How to Start a Marketing Firm
After graduating with a degree in marketing it’s time to jump into your new career. For some a career working for large, medium, or small companies is a great choice. For others, working for yourself might feel more appealing. If you’re a graduate who has chosen the latter we have a few helpful tips to guide you on your journey.
The dream of starting and running a successful marketing firm may seem like an elusive one. It’s a venture that might seem intimidating in the beginning. But, with the right strategy, education, and approach, you could run a successful marketing firm, which not only helps other mature and startup businesses build their brands but also serves as a lucrative operation, elevating you to the position of an industry leader and influencer.
No one is born an influencer. In fact, influencers are ordinary people like you and me who have worked on and have earned a substantial loyal following because of their expertise and their ability to communicate clearly and effectively. Celebrities may gain influencer status because of who they are. But, for the rest of us, becoming an influencer is about achieving fame by sharing information that is of value to our followers.
Marketing Yourself
In order to gain influencer status, you need to start marketing yourself. You could certainly start by using social media. While there are several social media platforms out there, focus on connecting with your target market. This means doing your homework. Find out which networks your target audience uses and share content on those. You could not only use social media to promote your business, but also to engage with and find your clients. Let social media be a window into your agency for your audience. It’ll also allow you to stay connected with what matters most to your audience.
The smartest approach is to choose a specific area or niche where you want to be known as the expert. Needless to say, you need to focus on an area where you have knowledge and experience. For example, if you’ve been working as an entrepreneur for many years, working as a performance psychology coach would be ideal, or if you have 15 years of experience in designing shoes, that would, naturally, be your niche.
While influencers start out by posting content on social media sites, what sets them apart is the fact that they tend to focus on something specific about which they are passionate about. The more you show your followers that you are genuine and passionate, the more likely they are to remain loyal. So, to summarize, pick a niche that stokes your creativity and passion and use the power of social media to market yourself.
Other ways of establishing yourself as an influencer is by contributing to others’ blogs and getting invited to speak at conferences. These are just more ways to share your expertise with the people who matter. They may be followers or they may be movers and shakers in your industry. Your goal is to get their attention and keep it.
Picking the Right Niche
When you focus on a niche, you tend to build relationships with some of the top influencers in that space. It’s important, of course, that you pick lucrative niches.
Begin by looking at profitable businesses that are currently in demand and will remain profitable and in demand for some time to come.
Another top benefit of choosing a niche is the number of referrals you can drive within your industry. You can use digital to build brand recognition, but you’ll find that referrals and word-of-mouth are invaluable when it comes to building your business and bringing you more clients. When you develop a good reputation, you may find that you don’t need to market yourself as aggressively as you did in the beginning.
Zeroing in on a niche will also help you develop better content strategies. This will help you provide valuable content to your clients and prospective clients such as blogs, informational videos, free downloads, podcasts, and webinars. Those who visit your social media sites or website will appreciate the fact that you genuinely want to help them succeed, whether they hire you or not, and that’s a powerful way to reach out. It’s not always about transactions. Often, it’s about building relationships.
Developing Your Own Website
Don’t be the cobbler without shoes. While you may be extremely busy trying to develop your clients’ websites and coming up with content for their sites, don’t forget about your own. Remember, this is how people are finding you. A well-designed website can have a positive impact on your marketing business. When someone hears about your firm, it is highly likely that they will search you online and try to learn more about you through your website.
You need to take the time to put together a thoughtful, cohesive, user-friendly website. You can find good templates on WordPress that could make your site appear professional even if you don’t necessarily have the budget for it. If you have the means, hire someone to design a website for you. If your firm’s website sparkles online and showcases your best work in a portfolio, your potential clients will be more inclined to retain your services. A professional, well-designed website is well worth your time and expense.
Hiring the Right People
As your firm grows, it might become necessary to hire additional staff. At the very least, you may need to hire a personal assistant and accountant to take care of your company’s financial matters. You may have to make a decision regarding whether you outsource some of the work such as content production or create an in-house content production team. These are all vital decisions that could have a powerful impact on the clientele you are able to attract.
Telling Your Clients’ Stories
Storytelling enables marketers to build a deeper connection with their audience. Telling stories is a fundamental human experience that not only brings people together but also drives deeper connections. Storytelling is also a technique that stands out in a media world where there are too many bright and shiny objects competing for consumers’ attention. You can tell your clients stories on social media, in paid search ads, via SEO, email marketing, and even in traditional marketing. Stories help you as a marketer to move beyond the mindset of selling a product or service. When consumers connect with your stories and become invested in them, they are also more likely to find your brand appealing.
Running a marketing firm is not for the faint of heart. You may run into challenging times. But you will also have experiences that are extremely rewarding. And if you’re doing it right, you will find this to be extremely lucrative and personally enriching.
Getting a Degree in Digital Marketing
If you have been looking for the right program to advance your career to the next level and need more career guidance, Fremont University is happy to connect you with an admissions mentor for a free one-hour personal career coaching session.
Let us help you with the first stretch of your amazing journey. Simply fill out the form on this page to get started.
*In no way does Fremont University promise or guarantee employment or level of income/wages.