Blog.

You’ve invested in the website. Your products are waiting in your stock room. You’re sitting nervously in front of your computer, waiting for the sales to start pouring in. Then voila, as if by magic, people find your site, make sizeable purchases, then leave glowing feedback afterwards. And you didn’t even have to do anything!

It would be rather wonderful if it was like that in reality, wouldn’t it? However, rose-tinted spectacles off for just one second – the actual fact is that if you don’t actively promote your business, it will never get the attention it deserves.

Generating a Buzz About Your Business

There are quite literally millions of websites out there. Some good, some bad, some downright ugly. However, all business sites are focused on the same goal. They want to increase conversions, drum up sales and whip people into a frenzy about their brand.

As you can imagine, this means that competition is ferocious. It really is a case of survival of the fittest, and if you’re not prepared to fight to get noticed, your business is never going to be likely to get the results it deserves.

Here’s some top tips about how you can make your company stand out from your competitors.

7 Techniques to Get People Talking About Your Brand

1) Optimise! Hopefully, you will have discussed optimising your site with your web developer. If you haven’t… now is the time to do so! Optimising your site is vital if you want to get picked up on the search engines. However, a word of warning. Search engine optimisation doesn’t happen overnight. It won’t even happen within a few weeks. Recognise it as something you need to commit to in the long-term, and after 6 months or so, you should begin to see the results.

2) Get socially sorted. Social media sites put your brand in front of literally thousands of people. Even better, they’re free! However, before you start shouting about your business on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, make sure your profile pages are looking in tip-top condition, with a well-written ‘About’ section, plus eye-catching banner. If visitors come through to a page that looks anything less than 100% professional, they won’t take you seriously.

3) Think creatively. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box from time to time. Do a crazy PR stunt, then make sure the press know about it. Raise money for a local charity and make sure your local journalist is there to see you do it. Hold a wacky competition to celebrate your launch. Post an attention-grabbing photo on your social media (not the one of you in your pants though. Save that one for family members only, please!) If it generates attention in a positive way, it’s worth considering.

4) Give ‘em something to share. Viral content is as valuable as gold-dust. If you can create a blog that is worthy of sharing, there’s every chance that it might start to go viral, which results in plenty of interest in your brand. It’s notoriously difficult to create viral content, so you may need to consult with an expert on this one.

5) Pace the streets. Sometimes, it’s a great idea to start locally. Get out there, armed with some flyers or professional letters, and drop them through relevant letterboxes. If your promotional material is well-written and dynamic, it may yield some great results.

6) Guest post. Get in contact with a few bigger blogs that relate to your industry, and ask if you can guest blog for them. Most will allow you to make a reference to your company in return, and this is a good way of getting in front of a large audience.

7) Show off! If it’s relevant to your business, explore the option of attending a trade show. This one will need some initial investment, but it’s an incredible way of putting your brand in front of thousands of interested people, and it’s also a good chance to network with other businesses.

Finding the Right Help – Web Development and Strategy in County Durham

If you’ve just started your business and you’re ready to start promoting yourself, get in contact with the team at Shark Bait Studios today. Our crew of top web designers, developers and strategists will work with you to identify the best way to reach your target audience and generate sales. To find out more, call 01748 900321.