Photo credit: 401(K) 2013
Many small businesses have the same problem; limited money to advertise and market their business. Yet without creating awareness, the process of increasing sales will be long and slow. So how can a small or home based business increase sales without spending a lot of money?
Let’s start with the process of building your brand. Branding is simply using your logo on everything that you do. By placing your logo on your business cards, letterhead, promotional products, or paperwork, you create awareness with your customers. Studies have shown that it can take from 20-35 times of seeing your brand before customers will become aware of you. That means you might have to put your message in front of them 20-35 times before they will buy. If you think about the ads on TV, which ones come to mind first? More than likely the ads that have been playing over and over. But as small businesses, we don’t have that kind of budget. So how can we get our message to the consumer?
Branding is the only inexpensive answer. Start by putting your logo and message on EVERYTHING you do; Business Cards, Letterhead, Invoices, Quotes, Statements. Then to build more branding, make sure you have a uniform. Your uniform can be something simple, such as an embroidered polo shirt, sweatshirt, or hat. Don’t want to go with embroidery? Try a digitally printed t-shirt and hat. These are inexpensive and constant ways of advertising while you are at work or play.
Don’t forget to dress up your vehicle as well. Use magnetic signs or vinyl signs to remind commuters who you are and what you do. As your business grows you will want to expand to using some imprinted give away items. Things like pens and USB drives are very common, but there are over a million different things you can put your logo on.
It used to be that the Yellow Pages were the place to be when you started a business, now-a-days it’s all online. You must have a website. If nothing else you need to have a single page site that explains who you are and what you do. These are very inexpensive and will generate business from your local business community. If you have products to sell then you may want to get a more complete website that includes e-commerce capabilities.
No matter what you do, you want to make sure that the message is clear. Your logo and message must tell the customer what it is that you do, so that every time they see your logo and message they are building up trust and awareness about you and your business.
So there you have it, five inexpensive ways to build your brand, placing your logo and message on your paper products (business cards, letterhead, invoices etc.), branded clothing (hats and shirts), magnets or vinyl transfers on your vehicle, promotional products/giveaway items and your website.
Raymond Laubert is the General Manager of Camping Embroidery Powered By Proforma a Veteran Owned Small Business in Hatfield, PA. Camping Embroidery provides the marketing expertise without the marketing agency fees for home and small based businesses. We provide anything that you can put a logo on including paper, clothing, promotional and websites. Ray and his wife, Daisy, enjoy camping which is where Camping Embroidery came from. Ray is a Veteran with over 21 years of service to his Country.