Promoting a business is like trying to become healthy. A yearly visit to the doctor won’t make you fit, but a daily exercise routine will. The same is true for your company. Rather than just a casual event, marketing is a continuous investment of time and resources to strengthen your network with potential clients, vendors, and other brands. These five points will help you think of new ways to promote your business.

Online promotion

If your business doesn’t have a website yet, you’ll want to step out of the ’90s and contact a web designer as soon as possible. But just having a website isn’t where online promotion stops. You’ll also need to consider how social media and online communities can benefit your brand.

Instead of creating social profiles at random, find out which sites your customers are most active on. Create a strong social presence there, then consider branching out to other sites or communities as you expand your clientele.

Print marketing materials

Printed marketing materials are a fantastic way to promote your business because they provide a tangible reminder of who you are. Consider creating branded stationery or letterhead for your company, which you can distribute in a custom folder.

Presentation folders are one of the best tools because they’re light, portable, and come in a variety of stocks and colors. That means you can find plenty of recyclable or sustainable paper options. Small items like magnets, ink pens, or coffee mugs are also great because they pull double duty—they advertise your company while serving other purposes as well—but they can be more expensive to make.

Events

Events like conferences and trade shows allow for face-to-face networking. In today’s virtual world, many businesspeople never actually meet their clients or other leaders in their own industry. It’s easy to forget that there’s a client behind every transaction, and it’s equally easy for them to forget that you’re the one magically providing the products and services that show up at their doors.

Meeting people face-to-face at events helps establish a personal connection that will in turn strengthen your business relationship. A handshake, a voice, or a shared meal all help your clients remember that there’s a person behind your brand.

Incentive or loyalty programs

Entrepreneurs sometimes get this idea that marketing means reaching new clients. In reality, promoting a business is something that shouldn’t stop just because somebody bought your product or used your services. You want your customers to return, after all, so think about how you can promote your business to existing customers so that they’ll come back. Create a loyalty program so repeat clients can receive exclusive bonuses, or offer special incentives such as giveaways, prizes, or buy-one-get-one deals.

Traditional advertising

There’s one last thing that entrepreneurs seem to have forgotten in the wake of modern marketing—and that’s the fact that traditional marketing still works and even influences digital marketing. This can include radio, TV, and billboard ads. The best thing about these methods is that they’re all scalable.

If you have a small business, you can advertise on a local radio or TV station, or put up a few billboards in your area. Larger businesses can expand to national radio, internet radio, or cable TV, and they can put billboards along interstate highways wherever their company has a location.

Takeaway

Remember, promoting your business takes a lot of hard work. If you stay dedicated, you can reach a broader audience or connect with your existing audience on a deeper level. Continue that promotion over time to keep yielding positive results, and be on the lookout for new tactics that might work with your client base.