The following is a guest blog post contributed by Robert Katai from Bannersnack.
In order to make your business shine and prosper you first have to be as flexible as possible regarding technology and management. Pristine planning helps you with all of your organisational skills and gets your business going on all levels. Many persons manage a business believing that there will be no stress whatsoever, that it would be enough to just simply turn some computers on and make some phone calls.
Well, as a matter of fact, there isn’t enough to do just that. Running a super successful business requires a lot of effort in many details such as pristine and smart name badge signs, sharp management skills, employee efficiency, smart logo design, cost reduction measures, smart investing and so on. Only then can a manager expect to begin making money and turn profit into pleasure. You can avoid many unpleasant business fails if you simply begin with a well developed plan.
The ‘WWW’ effect
When it comes to the online sector, the small business phenomenon has increased by 49% since 2015. I am talking here about the average advertising budget which in this case, makes the most important subject here. This means that people invest a whole bunch of money into online advertising and online marketing and, that this method works and delivers great results.
Most of the people that form your main audience are already online. And this is why it is important to be there, to have a website, invest in content marketing and banner ads in order to survive and thrive.
Considering that 71% of the small business owners conduct their own digital marketing strategies and that in great numbers, they handle all these efforts by themselves (source: 2016 Small Business Marketing Trends Report), it is important to do the same if you are running a business or consider starting one. Also, it is important to know what do, when to do it and why to do certain things as well.
Here are some tips that are important and that will help you get started:
1. Name badges brings trust
First impression always last forever, that’s why making an amazing first impression is very important for your business and nothing offers reliability like wearing the ideal name badge. This is probably one of the most important tools in blending the formal perspective with a warm presentation between customers and your employees, because meeting for the first time with someone you do business with can be sometimes intimidating for some a name badge eliminates that barrier from the first “hello”.
A well designed name badge also offers transparency which helps build a solid brand identity, they also promote a robust security in your company and most important it encourages customers to purchase or order. Each and every one of us loves to have their names written somewhere, have your employees wear name badges they will love it because it creates identity.
TIP: Invest in a company website. According to a study published by [24]7, this is your main gateway to the outside world and your main chance to make a good first impression.
2. Your business Logo Design is your best asset
Managers should always take this into consideration because it is probably the most important asset that your business has, it is basically your online/offline image. A colourful and pristine logo design is what attracts customers, brings in capital, it creates bridges, grants credibility and most important it shows that your business has a pristine image. Many often make the mistake of planning all the business from top to bottom but the last thing that they consider to do is to create a smart and colourful logo.
Rocks & Road Logo design by Ian Paget of Logo Geek as featured in Photoshop Creative Magazine.
Advertising strategies can be very helpful in many situations but nothing shouts out your capacities more like a logo does, more important a well designed logo can attract a lot of customers simply by creating curiosity and reliability. A solid business logo is something that a CEO should develop before jumping into the open market, a wise CEO knows how much a logo matters because it has the power of influencing your customers in a positive or negative manner even before they access your website or enter your store.
A good logo isn’t just for distinguishing a company from its competitors a good logo it creates a way of showing your consumers what your company represents what it sells and how efficient it is.
Remember! Your logo basically sends a message every time it is viewed and you are the one who defines how they react.
TIP: The logo is very important on your website and on all your branded pages and advertisements as well. Never omit to include a logo on a display banner. Use Bannersnack if you need to design quickly and professionally, without the need to hire a professional designer.
The app’s design interface will allow you to easily include all your visual branded images with just a few clicks and via a drag and drop interface. It’s a really great ad maker that will not, under any circumstances, fail you.
3. Always plan ahead of your moves
In order to run a successful business you first need to be as organised as possible because two hours of planning makes up for ten hours of mistakes. Be sure to always stay focused on your objectives and complete your tasks on time, never leave work unfinished. A business requires a lot of effort and sometimes you may forget some tasks, simply create your own “to-do list” at the beginning of each day and tick every item when finished, this way you will always stay fixed on your success.
Here are some action tips you should not miss:
- Create a to-do list before embarking on any marketing strategy. Schedule your posts and plan ahead for at least a week.
- Study the market and study the potential audience. You need customers but in order to get them, you will also need to know who they are, what they are searching for, what do they need and so on.
- Organise everything. Never let anything to chance. Be ready and prepared to face any new issued and unexpected problems.
- Delegate tasks. Don’t assume that if you are able to run the business, you will also able to run successful marketing campaigns. You need to delegate tasks and let professionals deal with tasks you are aware to be unable to deal with at their level of expertise.
4. Never underestimate your competitors
History has taught us times and times again that competition gives birth to champions. Never be afraid of your competitors, this will actually motivate you in every action or decision that you make in your business to be as solid as possible. In order to best your competitors and to be successful you can take notes and devise strategies similar to your competitors.
Here’s an expert tip:
Don’t be afraid of the completion. Study them instead and try to learn from them. Learn from their mistakes but also from their strong points. Study everything they do in order to top the market and try to make better decisions.
5. Where there is a risk there is also a reward
Business managers need to understand even from the beginning that the Holy Grail of management means taking small risks that brings big rewards; this type of behaviour ultimately helps your business develop in the right direction. A good manager calculates risks and rewards with every decision that they make, almost every time a good risk analysis can bring huge rewards.
6. Social media marketing is a must
There are over 3 billion social media users. This is a huge market that is one click away from you, should you use social media professionally and consistently. 71% of the people who spend time online in general and particularly on Facebook, say they tend to trust the branded information – the content – they read on social media channels.
This means that social media is not to be neglected and you should be aware that, for some audiences, if you are not on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, you don’t exist as a business. Create your page, schedule a continuous flux of posts and company news and engaged actively with your fans and followers.
Conclusion
Whether you are just starting up with a new business or you are trying to expand and grow awareness on an existing brand, there are a lot of things to consider should you aim to achieve success. It will not come overnight but if you insist on doing the right things, you will eventually achieve it.
This article has aimed to pinpoint some of the most important things you need to do in order to make your business successful and I hope that if you have any other important points that you think should be included on this list, you will share them with us.
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