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Figure out if you can promote your business using coupons, rebates or contests. Social media outlets like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook have also become inexpensive ways of getting the word out on your business. Other methods like TV or radio commercials, magazine ads and mailers can be a good idea.

Knowing where and when to market is important. You must plan and ask yourself: Does the medium suit the brand? Is the ad running where the target market will see/hear it? Is the mail/email targeted to interested prospects? Is it running often enough for the message to sink in? Can you afford to run it often enough for the necessary exposure?

Planning will take some time, but once you have an idea about what you need to do to market your specific business, you’ll be in a better position to reach your target market and start raking in the dough. Especially if you’re in the catering or landscaping business.

There’s a lot of pressure out there to blog, to Twitter for business, to at least have a Linkedin profile for goodness sakes! And it’s true, you can’t “sit this one out” and “see where it goes.” Oh, it’s going. Our social lives and our business marketing will never be the same. Your business must participate in the online social sphere.  I’m just one more peer here to say, go on, try it.

It’s a curious feeling, even just posting photos that anyone could see, never mind a status update. So start slow. One site at a time, one profile at a time. Linkedin is an excellent place to begin, since it’s business oriented. When you’re ready to advance to the next level of posting videos on YouTube or setting up a Facebook page for your business, think of it as just that: for your business. It’s true, there’s blurring between the personal and the professional lines, you will be out there with your business – but take comfort in the fact that so is everyone else. That’s right, everyone is doing it.

As you get more comfortable, you’ll enjoy networking online because you’ll be finding old friends and new contacts. Your website will attract more traffic from the additional visibility. It will be worth it. And then there will come a day when you post on a blog and it gets some seriously snarky responses. And you’ll cringe and wish you had never set foot in cyberspace. But so what? It’s just people’s opinions and it will pass. And as they say, all publicity is good publicity. Just stay true to yourself, on message with your company, and keep making connections – online.

So what’s involved in “branding” and why is it so important at the beginning? To start with, think about your business name. Deciding on a name can be the one of the toughest business decisions you’ll ever make, but the time investment will be worth it because it will be used constantly and consistently with all of your communications.

For example, many starting a new business simply use their own name, which works especially well if you already have a lot of contacts, and thus name recognition, in the industry. This also works well if you are a consultant or other sort of sole proprietor.

Similarly, some incorporate their surname into the company name: “The Wilson Group.” Okay, this might sound cool, but if you are totally brand new, I have no clue what you do. Maybe something more along the lines of “Wilson Marketing Solutions” would give me a hint. Not that clever doesn’t count – it can be very memorable. Just don’t be so clever that the rest of us don’t get it.

Another consideration with the name is what’s referred to as “brand position.” Basically, to which market(s) are you trying to appeal? For example, “Doug’s Grill” is very friendly. However, if the price range at said grill is, let’s say, for “special occasions” and the owner’s intent is to seem like they’ve been around longer (or they intend to be!) in the community, a name along the lines of “The Landmark Grille” might do more for the new restaurant. It sounds important, as if it sets the standard in these parts.

Once you’ve put a lot of thought into the all important name, the logo is next. This component of your brand is extremely important, as all the visual representations of your brand will stem from it. Not to add any pressure, of course. But think about how much recognition a consistently applied logo garners. (There’s so much to say about logos, we could go on and on, and will in the future.) Think of your logo as the cornerstone of your brand: all other visuals will build on it and relate to it.

And that last part is key: consistently applying the branding to all your materials, any collateral you hand out, any coupons, any uniforms, your website. Whatever it is, the branding should always be there, treated the same, sharing the same message. When you are new, and need to get recognition as quickly as possible, strong, well-thought out branding – your business name with a well-executed logo, supporting visuals and consistent verbal messaging – will go a long way. And isn’t that what friends are for?

Just like the Internet itself, social media is here to stay. However, as with clubs or hairstyles, what networking sites are the “in” sites will likely always change. Social networking and sharing online will be a constant, just a continuously evolving one. And since consumers are spending time online, business are adapting and hanging out virtually as well. But what’s the right amount?

According to The Small Business Advocate blog, small business owners can easily get sucked into spending too much time socializing online, leading them to neglect “tried and true” traditional marketing efforts that are, in fact, working. While it’s definitely possible that online networks can lead to new clients, one may not see immediate gains, or any at all if it just doesn’t work for your business. Therein lies the secret, except that the secret formula for the ratio of social media to traditional marketing is going to be different for every business.

As for the scientists’ warning that the overwhelming speed and volume of tweets “could harm [one's] moral compass”… I’m not sure I want to think about that just yet. We’re all experimenting, and businesses (and people) have to figure out what works for them. But you’ve been warned.

It’s true that when we hunker down in tough economic times, some of the first things to go are those in “discretionary” spending categories, and that usually includes all things design. But things are more competitive than ever, and businesses need every tool, every advantage in order to grow, or at least survive (I cringe writing that). From the article:

During hard times investment in design can give a business a competitive edge over rivals who are reining in their design and innovation budgets in order to save money.

and

Design and brand strategy can help elevate a firm or its products from the ordinary, the tired or the predictable, demonstrating that the business is alive, dynamic and responsive. And in a declining market that just might make the difference between growth and collapse.

Well said! By all accounts, we’re in this for a while as the markets and world economies sort themselves out. I know it’s easier said than done (and paid for), but there’s something to be said for investing in the design of products, points of customer contact, and overall image. In good times or bad, and now more than ever.