In the business services industry, your company offers something that’s likely essential, but you may not be the only option. The local and regional competition is tough. Hard work and expertise are how you’ve forged the long-standing customer relationships you already have, but creating new ones is how you’ll grow.
Here are five tips on how to market your service-based business so you’ll stand out.
Buy LOTS of business cards, and make sure they’re memorable.
Business cards are more valuable than ever. With new materials, sizes, shapes, and technology, keeping them away from the trash basket is more challenging than it’s ever been.
The old tricks of the trade still work — networking with local businesses to leave a stack on the counter or on a corkboard, passing them around at trade shows, and making sure all of your sales team and stakeholders have plenty of extras on their person.
The problem is everyone goes through the process of thinning down the pile. You’ll want yours to stick around after that industry event closes for the day or be left on top of the desk rather than in the back of the filing cabinet drawer.
A stunning business card that catches the eye is more than a flashy logo. By all means, ensure the first glance people have of your brand is memorable. But when you’re confident your logo is excellent, and your colors are eye-catching, dig deeper.
Look for different materials and textures for your card, try ordering a non-standard shape, or increase the thickness. People will subconsciously associate the durability and weight of your card with your brand.
Today, being safe and responsible might mean accepting or keeping cards at public events should be avoided!
This could be spun to your advantage by investing in more premium permanent materials like plastics or metals for your business card. Besides your logo, or on the rear, you can have QR codes (or embedded NFC chips) that will help potential customers save your contact info to their device or pull up a landing page where they can subscribe to your marketing announcements.
Get your company’s name out there by publishing press releases.
Getting in the news can have a dramatic boost to your local brand reputation. This extends to any relevant trade outlets, e-magazines, community newsletters, or even on local Facebook groups.
The first step is setting up a plan for regular press releases. Here’s the time to announce new services or when you adopt new technologies. Maybe you’ve won a bid for a large service contract, or your company (or team members) have hosted volunteer events.
Virtually any meaningful and valuable action you’re already doing can warrant a press release. Make sure they’re written professionally, published on your website in a dedicated place, and sent off to appropriate recipients.
Having a press release written correctly can take the time or cost you to hire a professional. The benefit is once you have it, you can send it out as many times as you want.
Today, most press releases are decimated via e-mail which is free!
Add value to your offering with a strong brand identity.
Your reputation is the most vital asset you have in the business services industry. Don’t let it stagnate. Just because your long-term customers know you’re around doesn’t mean they’re always thinking about you.
Take control of your brand identity by making sure your logo and company name are associated with positive change, the latest techniques, and that you always have the best interests of your clients at heart.
Brand identity design can be a tremendous investment. You don’t want to get passed by the fledgling start-ups that play in the fast lane, so make sure you’re participating in all of the places your existing (and new) customers live.
Today this means more than new signage, slogans, and social media accounts. You want your story to speak about who you are and why what you do is different than the competition.
Remember that people will always want to do business with companies that think like they do.
Increase the organic traffic to your website.
Have you updated your blog recently? Do you have a dedicated in-house team or agency formulating a plan for publication?
Increasing the organic traffic to your website is one of the best ways you can stand out against your rivals.
From blog posts to strategically designed landing pages, once they’re published, you’ll keep earning dividends as time goes on.
But that only works if your content is valuable, written with the latest SEO practices in mind, and features what your customers are actually searching for.
Called content marketing, building up pages on your website that attract incoming search will lead to increased brand recognition, authority, and sales!
In fact, search engines will rank you above your competition that keeps minimalistic and unhelpful websites. The more frequently your website publishes relevant content that your customers want to learn about, Google and others will begin to present your website as the reputable option.
Think about how people find solutions to their problems. When your customer’s decision-makers are sitting at their desk, behind their phone, or working from home, searching the internet is their first step.
Redesign your website, keeping it up to date.
Increasing organic search to your website is the right idea… but it’ll only work if your customers find what they need and stay there.
Your website needs to be easy to use, attractive to navigate, and optimized for speed.
All websites will benefit from working beautifully on any device and optimized for SEO. But you’re a service-based business. That means your customers will be looking for you and how to hire you when they’re on the clock themselves.
Your website should instantly project confidence, expertise, and have a flawless user experience because if new visitors aren’t convinced to stick around, or they can’t find what they’re looking for quickly, you know there are other options out there.
