Entrepreneur Resources Your source for small business information
The best and most effective marketing is, arguably, word-of-mouth. People listen to those they know and trust, and so when a loved one recommends something specifically for them, they’ll check it out. Being an unknown name in this digital world is tricky. You can, of course, sell and still make money without working on increasing your reputation or your search engine page ranking (SERP), but each sale will be an upward battle. You want to have repeat customers. You want your happy customers to refer you over and over again, but where do you get started?
Hold Local Fundraisers
When you are a local business (even if you also sell online), a great way to start increasing your reputation online and offline is to hold a fundraiser. Contact a charity that you, the CEO, personally care about and have vetted, and then plan a fundraiser event. Contact local news agencies and neighborhood committees from there to garner attention and advertising for your event. The more noble the cause, the more likely you can not only get free advertising from them, but they might even help you plan and organize the event as well.
The nature of the fundraiser can be anything. When you are first starting out you can keep it small and set up a small bake-sale market where you either sell baked goods you have purchased or made yourself. You can also get other locals in on it, improving the quality and selection. Focus on the charity, but have your logo and mention your company’s name throughout the event. That way you can help out the community, have good press, increase the number of link-backs to your website, and become a local name.
Make it Fun
You can even hold events that both fundraise and pay for themselves. For instance, you can organize a local fair day, where you can sell tickets for rides, events, and more. Buy a few used Kawasaki Ninja bikes, race them, and even put them up for auction so that you can further the amount you raise. The more spectacular and attractive your event, the better. Ticket sales can cover the cost of the rides and attractions, and the rest can go towards charity. You can also use this time to get people to sign up to your mailing list, buy your products, and generally get used to your name and learn to trust you as a pillar of the community.
Remember Aesthetics
Instagram is a huge marketing draw. This means that so long as you add art and other visually appealing aspects to your fundraising event, you can draw in the younger crowd. You can also entice them to post their photos on Instagram, further advertising your event and your company. The more people post, the more people will come, and the more people will see your branding. It’s a win-win. Help the community, help yourself, and have fun while doing it.
People want to feel like they are doing good work, which is why hosting fundraising events is a great way to bring the community together for a good cause and put your name out there. You want to build a relationship, using this philanthropist’s guide is how you’ll do it.
