Unmissable Marketing…?
We supplied a large collection of our furniture to a business event, which inspired us to find some unusual marketing tips for start-ups.
Left-field Launch
Launching your own business can be an exciting time, and there is much advice available so your fledgling company has the best chance possible for success. We recently went to see a client who assisted with the Elite Business Event in London, which helps to bolster commercial growth thanks to all the advice, expert speakers and guidance offered.
Kick-startups
For this occasion we delivered a range of our furniture to the exhibition, including our black padded stools, black polyprop chairs, poseur tables, soft seating and more products you can see photographed here. We think these events are a fantastic help to startups, and we thought we’d like to highlight some tips that might get you thinking a little differently.
1. Matchmaking
Events like the one we attended are great for networking. You might get to meet people from similar industries who you can share knowledge with and get ideas for promoting your company and boosting sales. It’s also the ideal place to meet potential businesses that you can team up with when it comes to marketing. Your possible partner doesn’t have to come from the same sector, in fact teaming up with organisations in different industries could tap into a whole new customer base.
2. Beyond The Web
Anyone who’s launched a startup knows the importance of the web when it comes to highlighting your business. There are so many channels available, from social media, to blogs and email campaigns too. This virtual advertising has the capacity to reach millions of people, but don’t forget about real-life too! There are many different types of promotion that can be very effective, from printing t-shirts, to commissioning mural paintings on high profile buildings, to car bumper stickers, for example.
3. Get Charitable
As mentioned above, teaming up with another organisation can lead to all kinds of benefits - and this applies to charities too. A simple way is to offer sponsorship for fundraisers organised by the group concerned, but you could also include some charitable initiatives within your own events.
For example, Forbes highlights how visitors to a festival in Brazil were encouraged to recycle specific drinks cans by depositing them at exits on their way home. Those who took part were given a free train ride home. We regularly team up with charities offering furniture for their occasions either as a donation or for a reduced rate.
4. Include Your Customers
The internet makes its really easy to see what capture’s your customers imaginations. You can track visits to websites, and see what products/services gets likes and positive feedback online. You could also go a step further and actually include clients in your marketing campaigns.
Free the feedback!
There are many ways this could be done, and you could take a tip from Karl Lagerfeld who offered access to iPads to those trying on clothes so they could upload different looks and share them. Making it easy for customers to share their experience and suggestions opens up in-depth feedback, which you might take on-board and use for direct marketing campaigns.
