During IT business startup, advertising can play an important role in growing a business.  The following tips can help those in the business of providing technology solutions to small businesses advertise in the most efficient way possible.  

Tip 1:  Long-Term Relationships are Key

Online and print ads can work for selling IT services to small businesses during business startup.  But the most important thing to remember with the IT industry is that you are selling a high-trust, long-term relationship.  Therefore, the most effective advertising technique is networking through organizations, trade shows an seminars in order to reach decision makers for small businesses at an early point during the sales cycle.  By selling your services in this personal way, you avoid price sensitivity and get buyers more interested in value and real relationships.

Tip 2:  Focus on a Niche

Unless you’re part of a Fortune 1000 company that makes seven or eight figures annually for marketing purposes, you need to sell to a more specific target than just “small business.”  IT companies get the best results during business startup and beyond by focusing on a subset such as small businesses with 10-50 PCs or vertical markets, such as the legal, hospitality or health care industries.  
    
Tip 3:  Be Aware of the Different Needs of Prospects and Clients

If you are selling IT services during business startup, you are probably selling to someone in small business with very little technical expertise and less than 50 PCs.  If you are working with 50 – 250 PCs, you will be selling to a small IT department.  These two types of decision makers will have different needs, and you will have to build different marketing plans based on this fact.  

Tip 4:  Don’t Waste Money on Branding

Many new to the IT consulting business will try to copy the marketing strategies of very large companies and waste money on branding.  During IT startup, you have to know that even more important than your brand is repetition and follow-up to getting lead generation results.  Focus on only activities that support these goals.  

Tip 5:  Stress Relationships

Business startups need to understand how powerful relationships are to getting customers.  You can make your business startup marketing campaign go far if you grow relationships with local firms that have established trusting relationships with target small business owners, including CPAs and management consultants.

Added By:  Joshua Feinberg