woven fabric bags:Bagging Buzz for Your Small Business

So you’re just getting off the ground or gearing up to open the door of your small business. One of the best things you can do now for the life and growth of your company is to think about the way you’re going to build “buzz,” that is, what you’re going to do to make your business and your brand known. Whether you’re a local shop or a multi-national retailer, here are a few ways you can increase buzz and get your name out there:

Give Away Some Free Stuff:

Give something away!We get it: money’s tight when you’re just getting started with your small business but an initial investment in giveaways can mean a huge return on your money. Offering reusable promotional bags full of freebies to new customers is a great way to stir up some repeat business. Promotional items have been shown to increase the frequency and size of orders and word-of-mouth business, too. And the best part is, investing in custom promotional items imprinted with your logo or brand name means you’re getting free advertising every time the recipient uses them!

Get Involved in the Community:

If you’re a local business, this one’s easy. Simply get out there and let people know who you are, live and in person. Sponsor a 5K walk for a cause or take some of your product to a school bake sale (and if you’ve got any imprinted bags left over, here’s another great opportunity to use them!) If you’re an online business, you can still be part of message boards and visit trade shows. Building your brand means showing your face in an age where the web has taken much of the personalization out of business.

Hype Up a New Product:

Hype your businessIf you’re well past the new business stage you may want to consider promotional products for a new or improved facet of your existing business. Consider giving away samples of a new sauce recipe with every package of dry rub you ship or even having custom printed bags made with a “Coming Soon!” message that can double as shopping bags for your customers in the meantime. Existing businesses don’t have to feel stale…simply focusing on a service or product you may have neglected in the past can open up whole new customer bases.

Give Useful Tips to Your Customers

Customers tend to buy more and keep coming back when they feel like they can trust a brand. Feeling like they’re being “sold” to is one of the most common reasons customers stop listening to brand messages…set your small business apart by offering something useful well before you ever get to the selling phase. Host a tutorial in your area about something related to your business – for example, if you’re a dog groomer offer tips on keeping pets healthy in your city. Perhaps it makes sense to start a newsletter or a Facebook page dedicated not to your brand, but something you can later tie back to the brand – a newsletter for brides offering helpful advice and templates would be a great start if you’re looking to get an alteration business off the ground.

Thinking ahead is half the battle. The best way to bag buzz for your small business is to think about your clientele and determine what they respond to before you ever invest in promotional products, billboards or a fancy website. Though it may seem counterintuitive, sometimes you’ve got to spend money upfront or even give away product for free to convince customers you’re the real deal…and once you get them to love what you’re offering you’re set!