Whether you like it or not, business is a popularity contest. When your business fails to show people why they should like it, people head elsewhere. And when your business is less popular than its rivals, you’re failing at your job as the owner of that business. It’s not hard to see what I mean. But how can you win that popularity contest and give your business the popularity boost it needs. Luckily for you, it’s not as difficult as it might seem. There are plenty of things that you can do to make your business more popular with the public.
In truth, it’s all about shifting the perceptions that people have of your business. You can do this by changing how the image and the ethos of the business are communicated. But you can also do it by taking some concrete steps in the right direction. There’s no reason why you can’t succeed at this. Simply read on to find out how you can ensure your business wins this popularity contest. Failing to do so is not something you should even contemplate, if you ask me.
Do Something for Local Charities That People Care About
Doing good things for charity is something that many businesses do. They do this because they understand how it good it looks to the public. All good businesses want to be seen in a positive way. And if there are some charities in the local area that people care about, you should focus on helping them. You could run charity events or simply donate money on a regular basis. But by having that kind of partnership in place with a popular charity, your business popularity will be helped massively. Make sure that whenever you do work with a charity that it’s publicised too. If you do decide to do something like this, it’s a good idea to make sure that the partnership is long-term. The good will that people feel for your business won’t last forever.
Boast About Your Record as an Employer
Businesses employ people, and this is something that people really do care about. When they can see that your business is a good employer, they will think of your business more positively. We’ve all heard stories about bad employers with bad employment practices. So, when we hear positive stories about a company’s employment record, it can come as a really nice surprise. It’s something that your business should definitely take advantage of. Talk about how many people have benefited from your employment. And offer the best pay and perks that your business can afford to. It can make a real difference to your company’s popularity, so take these steps today.
Use the Right Tone of Voice on Social Media
Social media is one big platform for popularity. Therefore, it makes perfect sense for your business to be using it to reach out to people and grow your business. It’s perfectly possible to do this. You just need to have a solid plan in place and make sure that you are using the correct tone of voice. The way in which you deliver your message and communicate on social media will say a lot about your business. If you run a small one and you want to improve its social media presence quickly, consider using a company like Vibbi. They will allow you to get more likes on social media. And that can be a big deal for your company as it increases the perception of popularity for your business.
Highlight Your Rivals’ Failings
All businesses have weaknesses and failings. It’s up to your business to take advantage of the ways in which your rivals are failing. They are not perfect, even if it might seem like it sometimes. So, you should look at them and the work they do very closely. Whenever you see something that suggests they’re not as perfect as it might seem, you should latch onto it. You can then take the chance to show the public why your business is better than theirs. Of course, you have to be careful to display your own strong points as well as the weak points of your rivals. If you can do that, it can only be a positive thing for your business.
Take Part in Projects for Youngsters
People love to see it when local businesses are doing things to help out young people in the community. So, if you really want to win the popularity contest, then you need to take part in projects for youngsters. These projects could take different forms. It could relate to employment, for example. Many businesses offer work experience opportunities to local young people when they’re teenagers. And you could also offer opportunities for local people to get jobs after their work experience placement has been completed. Alternatively, you could help out or run projects at a local school free of charge. It’s something that will definitely help the business be seen in a positive light. Give it a try if you haven’t done anything like that before.
Give Away Something for Nothing
Everyone lies to get something for nothing. It’s one of the facts of life. So, why not give things away from time to time? It’s something that can be done in all kinds of different ways. For example, you could give away old products when you want to get rid of them. Or you could, at least, sell them for very low prices. You could also do things like give out free samples or trials when you release a new product. This can really help to generate interest and get people intrigued by what you’re selling. It’s an old trick, but it still works as well as it ever did, so it’s worth doing. And people will appreciate your business that little bit more.
Create a Sense of Fun Around the Business
Your business should be associated with fun and positivity if you want it to succeed and grow in the long-term. People don’t want a dour atmosphere to meet them when they come to your business’s premises. Of course, what constitutes fun will differ depending on what kind of business you run. For example, offering a fun service is much easier if you’re in a conventional retail sector. But if your run a restaurant with high-end customers, the word ‘fun’ will mean something completely different. So, be sure to tailor your approach so that it meets the needs of the business and its customers. If you put your mind to if, this shouldn’t be hard to achieve.
Never Fail to Deliver on a Promise
If your business makes a promise, it should be sure to follow through on it. Failing to deliver promises is one of the biggest trust-killers there is in the commercial world. It could be a promise of a guarantee or a particular function of a product. It doesn’t matter what it is. What matters is that the business does what it says it will, or what it says its products or services will do. Every time you disappoint a customer and fail to deliver on a promise you made, a customer will be lost. In fact, many potential customers can be lost as well. Customers are much more likely to tell their friends and relatives about a bad experience with a company than tell them about a positive one. And you don’t want a bad rumour to spread.
Have the Best Spokespeople
The spokespeople your business employs need to be the very best. In most cases, these are going to provide the business with its face. So, whenever something goes well or goes wrong, these spokespeople will be the ones that communicate with the media. That means that they have to be able to deal with often difficult questions. And they also need to project the right kind of image. It should be honest, open, positive and trustworthy. Those are the kinds of traits that most business owners want their businesses to be associated with. So, hire people that are able to deliver that message in the right way. Give them a trial run before you hire them because this can help.
Simply offer the Best Products or Services
Finally, it’s vital to offer people the kinds of products and services that they think that your business should be offering. At the end of the day, this is what it all comes down to. If your business is not able to deliver what people want, then your business is never going to be popular. One of the things that really matters is how you follow through on what was advertised. When people like they are being delivered something that is different to what was advertised to them, they get annoyed. This is a completely understandable reaction. None of us likes to feel like we’re being lied to by companies. So, keep expectations in check, but also do everything you can to offer the best possible products or services.
