Where To Start With Marketing Your Start-Up Business

By Alexandra Avram, Intern at Kai Communications

The entrepreneurial landscape is ever-evolving and at the end of 2023 the UK had more than 5.6 million businesses, but starting a new business and making it succeed can be a difficult task. Start-ups play a significant role in the business landscape, but to thrive, start-ups need to differentiate themselves to take advantage of what makes them special.

As a small start-up you have taken the first steps to make your business successful: you had the great idea, you filled out the forms, and the business is all set up. Listening to the needs and wants of consumers, embracing passion, creativity, and innovation, understanding the power of community, and fostering connections with your clientele are a great start to getting your message out. Now it’s time to make sure your venture will truly stand out and good marketing is essential to the launch of the start-up. Here are some key PR and marketing strategies to make your presence known in today’s business landscape:

1. Create a unique brand story – Make sure to highlight the origin, values, and mission of your business. Having something unique will set you apart from competitors and can resonate with your audiences, be it exceptional quality, personalised service, or excellent communication. Once you have found your unique selling point, make it the central theme in all your PR messaging.
2. Create a strong website – It goes without saying that every business needs an excellent, informative website to stand out. Incorporate calls to action to encourage engagement and add elements like eye-catching visuals and easy navigation that make for a friendly user experience. Remember to use keywords and relevant content to optimise the website for search engines and boost your brand’s visibility.
3. Engage in the community – Whenever and however possible, actively participating in the community is a great way to put your business out there. Doing things like joining local events, doing sponsorships or partnerships with other local brands could help you connect with potential customers. This could also build a positive brand image and show how your innovative business can benefit the community.
4. Maintain a personal touch – At a time when authenticity and care are prized, customers want more than just excellent products and services – they crave meaningful connections with the businesses they choose to support.  Customers appreciate when brands show that they’ve put thought and effort behind their business. Including things like handwritten thank you notes, stickers, or freebies can show a bit of your personality and foster another connection between your brand and the customers, encouraging brand attachment and making them come back for more.
5. Make the most out of social media – Having a strong social media presence is essential. Find out what platforms are relevant for your audience demographics and leverage them. Make on-trend and shareable content that grows awareness of your brand. Keep in mind that posting consistently and engaging with the audience is essential for staying relevant, so make use of interactive features like polls and Q&A prompts.
6. Influencers – After building your media presence, identify influencers who could be relevant to your brand and start building a relationship with them. Interacting with their account or sending them products could lead to mentions of your brand on their profile, or even collaborations, broadening your customer base by driving up visibility and engagement.
7. Talk to your local media – Whether you have upcoming events, product launches or new partnerships, reach out to local media and share exciting news. Take advantage of the exposure and sell your start-up’s story, what it does and how it benefits and adds value to the community. Send in a quality photograph to support your story.
8. Customer reviews – Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on your website and refer friends to your brand. Make sure to showcase positive reviews as they are powerful tools for PR and could convince prospective customers to engage with your brand.

Embrace your uniqueness and have fun with your brand!