3 Things To Do for Your Business Starting Today

By Robert Whited Day-to-Day Business Operations Small Business Financing May 23, 2014

Today we’re sharing three things you can do right away to connect with your customers and grow your business.

1. Take 5 to 10 Pictures

Being active on social media can really help your small business. A picture is worth a thousand words, and is the best type of content you can share.

You may not have time to snap new pictures every morning, but if you take 5 to 10 pictures at least one day a week you will have enough content to get you through a seven day period.

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Pictures of your employees, products, menu items, customers (who agree to having their picture shared) and your shop are all pictures that your target audience will be interested in seeing.

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If you know that you’ll be running a specific sale or special during the week, try to get a picture of the item that will be featured. You can then put together a post that says something along the lines of: Come in and receive ____% off _____ today only! Hurry while supplies last!

You don’t need a fancy camera to get started. In fact you can just use your camera phone!

2. Invite Bloggers to Visit Your Business

If you want to expand your customer / client base you have a few options. You can pay to produce a costly commercial, you can pay for on-going ads via Google or Facebook, you can advertise in the newspaper or you can invite local bloggers to visit your business.

In most cases a blogger will be happy to review your business in exchange for a comped product, service or meal.

When reaching out to bloggers there are a few simple guidelines you should follow:

  • Make sure they write about your industry. For example, if you run a salon, try reaching out to a beauty blogger, or if you own a restaurant try reaching out to a foodie blogger.
  • Ask how many visitors they get per month and the average time readers spend on their blog. You’ll want to work with bloggers who have built up a loyal and consistent audience that actually spends the time to read their posts.
  • Check if they are active on social media. While a social media following isn’t vital to working with a popular blogger, it’s a really great bonus. Bloggers with social media followings will share their review of your business with their social audience and that will amplify the number of people who learn about you.

Finally, the most important thing to look for in a blogger is someone who is friendly and honest. Don’t try to pay a blogger to give you a good review. This compromises their integrity, and doesn’t give you any true feedback on how your business is doing.

3. Google Your Company Name

Whether you put information about your business online via social media, a website, and review sites or not, there is likely “stuff” about you online.

Customers can easily add your business and post reviews about you on sites like Yelp and Urban Spoon. Additionally, business directories will often automatically add companies along with basic information such as address and phone number.

It’s in your best interest to Google your name and make sure all of the information out there is correct – including your address, phone number, email address, etc. so that customers can easily find you.

Would you like to explore financing options to fast track your business growth? ARF Financial is a lender you can trust. We have a quick and simple funding process. Contact us today to learn more or read more marketing posts in our blog!