Starting a Creative Business in 2013 - Promotion

So you’ve got an idea for a creative business you would like to create in 2013, you’ve done a lot of research, have many ducks all lined up in a neat row but now you are wondering how you will let other people know about your fantastic new business.

How will you get the word out?

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Most of us, when we are first starting out don’t have a big marketing team, or anything that resembles extra cash either. That leaves us with trying to figure out how to promote our new business with no money.

Sounds impossible but it’s not.
Here are a few tips for promoting your new business.

Become an expert. Whether you are selling lemonade or handmade jewelry you’ve probably learned enough about the process and some of the details of the business that you can share some of the information. Assuming that you have several social media accounts you can start handing out very useful advice to others in the same industry. A tweet, blog post or share here or there full of useful information, will go a long way toward establishing yourself as an expert. While you are building your status you can also share information about the items you sell. Just make sure that the amount of helpful information out weighs the business promotion.

Find your biggest fans. If you create handmade handbags and you have a customer who LOVES your handbags, tweets about them, blogs about them etc. then be sure to offer her a coupon for 20% off or free shipping. If she continues to help promote your business just because she’s a big fan of what you make then be sure to send her one of your newest designs with a thank you note. Thank her for helping you promote your business. The chances are good that she will continue to promote your business and you didn’t have to take out a loan to do it!

Make sure you are easy to find. If you are starting a brick and mortar shop make sure you are easy to find. List your site on google, yelp and other such services. Make sure your listings are accurate and include a phone number, address and link to your website.

Be everywhere online. Make sure to have a business profile on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, any social sites that accept businesses. Have a website, social media accounts, a YouTube channel and a blog. Hang out in forums related to your work, make videos to share, write about publicity or press you receive, write guest posts or articles for other websites.

Be everywhere IRL. In real life, attend networking events, get memberships in organizations that apply to your business, hang out in places where your work will be seen and appreciated. If you are a fine artist be seen in gallery openings, making art in public, teaching classes, etc.

It may sound overwhelming to read this list but don’t think you need to accomplish all of this in one day, or even one week. It’s another one of those things where you simply take the first step and then keep on going. Add new elements as you can and keep building your business.