For any entrepreneur, the rush from starting your new business empowers you in many good ways. With each initial success, the new business starts to dream (and rightfully so!) about conquering their particular industry.
But, as with all things in life, never bite off more than you can chew – particularly with your small business marketing. That’s where smart entrepreneur PR strategy plays a vital role, by making you focus on what your business does best.
With social media now as the most attractive and cheapest small business marketing platform available, the entrepreneur has more temptation to promote themselves as an expert on anything and everything, even if it’s a topic outside their industry. In doing so, the entrepreneur risks muddying their message and ability to market their product or service in a targeted way. They start to resemble this guy:
Instead, initial entrepreneur PR strategy shouldn’t expound on more than 2 or 3 core message topics at first. Opened up a new coffee shop in your neighborhood? Then blog about coffee, not local celebrity gossip (unless it’s about those celebs drinking your coffee). Are you the new iPhone app maker in your city’s digital corridor? Then tweet about emerging app trends for small businesses, and not trade battles between competing nations.
And, as a side benefit, by concentrating your messaging on a handful of discrete topics, you generate SEO on your particular business and help brand your new enterprise as a trend-setter. Focus, focus, focus!
I totally agree with your blog entry about what to do when you’re just getting started with a new entrepreneurial venture. It is easy to have big dreams and goals for your company, which is a good thing. But as you say don’t bite off more than you can chew.
Limiting your services when you begin is a good idea. It allows you to see what the needs of your customers are without overwhelming you as you transition into life as an entrepreneur. It’s easy to add services on as you see fit based on both the customer wants and what you believe that you can handle. You must realize that you can’t do everything so it is important that you focus on what you do best in order to find success. If you find a tight niche you will find success and will be well known within the particular market that you wish to serve.
I also agree that by having a specific focus it is easy to improve on your search engine optimization because there are not too many variables to wade through to get to your message. This will also help you form a unique brand.