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What makes or breaks a new startup? What is the difference between a virgin business which becomes nothing and one which becomes – well, Virgin? There are a lot of different aspects to consider when you’re setting up a new company, and you can be forgiven if you forget one or two occasionally. But there are some essential tools which will help to kickstart your business. If you’re considering a new startup, these are worth bearing in mind.
A Strong, Professional Brand
Before you do anything, you need to get a clear idea of what your business is about. This doesn’t just mean what your company will do. It means: what is the flavour of the enterprise? In other words, how are you planning to brand it? Having a sharp, professional image for your business is often the difference between success and failure. You want to make sure your company’s name and logo stick in people’s minds. Think about how powerful a good jingle can be. This is what you want to achieve by your brand alone.
Social Media Presence
An absolute must in today’s world is that your company has a robust social media presence. Set up a Twitter account and actually use it! It’s no good getting set up on all those different sites if you’re not going to make the most of them. The key to marketing through social media is consistency and interaction. Make sure your business’ use of social media is actually, well, social.
An Engaging Website
Claiming your own little corner of the web is essential for anyone with a startup business. But it’s not just about the website itself. Once you are set on a brand, go shopping for domain names. Claim as many as you can that you can relate to your brand, and then make sure they all link back to your business’ homepage. Then all you need to do is to use some decent SEO tools to keep your site competitive. Page ranking is the name of the game here.
Email Marketing
Once you have your web presence up and running, email marketing should be your next step. Email marketing is a fantastic way to draw in the crowds. Get people subscribing to your newsletter, and you have a nice effective method for getting your brand right into their inbox. Be sure not to overdo it, though. If you spam your potential customers, you are sure to put them off.
Good Networking
This should go without saying, but it is so often left forgotten. When you’re starting out in business, you can’t afford to let any opportunity go to waste. Ensure you are on LinkedIn – it’s the largest professional networking tool in the world, so you’d be a fool to ignore its potential. Networking is just as important away from the computer, too. If you really want your business to succeed, you should be blowing your own horn at every opportunity. Just be careful not to annoy your friends…
If you follow these five pieces of advice, you should find your startup business is thriving before too long. Now get out there and get selling!
