Marketing your business 

The success of your business strongly relies on having a well thought out marketing and sales strategy. 

The importance of knowing and clearly defining the products or services you are offering, who you’re selling your products to (your ‘target market’) and your competition cannot be emphasised enough. We strongly recommend spending some time writing a marketing strategy which will allow you to identify these areas before you start up. You should also review your strategy once you’re trading to ensure that you remain focused and receive maximum return on investment. Your marketing plan objectives must link to your business plan and business objectives. Our top tip advisory sheet on ‘Tips for developing your marketing plan’ will guide you through the areas you need to consider and give you practical advice about writing and measuring the performance of your marketing plan.

Download Top Tip Advisory Sheet ‘Tips for developing your marketing plan’ (405kb)

There are many tools available to market your business. It is important that you chose the right tools to target the right customers, at the right time and at the right cost. It is also essential to monitor how your customers hear about you and for you to review your marketing methods on a regular basis to ensure that you get return on investment. Tools you may wish to consider using include:

Brand development – It is important to ensure that your brand identity and logo encompass and communicate your business values to your customers. Your brand will create your business reputation and can also make your business stand out from the competition so it is important that you get it right from the very start. You should budget for brand development and speak to a variety of advertising agencies to find the right one for you.

Website – Having a web presence for your business will offer you an online selling or promotional tool. Our top tip advisory sheet on 'How can an online presence help my business?' will guide you through what you should consider when deciding if your business needs a website, what options may be available to you regarding building a website as well as how to make your website work better for you.

Download Top Tip Advisory Sheet 'How can an online presence help my business?' (47kb)

Database – Using a database will allow you to improve your relationships with your existing and potential customers. Up-selling, cross-selling and customer retention will enable you to grow your business and potentially increase your profits.

Direct marketing – Direct marketing allows you to directly target your customers through direct mail, leaflet drops, telemarketing or email marketing. It is important to ensure that you keep your message clear and concise for maximum effect.

Public relations (PR) – Using the media and other sources of publicity can raise your business’ profile. Our top tip advisory sheet on ‘How to write a press release' will provide you with information about how to engage with the media through writing a press release.

Download Top Tip Advisory Sheet ‘How to write a press release’ (22kb)

Advertising - Advertising is paid for promotion which allows you to clearly communicate your marketing message to your chosen market. There are many advertising mediums which you might wish to consider using and your choice will depend on what message you want to deliver. The main mediums are television, radio, magazines, newspapers, the internet and billboards.

Social marketing – Social media both for advertising and for engagement with your customers has become a very important marketing platform for businesses. Social media platforms you may wish to consider using include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr and Trip Advisor. Our top tip advisory sheet on ‘Understanding social marketing’ will guide you through the practicalities about using the various social media platforms to promote your business.

Download Top Tip Advisory Sheet ‘Understanding social marketing’ (31kb)

Networking –Developing relationships with other businesses and individuals is of paramount importance to your business. You may wish to explore being a member of a business networking group or join a membership organisation like the Chamber of Commerce or The Institute of Directors. Jersey Enterprise organises a series of networking events throughout the year. To be kept up-to-date we suggest you register your details on our mailing list.

Register your details to receive information about Jersey Enterprise events and initiatives

Tendering opportunities – The public sector buys (or procures) the majority of required products or services through issuing a tender. The tender sets out their requirements and invites businesses to submit offers to the tender. To find out more about tendering opportunities across the Channel Islands, we suggest registering your details on the Channel Islands Tenders website.

Tendering opportunities on Channel Island Tenders website

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Other pages you might like to browse:

Business planning
Setting up a business
Funding your business