In today’s day and age, it is not enough to simply have high-quality products and services. You also need to have a strong marketing game so that you can set yourself apart from your competitors and encourage consumers to choose you instead. In fact, there are a lot of brands out there with mediocre products and services, but they still find success as a result of their excellent marketing strategies.

There are a lot of benefits to investing in marketing efforts. It can help you reach a wider audience that might be interested in buying your products and increase your sales later. On top of that, it can also improve the credibility of your brand, making it much easier for you to gain consumer loyalty.

But, you have to know that there are many marketing strategies out there that include traditional advertising such as TV, print and radio as well as more modern ones that involve social media. However, just like with other things, the hardest part of marketing is knowing how or where to start. If this is your case, then you don’t have to worry. Here are some of the most effective ways to start marketing your business.

1. Learn how to organize

When starting any marketing, you need a plan. Therefore, you need to make it. You can begin by brainstorming sessions, making themes, listing items and making targets for your calendar. You do not have to make your plan big. What is important is that it is beneficial for your ROI.

You can also try making an elevator statement and think of what you want to tell people about your brand, products or services within 30 seconds. You should keep in mind that this statement should be interesting — another way to organize your plan to get feedback from people in advance. Whatever way you do, your goal is to create a good impression.

Related: 10 Marketing Strategies to Fuel Your Business Growth

2. Create a website

Many people and businesses depend on technology. Therefore, many potential customers would want to search for your business on Google. They can easily see what your business has to offer if you have a website.

You can make one yourself or hire the help of a professional at a web-development agency. You need to be wary of people who guarantee a top rank in search engines — unless this person works as a developer for Google. You should get a professional if you prefer more features for your website.

When you create your website, it is best to focus on SEO and making it compatible with different devices. You can also use Google Analytics to monitor your website’s traffic.

3. Take advantage of social media

Many people utilize social-media platforms every day. Most of the traffic is on Facebook. If you still do not have a Facebook page for your business, it is time to create one now. You might be missing a lot of opportunities by not having a page. More and more people have been using social media — even older people. 

This is not surprising since many of their children, grandchildren, friends and former colleagues are there. Put simply, you can tap into different audiences when you are visible on social media.

4. Claim your business online

Regardless of what happens to a business, information about it can be found online. You would want to see and control what people read about your products or services when they search for you. You can do this by searching your business using different browsers to see what information is shared and claim your business by making a business listing.

5. Utilize Google Adwords

Google Adwords can help you target the specific types of products or services you have. Rather than picking out a lot of keywords, it is best to choose a few quality keywords. Google AdWords also lets you choose your target location and work on a budget.

Related: 9 Sales and Marketing Tips for Startups

6. Increase awareness in your community and make a network

This means joining business associations and community organizations and groups. Anything that gets your business involved will help. Building networks is a great way to start your marketing efforts and get the attention of other business leaders. Networking also allows you to expand your contacts, have new referrals and increase awareness of your business.

You can support events and other programs that are aimed at a good cause. Not only do you make your business known, but you also help your community. You can also give away promotional items with your business name and logo and contact information during these events. T-shirts are also ideal since this is a form of free walking marketing.

7. Give away coupons or free trials of products or services

You start building followers by doing this. A customer who is satisfied with what you have to offer will return and share his or her experience with his or her family and friends. You can also start reaching out to the people you know to help you promote your business.

8. Advertise

Suppose other methods are not enough to market your business. In that case, you should make your business known and show how it is different from your competition’s. You should also let people know how they can contact you. Advertising is not one-size-fits-all. Therefore, you need to figure out what works best for your business.

Related: 3 Reasons Marketing Is the New Sales

9. Copyright

Copyrighting helps protect your ideas so that others will not copy them without your permission. You need to protect them in a way that the law recognizes. If you have printed material, it is best to obtain federal copyright protection for it.

You can opt for agencies like Upwork to help you with this. If you plan to invest a lot in your website, you can protect your ownership of your site’s contents, graphics and general design.

Now that you know how to effectively market your business, you have to be consistent. You have to make sure that your business is known. After all, people will never be able to avail your products or services if they do not know that your business exists.