Some years ago, I bumped into an undertaker friend who confided that he was nervous about an upcoming event where he would have to speak in front of 2,000 people. As an officer of the national industry organization, he welcomed the honor but didn’t know what to say. I smiled and suggested a humorous opening line: ‘In our industry, we need to think inside the box.’ He chuckled and I wished him good luck.
Weeks later, our paths crossed again. I asked how the convention was. He laughed: “Not only was your line a great icebreaker, but it helped me write the rest of my keynote speech. Thank you!”
No matter the size or type of business – and no matter how long you’ve been in business – you continuously need to come up with new ideas to get attention. Otherwise, you’re just wallpaper.
No serious entrepreneur can afford to let themselves fall into the trap of thinking ‘Everybody knows what service I provide or what product I sell.’ Even Coca-Cola, promoting itself since 1886, last year spent $5 billion on advertising! Doesn’t everyone know that ‘Coke is it’?
You need to constantly be out there, finding ways to introduce yourself and your product or service to prospective new customers while reminding past and current ones that you’re still in business. It used to be easy: Run a display ad. Shmooze with a local reporter. Mail out brochures. It’s more complicated today. Prospective customers are on information overload, bombarded 24/7 by texts, emails, X, Tik Tok and 100 other social media platforms, plus radio, TV, podcasts, and print and online publications. Should you buy ads, and if so, where? Should you try for placement of news stories locally, regionally, nationally? Content must be well written, timely and interesting. Often it’s best to retain an experienced Marketing/PR pro who knows how to write the right news story and how to get it placed.
Because you know your business so well, it’s crucial that you spend most of your time running it. Work with a PR pro to determine who your target audience is, what is your primary message, what are your ‘unique selling propositions,’ what media should you use to reach the right people, and what should the budget be? Promoting a business of any size takes creativity, the right message, and the right media. Yes, it’s a big undertaking.
