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Starting an alarm company today is not complicated like it was a couple of years ago. It is even more straightforward to get started if you have already identified the manufacturers of the equipment you intend to sell.
But are you prepared to market your business? Are you ready to grow your footprint beyond your physical location? We have prepared this guide precisely to guide you on how to promote your alarm company. Here is what you need to do for the world to recognize you:
Prepare a strategy that works
If you are serious about marketing your business, you must be ready to develop a functional strategy. A good strategy tells you what to do, how to execute it, what comes next, how to handle your competitors, and so on.
Coming up with new tactics is crucial if you really want to see positive progress. By all means, don’t think of reusing old tactics that have been used elsewhere. You can borrow ideas from them but avoid executing them because most are already obsolete. And why are we saying so? This is because tactics that worked five ago may not be effective today. So think of new ways to attract new customers today.
Perform market research
It is an uphill task to prepare a functional marketing strategy without carrying out proper market research. Basically, there are two major perspectives to consider when doing your research.
Competitor research
Who are your rivals? What are they doing to remain competitive? Scanning reviews can give clues of how your competitors are performing, how you can outshine them, etc. To effectively evaluate your rivals, we recommend you do the following:
- Review their websites and perform in-depth online competitor analysis. Keep in mind that almost all businesses today have a digital footprint. Try to find how they handle their clients online and how they present potential solutions. Is it through blog posts or videos? Find out!
Pro tip! Make sure to find out which site they are featured on and how they got featured so that you can also get featured.
- Secret shop their stores or call centers
- Make a comparative list of services that each offers
- Perform a SWOT analysis
Consumer research
Consumer research is very crucial. It helps understand consumer needs and what you need to do to offer a suitable solution. One way to execute this research is to scan through security companies’ customer reviews to unearth common complaints. By doing this, you can determine what your rivals are not doing or offering that you can leverage.
Design a unique business model
Developing a unique business model is a simple task if you performed your research well. When designing it, you need to define which aspects of your business need to outshine those of your competitors so that you can stand out from the crowd. Big names like Amazon, Uber, and Netflix become unshakable giants because they uniquely discovered how to solve consumer problems.
We believe you can also solve your consumer needs better than your rivals if you carry out thorough research. Just know what they need, offer a solution, and make sure your customer service is incomparable.
Paid and earned promotions strategies
There are various ways today to promote your business, with each option offering unique benefits. For example, promotion methods like public relations commonly referred to as “earned media,” are free to you, require more personal work, and earn customer trust more effectively than advertisements.
Pairing traditional methods like print advertising and PR with new-age methods like online review campaigns and website optimization is something you also need to consider if serious about putting your business in the limelight. We highly recommend you give earned media a shot if running on a tight budget.
Here are other ways to promote your business on a budget:
- Join industry associations as well as hold leadership positions
- Get your news release published in online publications and local newspapers
- Win awards that are related to your company
Learn how to create news releases for your business
News release come in handy in helping you gain third-party assistance that delivers traffic to your site, increase consumer trust, and nurture greater brand recognition. So, make sure to leverage them. You can even hire someone to write them.
Local ad spend is a great weapon
When getting started, you may not have the financial muscles to advertise on a state or national scale. It, therefore, makes sense to focus on advertising locally. So figure out where you want to prioritize, and it will be easier to get your small business known despite your pocket limiting you.
Know the top associations you need to join
There are many associations to join today, but those related to your business are more important when getting started. You can join others that you find relevant later. Your presence in these associations, especially those related to your industry amplifies your status. That itself can lead to you been seen as an expert in your field. Besides, by joining these associations, you get another opportunity to write news releases, talk about the goals you have as a member, what you offer, etc.
Win relevant awards
There are numerous awards today for security companies that can amplify the status and reputation of your company. And the fact that applying for some of these awards is an entirely free exercise most of the time; you shouldn’t have an excuse as to why you are not leveraging them. These awards will really help you grow brand recognition and equity, helping you deliver a message backed by credentials.
Become the local influencer
It is very simple to become a local influencer. Be active in the community by participating in local events and supporting charities, and you will be surprised how easier it will be to promote your independent alarm company.
Optimize your site for SEO
You will be missing a lot by not optimizing your site for SEO. When you optimize your site, you make it easier for search engines to rank it, and for new consumers to find it. So, make sure to leverage SEO well.
Customer retention
We are sure you want to see your business grow each day. Retaining your current customers can really help your alarm business remain competitive. But what do you need to do to keep your clients? Simple, understand why they are leaving. Once you do that, it will be easier to retain and attract more. Set your expectation with your customers and also generate recurring invoices, setting proper reminders, and thank you emails so that you can keep them committed.