RHEN: What’s up Fish Fans! This is Marcus, I’m Rhen, and you’re watching Marketing Madness: the Blue Fish weekly vlog! Our goal is to address common questions that business owners may have about marketing and advertising.
MARCUS: That’s right Rhen, and this week we are going to cover what we think you should be doing if you are a brand new business in a local market! When first starting out money can be tight, and spending money on the wrong things can kill a business.
RHEN: There are over 50 marketing agencies in Mobile, and countless freelancers in our area not to mention the options you have if you go online. One of the biggest mistakes we encounter is a new business partnering up with an agency or person and getting burned. In fact, just last week we heard a horror story of a local business paying out thousands of dollars for a website and some marketing, only to have the company disappear.
MARCUS: So what we are going to talk about today is how to verify that you are hooking up with a reputable agency.
RHEN: Reputable is right. Take the time to research these companies or freelancers. Look at their reviews on Google and Facebook, and if they do not have reviews, STAY AWAY. This is an automatic red flag. After looking up reviews on FB and Google, send them a friend request. Do they conduct themselves online in a manner that you’d want associated with your business? That’s a big point you’ll want to think about. Next, I’d look at the list of mutual friends. Do you know them well enough to give them a call and ask for a reference. Do not be scared to do some research here. This is your business and you have that right. Now let’s dive into some actionable things you can be doing as a new business to start experiencing some momentum.
MARCUS: We’ve said this over, and over, and over… And you all may even know what I am about to say is the first step to any marketing efforts. Getting a website. A website is going to be the foundation of all your marketing efforts. You might like the idea of using Facebook as your website but this is a really bad idea as you have no control over the visitor’s experience. Your website is where customers are going to come to get information like your phone number, address, and business offerings. Without a website, do you even exist? In a previous episode we covered what should be on your website, we will get Jared to link up our YouTube Channel and you can navigate over to watch those for extra help.
RHEN: Once you’ve got your website rocking and rolling, it is time to start establishing your digital entities. Now we are assuming you’ve already created a logo, style guide, and other assets that you’ll need to create a lasting impression on your target demographic. So on to digital properties… This will be Facebook Pages, Instagram, and other applicable social platforms. You’ll also want to set up a Google My Business Page. This will be uber important when working on your SEO campaigns later down the road. There is a great blog about properly setting up your Google My Business on the Blue Fish Blog, so if you are unfamiliar with this go check it out after this video.
MARCUS: Next you’ll want to populate these online platforms with valuable content. Showing you, your company, and employees in action will let people start to become familiar with you and how you operate. Don’t be scared to show a little personality. You want to develop your brand into something where people relate and understand who you are. Make sure to optimize all your profiles with pertinent information to your business. This will let people quickly understand what you are about, and help you turn up in search results. Be sure to create a process that helps you stay consistent with the creation of content. This is one of the most important yet least executed parts!
RHEN: Now that you have started your online presence, you’ll want to get active in growing a following or creating engaging content that will engage your followers and potential clients. Make an effort to understand Facebook Marketing, using the Ads Manager, a promoting valuable content online. In many cases this will be your best friend.
MARCUS: Alright, you are all set up online, you are systematically creating good and content and getting it out there to leverage you as an expert in your field. The next thing that I’d recommend is getting plugged into the community. Episode 46, the lasted Marketing Madness Episode was actually on this very topic. We will make sure that gets linked up in this post as well. Take advantage of all the suggestions covered in eps 46. Be involved and get out there as your own brand ambassador. I can tell you this, there will be no body as passionate about your own company as you. This makes you the greatest candidate to get out there and start selling yourself to the community.
MARCUS: Next you want to focus on the heartbeat of your business, Sales. Sales is the single most important factor in whether your business lives or dies. If there is no cash coming in, then you’ll surely not last very long. So be sure to make prospecting and business development your main priority. For me it was such a priority that I hire this guy… (scan to rhen) But seriously, sales isn't going to come naturally for most. And you may even be thinking I own a business, I am not a salesman. Well to that say you are a salesman. And it’s the most important position in your company, and you shouldn't take it lightly. To gain the success you’ll want to experience here you’ll need to learn sales as a skill. Polishing up on this skill and the processes within it, have along in one year double Blue Fishes business. So there is a real life example for you on how trivial this area of your business can be.
RHEN: Alright for a quick recap…
Build a quality website
Create online platforms to connect and publish content
Understand how to leverage the advertising power of these platforms
Get plugged into the community
Get serious about sales
MARCUS: Hey guys remember if you need help with any of this above, or anything in the web design, marketing, or advertising space, we are your go to resource nation wide. We have client from New York to San Fran, and everywhere in between. So let’s get your marketing jump started. Hit us up today!
RHEN: That’s a wrap for this week Fish Fans. Thank you for your attention. If you have any questions or comments leave them down below. If you want to talk about how Blue Fish can help you dominate your market Call us!