Setting up a new brand is exciting. You’ve got some great products and services lined up, you’re proud of your brand design, your website and shop look great. Next up is learning how to promote your business, which can seem incredibly daunting when starting from scratch.

In this guide, we’ll explore the different methods of brand promotion, what it entails and how to tailor it to suit your start-up. From creating social media campaigns to crafting posters for a new launch, learn more about how to promote your business locally.

What is brand promotion?

Brand promotion refers to the strategies you use to market your company, products and services to customers. Its purpose is to build awareness of your brand, and target both known and prospective customers, with the final aim of making sales.

It’s important to get your brand promotion strategy right as a start-up, as it helps get your name out there, which can be difficult when you don’t have an initial platform. By personalising your approach, you can stand out from competitors and target your customer base with more effective, tailored campaigns.

Brand promotion can come in different forms, including:

• Advertising – both online via paid search and social media ads, in person through posters, flyers and billboards.
• Packaging – how your products look online and on the shelf is an important aspect of brand promotion. Does it catch your eye while browsing? Are your values and benefits clear from the outside?
• Face-to-face sales – exactly what the name suggests. This can help your brand appear more personal and help build individual relationships with customers. Though it isn’t as far-reaching as advertising, and may only be suited to certain types of businesses.

Different methods of promotion for your start-up.

Want to start experimenting with your brand promotion? As a small business or start-up, you might want to start in your local community, as well as online spaces.

Finding the right fit may require some trial and error – but it’s all part of the process. Here are a few methods of local brand promotion you may want to consider for your business.

Local social groups.

Becoming part of your community is a great way to get to know prospective customers and show them you care about the local area. This can become one of your brand’s unique selling points (USPs), and means you become a go-to for locals, before larger, less in-touch competitors.

Start by joining a few local Facebook groups, staying in contact with both customers and other businesses, and attending smaller community events.

Google Ads.

When you’re not promoting your brand in person, setting up paid ads and campaigns helps you target customers and measure results. With Google Ads, you can promote your site and products online – both on Google and on partner sites like YouTube. These ads can help you reach new, previously unreachable customers, while building brand awareness and driving traffic to your pages.

Local influencer partnerships.

While creating classic social media campaigns is still an effective method of promotion, the product marketing world is experiencing a shift. Influencer partnerships on sites like TikTok are now one of the top ways to create ‘buzz’ around your brand. Partnering with local content creators to test out and hopefully promote your services, can boost customer trust. It acts as a more personal and engaging recommendation to interested customers.

Community team or event sponsorships.

Not only does sponsoring a local sports team or event get your brand logo and name out there visually, but it also creates a powerful presence. When you invest in local projects, this benefits the wider area and reaffirms your place as a business figurehead in your community.

Directories and local listings.

Today, this means more than getting your name in the big yellow book. For example, platforms like Google My Business help connect customers to services by recommending businesses in search results. With this in mind, it’s important your location and contact information are up to date on these platforms. This helps people find you and directs custom your way.

Top tips on how to promote your business locally.

Knowing what works best for you and your start-up is important when choosing the best promotion tactics for your business. But understanding the practicalities of these tactics is equally as vital to getting things off the ground.

With this in mind, here are a few tips on where you can get started with your brand promotion efforts.

Understand your target audience.

Before you can get started creating campaigns, advertisements and promotional content, you need to define your target audience. A good way to do this is by looking at similar competitors to see who they’re targeting, and analysing your existing customer base and local market demographics.

Become a part of your community.

We’ve already spoken about the power of showing an interest in your local community, but this can never be understated. Get involved in local events, sponsor initiatives if budget allows, and make an effort to get to know your customers.

Engage with potential customers.

A great way to find and engage with potential customers is through paid ad campaigns, both on search engines like Google and social media. Platforms like Google Ads and social media sites like Instagram and Facebook do the hard work for you, by finding prospective audiences based on their online behaviours.

Run contests and competitions.

Although your products and services themselves are great, sometimes offering an incentive to engage with your brand can give you the kick-start you need. For example, social media competitions are a great way to boost online engagement. A simple Instagram raffle – where people have to like, follow, tag friends and share a post to enter – works like a charm.

Provide local discounts and offers.

Offering exclusives to local customers is another great way to show you’re actively engaging with your local community. Not only are discounts, coupons or promotional flyers classic brand promotion tactics, but they encourage people to choose and invest in your small, local business rather than a larger, disconnected brand.

Promote customer testimonials.

Maintaining a strong customer base is vital to building a good relationship, and this is often cyclical. Provide good service, and customers will naturally promote you through word-of-mouth and online reviews. These reviews help grow your reputation, and hopefully help send more customers through your doors. Then the process starts again.

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Good to know.

What is a local marketing strategy?

A local marketing strategy is a promotional method that specifically targets people and certain demographics in your local area. It’s a particularly effective method for small or start-up businesses that want to build a loyal customer base and generate a positive brand reputation in their immediate surroundings.

Can I promote my business for free?

Yes, there are many ways to promote your business for free, especially using online platforms. Some of these methods of promotion include:

• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Optimising your website for relevant search terms and keywords is a great way to help pages rank on search engine results pages – so potential customers can more easily find you. This applies to both product pages and things like business blogs.
• Social media. Creating strong organic posts and being engaged with your followers can help generate brand buzz. So, why not try hopping on a new TikTok trend?
• Local search results. By registering with platforms like Google My Business, it means your company can be recommended in specific search results.

What are some local events to promote your business?

Looking out for local events is a key way to engage with your community. For example, you can attend fairs, markets, pop-ups and festivals to promote your business in person. You can find these events by joining local groups, both on and offline. You could also consider sponsoring one of these events, or even a local sports team or charity.

Is Adobe Express free?

Yes, our free plan offers many core features including thousands of templates, photo editing and effects, animation, and 2GB of storage. See our  pricing page for details and to compare plans.