If you’re starting a new business, it’s critical you get the message out to your would-be customers. If no one knows who you are, after all, they’re unlikely to buy from you. It’s for this reason that marketing is so critical for new start-ups.
But what approach is best when it comes to marketing a brand-new business? As we’ll see, it depends on the business in question. While there’s a tendency to lean heavily into digital marketing nowadays, the fact is physical printed materials remain an effective way of getting the word out.
Let’s take a look at some of the various types of printed material we might consider.
Brochures and flyers
Flyers are an inexpensive way to market a particular event or put a message through every door in a neighborhood. If you’ve got a new store opening or are offering a service in an area, distributing flyers should be considered an almost obligatory first step. This applies especially to restaurants and takeaways, whose menus can be posted through many doors for not a lot of money.
Business cards
Business cards are a means of promoting yourself to would-be customers and networking with other companies. In some cultures, you’ll need a business card to even be taken seriously in the first place. Your business card will ideally linger long in the wallets of the people you’re targeting. It’s therefore worth taking great pains to ensure you’ve got your branding right before you get them printed.
Promotional items
Giving stuff away for free, like pens, erasers and items of clothing, can provide you with a lasting means of marketing your company. If people are walking around with your logo printed on a t-shirt, you’ll effectively have created a walking billboard. Of course, you’ll need to have composed an effective logo for this approach to be truly effective. Therefore, it’s worth settling on a brand before going down this avenue.
Loyalty cards
Loyalty cards are a proven way of fostering the emotional bond between your brand and your customers. It’s this bond that’ll keep them coming back, even if your competitors decide to undercut your prices. Loyalty programs are mostly kept in the digital domain, but they also often come with a physical card. Make sure it looks every bit as good as your other marketing materials. A common example is a card that gets stamped every time you order a coffee.
Outdoor signs
Banners and flags are a great means of attracting attention to your business in any location. They’re perfect for telling everyone where your store is. Make sure your logo is identifiable even from afar and your sign is consistent with the rest of your branding.
