Marketing a New Small Business, Step-by-Step
- Get a web site, no matter how small. At the very least, you need a web site with the same information as your business card. This has to come first because the web address will need to be on everything – business cards, letterhead, advertising… You shouldn’t do anything else until this step is taken care of. The last thing you want is to be stuck with 1000 cards that don’t have your web address. The minimum requirement is your own domain name with contact information for your business.
- If you want, you can run classified ads with your web address before you even get a logo. Radio is also forgiving of companies with no branding, but it can be really expensive if you have a smaller budget.
- Get a logo, if necessary, or design one. A professional graphic designer will talk to you about what you want, spend lots of time creating several treatments, and sell you the copyright for the one you pick. A good logo can last for decades. This should cost you around $500. Getting a logo is an important step requiring due consideration. If you want, make your web address part of your logo. Or have versions with and without the web address.
- Add your logo to your web site. This would be a good opportunity to flesh out your web site with everything you want to be on there.
- Use your logo to create business cards. Don’t forget to put your web address on there. The printing costs for 1000 business cards with color front and back should be from $70 - $100. Design costs will vary depending on several factors, basically boiling down to how much work the designer has to do.
- Use your logo and web address to create an ad in Yellow Book. Contact Corinne Gregory.
- Use your logo to create company letterhead, if you want. Don’t forget to put your web address on there.
- Your logo and web address can also be used on your signs, clothes, vehicles, etc. Contact Daniel Gerth.
- If applicable, get some professional (or professional-looking!) photographs of yourself or your business. Costs for this step vary considerably. Alternatively, you may be in a field where it would be appropriate to buy stock photography.
- Add the photographs to your web site. This would be a good opportunity to flesh out your web site with everything you want to be on there.
- If you want to get your message in front of the most affluent home-owners in Williamson County, TN, contact Wallace Smith with City Publications.
- Now you are ready. With an established web site, a great logo, and professional photography, you have everything you need for any print campaign, be it direct mail, brochures, flyers stapled to light poles and bulletin boards, your local paper, or a national magazine. You can also use these tools to advertise on-line, if appropriate. And you’ve gotten your message together for radio and television as well.
Incidentally, I can help you through all of these steps. I know logo designers, sign makers, photographers, television people, radio people... I can put together your whole team.