If you’re the owner of a small business, you already have an intimate understanding of just how difficult it can be to grow your brand. Unfortunately, the process of keeping tabs on all of your customers, partners and employees often leaves you with little time to focus on unique and effective expansion techniques. Here at Grey Fox Pottery, we take pride in supporting the success of thousands of small businesses across the nation by providing quality custom stoneware mugs that represent their brands. Today, we’ll be running through a few fun and affordable ways to promote and grow your business. Let’s jump right in.
1. Develop your brand’s unique voice.
There are hundreds of small businesses out there that offer incredible and valuable services and products. However, many never take the time to create their own unique and compelling brand voice. It’s almost impossible to rise above the ranks of your competitors when your business uses the same bland and boring language as a thousand others. To avoid slipping into obscurity, take some time to think about how you want your employees and promotional material to communicate with prospective customers. What kind of tone and terms should you be using on your social channels? What can you do to differentiate your voice from rival brands?
If you’re not sure how to start with this process, think about three or four reputable and successful businesses that you admire. They don’t necessarily need to fall within your industry. Have a few in your head? Now, take a few minutes and do a bit of research on each one. Chances are good that all of their content, advertisements, social posts and employee interactions with customers match a consistent and attractive brand voice. Maybe you really like the casual and fun voice of Snapple, or perhaps you’re smitten with the charming and sophisticated voice that Lincoln uses.
Your objective is to take the aspects of these brand voices that you admire and implement them into your own (just as long as you aren’t parroting another business). Figure out which emotions and attitudes you want your brand to convey, and then build your voice around them. Above all else, you want your brand to sound like a real person, a complex and interesting entity with their own personality and quirks. That’s one of the best ways to carve out your own presence and pique the curiosity of people who run into your messaging.
2. Build a community around your brand.
When people love your business, they’ll stop at nothing to sing your praises and promote you to friends, family members and acquaintances. These personal recommendations are far more effective (and far less expensive) than any number of billboard ads or paid promotions. We call these passionate individuals brand zealots, and they’re an incredible boon for spreading the word about your organization and its services. However, in order to create this powerful support structure of dedicated fans, you’ll need to build a strong community around your business first.
Fortunately, this process doesn’t require putting together huge public events or constant reward packages for loyal customers. All you need to do is focus on engaging with followers on your social media accounts (including your blog), participating in local charities and hosting your own events to celebrate your fans from time to time. The idea here is to interact with your current followers, listen to their praises and criticisms and incorporate that feedback in a meaningful way. Pay attention to everyone who wants to start a discussion with your brand, and do your best to strengthen your relationship with them. Every single person counts, particularly when your business is just starting out. Trust us, your fans will notice and appreciate your efforts and attention to detail, compelling them to interact with your brand even more.
3. Promote your brand with custom stoneware mugs and other awesome merchandise.
One of the best ways to grow your business is through memorable and high-quality merchandise. After all, people love to show off unique and aesthetically pleasing items, especially when they proudly display the logo of one of their favorite organizations. You can use these pieces as rewards for your loyal customers and hand them out during your events too. And, if you’re feeling particularly brave, you can even order several different styles of a certain item (like mugs, shirts or hats) and dare your brand zealots to collect them all.
Any form of custom branding is a fantastic way to get your name in front of people. At Grey Fox Pottery, we specialize in crafting gorgeous handmade coffee mugs that perfectly replicate your brand’s imagery. Our expert team of American artists can customize your order with an incredible selection of different mug styles and sizes. We also offer an immense range of different glaze colors, allowing you to design a signature look that will have your fans begging for more. Additionally, all of the coffee mugs you order come with a complimentary choice of cork O-ring or cork pad at no additional charge. Best of all, our minimum order size is just 48 pieces, which means that you can experiment with different styles and looks without investing in a huge bulk order.
Grow Your Small Business with Grey Fox Pottery
So, now that you’ve learned a bit more about the practices you can use to engage with customers and strengthen your brand, it’s time to take action.
Placing orders with Grey Fox Pottery is simple and easy. Just head over to our contact page, fill out some basic contact information and specify which mug styles you’re interested in. You’ll also need to provide us with an image of the artwork you want featured on your snazzy new mugs. From there, our team of dedicated mug makers will set to work on turning your art into a gorgeous clay medallion with impeccable detail and depth. Believe it or not, most designs can be completed within 30 minutes or less. Who knew that ordering customized merch could be so easy?
Best of luck on your quest to expand your business. We’re rooting for you!