Jump Start Your Marketing for 2018

By: Jean Kristensen

For Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise, doing business with the government presents a world of opportunity. For MWBEs in NYC, attracting the right buyer is dependent on targeting the right buyer.

Whether you want to connect with more of your ideal clients or increase overall revenue in the new year, consider some of these tactics for your marketing strategy:

1. Attend Networking Events: There are many networking events held strictly for MWBE attendees. Take advantage of these opportunities to connect with government agencies and network with prime contractors.

2. Explore Social Media: You don’t have to be social media savvy to take advantage of these platforms. Check out what your clients are doing on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat to get an idea of the conversations happening online. You can also learn about your prospective (or target) clients by reviewing their social media.

3. Take Advantage of Transparency: The government is very transparent about its dealings, and you should leverage this. You can access information to find out what government agencies are buying, when they are buying and who they’re doing business with. You can also see when current contracts are due to expire.

4. Update Your Online Profile: You likely created an online profile in one or more vendor directories. Make sure it is up to date with the correct contact information, commodity codes, past performance, and certifications. Your online presence is an important part of your brand, so you’ll want to make sure everything is complete and accurate.

5. Refresh Your Marketing Material: Get a fresh start this year by revisiting your marketing material. Update your capability statement, give your business cards a makeover, and review your templates.

6. Integrate Email Marketing: Email marketing is an easy, low-cost way to connect with your ideal clients. You can utilize email to communicate your expertise and announcements by way of newsletters, e-invites, and more.

[Related: Why Influencer Marketing Is Essential For Any Business Looking to Grow]

7. Revisit Your Elevator Pitch: Who is your elevator pitch geared toward? Does it effectively communicate what you do, who you do it for, and how? Even if it does, there is always something to improve or modify.

8. Create Educational Content: Content is king when it comes to successful marketing. You need to create content that effectively teaches your target audience how to solve a problem they have, while showing them that you are qualified to help them fix it. Positioning yourself as a subject matter expert will bring you inbound referrals right from your blog, newsletter, and social media.

9. Consider Video Creation: Research shows that businesses with video marketing are slightly ahead of the competition. If you are comfortable on camera and have valuable information to share, consider doing so with a video blog. Another idea is to create a brief video clip that shows how your services work for your target audience, like a commercial.

[Watch: Growing Your Small Business with Government Contracting]

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Jean Kristensen is the CEO of J Kristensen Associates, LLC. An entrepreneur, certified coach, trainer and public speaker, Jean has over three decades of professional security experience in firms ranging from small start-ups to multi-million dollar corporations. Sign up for their #MWBEsuccess newsletter by clicking here for free guides to grow your business.

Originally published at www.ellevatenetwork.com.