Managing a business is tough , but it’s even harder when you’re just starting out. With so many already-established competitors, how can a start-up make their mark in the industry and start generating leads? There’s no easy solution that will automatically generate leads before your business launch, and there’s no solution that will put your business at the top of search rankings right away. But have no fear – there are certainly things you can do to speed up the process of bringing your business on par, and later even exceeding your established competitors.
Do the groundwork
Before you launch your business, there are plenty of things you can do to raise awareness and get your brand on the radar. Plan your launch campaign carefully and start doing teases on your social media profiles. Yes, that means you’ll have to have social profiles to do this. Once you’ve done this, start build a presence online– post in forums, answer questions on LinkedIn, create promoted posts with unique offers for users who sign up.
Lay down the foundation by creating social profiles that are consistent in terms of branding, and tone. If you want people to know your brand and what it represents, it’s important you have a very clear idea yourself.
You can also get started on your SEO strategy before launching your business website. This doesn’t necessarily mean unveiling your website right away, but maintaining a “Coming soon” page in the meantime. This way, web-crawlers can start indexing your site before it’s even launched so that it can start ranking in searches.
Create more opportunities for customers to opt in
Use every blog post, tweet and LinkedIn post as an invitation for customers to opt-in. Whether it’s an exclusive offer that is available for a limited period, or simply an invitation to join the mailing list, make sure you are giving your visitors a reason to stay on your page.
They don’t have to be loud, and the whole page doesn’t need to centre around it. Think of it more as a friendly nudge in the right direction – for example use opt-in buttons that work well with the aesthetic of your website, but avoid colours and fonts that are entirely in-congruent with the look of the page. Do this to capture leads that you can nurture later.
Create an offer that can’t be turned down
Whether it’s a free consultation or a discount code for a product, start off with a bang and capture leads early on. Create an offer that requires a low level of commitment on the client’s end because that way, they’re more likely to sign up to a new business. These leads that you capture will of course, require nurturing over time to turn into eventual sales.
