Starting a new business is an exciting journey into the unknown.
Get the key marketing essentials for your start-up business right and you’ll be setting off on the right foot. Your branding will be sticking around for quite some time, putting plenty of thought into the message you want to get across will pay off.
Great advice – but where to start?
Your Logo – will be the cornerstone of all your branding and marketing. It is top of the key marketing essentials for your start-up business, appearing on everything from your website, social media and business cards. In fact anything that you send out into the marketplace will carry your logo, promoting your business.
Don’t be fooled into thinking this small image in the corner of your website or printed brochure is just there to look pretty or amusing. A logo carries a whole load of responsibility; good or bad it becomes instantly recognisable and communicates your brand, so it is important to get it right! Don’t take a short-cut at this crucial stage of your business; get a graphic designer to design your logo. You won’t regret it.
- Keep it simple, not busy or distracting.
- Make it memorable so that people take only a split second to get what you’re about.
- Go with a versatile design that will scale to different sizes without losing clarity working across different media.
- Keep it appropriate to your industry so as to resonate with your target audience.
A good website is another of the key marketing essentials for your start-up business
Your new website is quite an investment, one that you expect to be with you for a number of years. It’s important to think it out properly. Using a professional web designer to build the site for you may seem expensive for a start-up budget, but 
believe me it will pay off. A quality website with well crafted content that gets your message and branding across will emit a trustworthy business vibe to your visitors.
A couple of pointers to consider when starting on your website…
- Check out the competition – what are they doing well or doing badly? How can you do better?
- Do your keyword research – look for terms that potential customers are searching for and include them in your content.
- Say what you do loud and clear – especially on the home page – people spend less than five seconds on a page before moving on if they can’t see what’s in it for them.
- Make sure your site is easy to use with good call-to-action prompts. Keep navigation simple and consistent.
- Share the why – tell the story of how you got started and why, it will make your business more memorable.
- Focus on what’s in it for the customer – talk about how your product or service will solve their problem or make their lives better.
Writing captivating content that is SEO friendly is time consuming. It’s not as easy as you think either! Let us help you with our content writing service while you get cracking on your business.
Business cards are still one of the key marketing essentials for your start-up business
The humble business card is still considered a must-have, especially for all of the face-to-face interactions you have. Whether a networking event, trade show, or office meeting; handing over a well-designed business card that projects your message clearly, will leave a positive impression on the recipient.
Make your business card stand out from the rest.
- Don’t cram it full of information – keep it snappy and to-the-point
- Make your card easy to read – Use fonts that aren’t too fancy, too funky, or too small
- Keep text straightforward – your logo is your chance to add interest and a design element
- Have your business cards professionally printed – we know a start-up’s budget is tight but a DIY business card will not give a good first impression!
- Make your card instantly memorable – a special discount or helpful information can do this
