www.moveoassociates.com/services-bespoke-or-packages for new clients.
Source: *poll ran on LinkedIn based on the views of people with start-up experience, March 2022
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