When you first start trying to get your business off the ground, you have so many different plates to spin. Your main priority is trying to find customers and make money, but there are other jobs that crop up and require your undivided attention.
As well as wearing the business owner hat, you may also have to take control of your own bookkeeping, technical support, and office admin. These skills can be learnt by anyone fairly quickly, but they do take your focus away from the areas of your business you really want to be concentrating on.
One department that can often sap your energy resources is marketing. If you want your company to become a success, you need to be promoting your brand and raising awareness amongst your target audience. And this is an ongoing mission that never ends. Once you are a little more established and have some money coming in, you can outsource this area or hire a marketing manager, but in the early stages this obligation will probably fall on you.
But marketing is a complicated business, for which many people spend years studying to earn degrees. How can you, with no experience, expect to figure this out in a matter of weeks?
Fortunately, if you are willing to put in the hard work, you too can become a marketing expert and use your new talents to grow your business. There are so many ways you can learn the ropes as you develop your business, and here are four ways to get you started.
Find a mentor
If you want to learn anything new, perhaps the best way is to ask someone who has proven experience in the field. A mentor will be able to provide you with invaluable guidance and support throughout your business journey, showing you the ropes and helping you to avoid common pitfalls. There are plenty of online mentoring services, or you could reach out to someone you know who has a marketing background.
Consume content
There are so many books about marketing that can teach you anything you need to know, from which social media platforms are best to throwing an industry event. Add some well known titles to your to-read list and start brushing up on your knowledge. There are also countless podcasts, blogs, and YouTube channels on various aspects of marketing.
Scope out the competition
If you’re unsure how to succeed at marketing your business, it’s worth having a look at what your competitors are doing. Investigate their websites and social media accounts for inspiration and ideas you can adapt.
Take a course
For absolute beginners, it may be worth signing up for a training course or workshop to develop your marketing skills. There are so many to choose from, whether it’s an online SEO course or an in-person PPC seminar.
By following these tips you will gradually become more adept at all aspects of marketing and be able to transfer these skills to your business. You may not always get it right along the way, but as long as you see the process as a learning curve and can grow from your mistakes, you will no doubt succeed in the future.
