You’ve just made the leap from corporate and started your service-based business.
Or you’re branching out with a side hustle, while working your day job.
Either way – the overwhelm has probably hit – and you’re wondering what the hell to start with when it comes to marketing your business.
Is there any order to follow?
The order will be slightly different for every business, but here is a structure you can follow as a guide.
Business paperwork
Assuming you’ve got an ABN (Australian Business Number) – or equivalent in your part of the world, some legal contracts drawn up (Lawpath is great) and a go-to bookkeeper or Accountant – you can start. You may want to consider setting up a business bank account too.
What are the basic marketing fundamentals?
Do you need to identify your audience? Yes – before doing anything, take time to get crystal clear on the pain points you are solving for your target client.
Do you need a website on day 1? No.
Do you need business cards? No
What about a logo? Technically no.
Your new business marketing checklist
- Elevator pitch – You might refine it over and over again, but a basic elevator pitch about what you’re offering and to who is the first thing you need, to begin telling people about your business. Eg. “We provide financial advice for Business Coaches” or “Many pet owners struggle with vet bills, we provide insurance to ensure costs are manageable.”
- Basic logo – You don’t need your final logo – but you need something to start with. Creating a logo in canva is quick and easy. If you want something more permanent in place, start a mood board on Pinterest of the kinds of logos you like – and approach a designer.
- Social media profiles – Pick one or two to start with and focus on building an audience. This will depend if your audience is B2B or B2C, and the kind of customer you want to reach. For an audience aged 40+, Facebook is most popular and there are loads of amazing groups to join – or you can start your own. Instagram is 30+ and where you can really flourish if you have a visual business. LinkedIn is best for B2B and corporate. It’s where you’ll find decision-makers from both business owners and larger companies, plus Government.
- Business Brand identity – After designing a basic logo, you’ll need a style guide – to identify the colours and fonts you’d like to use. This can be as simple as adding to your Pinterest board and doing some research on what different colours are associated with. It’s a good idea to invest in a designer at this stage.
- Professional headshot – If you are the face of your business, you need to look professional, trustworthy and credible. It’s worth investing in a professional headshot so you have something to use on LinkedIn, if you do speaking gigs, write a guest blog or want to approach media.
- Website – While you can start your business without a website, pretty soon you’ll want to send clients somewhere for more information. A well-designed website is a must-have. It becomes a hub. Remember a website is never done though – just like social media, it’s something you will need to keep updating to serve your audience.
- Email list – Once you’re up and running, you’ll want to communicate with your audience regularly. You can start building a list earlier, but it becomes easier to send emails once you have a website to send your audience to. You can start with a free Mailchimp account – but other platforms including Activecampaign, Convertkit and Campaign Monitor offer different features and benefits depending on your needs.
Never compare yourself to someone who has been in a business for many years, as it takes time to set up the basics.
Please reach out if you’d like help. We can support you with copywriting, content planning, personal branding and LinkedIn but if you’d like help finding a designer or photographer, we can point you in the right direction.
