I was quoted in a Forbes article, click here to read article on Forbes.com
New York City is one of the most innovative and business-driven cities in the world. With a U.S. Census Bureau report estimating the city’s population at over eight million people, there is certainly a lot of competition within such a pressurized and populated area. For those reasons and the fact that the market is so saturated, it can be hard for businesses just starting out to get noticed.
So, what are the best tactics for getting the attention a new company needs in order to gain more notice, clients and investors? What are the best ways to attract the right kind of attention for new startup success? We asked eight members of Forbes New York Business Council to share their most effective tactics for getting their company noticed and started on the path toward success.
1. Focus On Your Message
Find three to four key messages and proof points that make you stand out. These should be on your sales pitch, your billboard. You need to focus on the message because you can’t be everything for everyone. We have a good product, we are not afraid to tell you about it and we are always in sales mode. We can talk about our company and our product at any time. – Samuel Mikail, SM Group Holdings Corporation
2. Utilize Social Media
Social media has been a crucial tool in gaining traction and garnering traffic to our website. In order to successfully market your business online, especially in the design space, communicating your design ethos through a curated display of your work and inspiration allows your audience to become a part of the process, feel involved and become an admirer of your work. – Tracey Sawyer, Krause Sawyer
3. Listen To Your Community
I take time to get feedback and listen to our community. We come up with solutions for any immediate issues that arise, and also consistently think about how we can meet the expectations of each of our members for the long run. We’ve customized our offerings for our members, which is why they continue to choose us year after year. – Morris Levy, The Yard
4. Make Sure It’s The Right Attention
Early on, it’s as important to not attract attention from the wrong folks. We cherry-picked 100 senior leaders and influential academics and invited them to beta test our leadership solution for two hours. Fifty-seven were curious enough to log in once, 39 stayed logged in for over an hour and 22 gave us detailed feedback. One of those became our first client. Another became an investor. – Sriram Padmanabhan, Cymorg Inc.
5. Show Off Your Innovation
Being in a mobile-based business, there isn’t exactly direct competition for the people of New York City. However, we are often in competition for things such as investors and partnerships. The two best ways to gain attention in those areas is through your connections and bolstering an innovative product, both of which we work hard to achieve. – Yana Zaidiner, Token Payments, Inc.
6. Provide Quality
It all starts with quality. Once you do quality work you can begin targeting the right customers and team. Learn where your customers are going and meet them there. Social media has really helped leverage that gap, but without the necessary group and community targeting, the customer will filter you out as just another company. Last but not least, the best attention to get is word of mouth. – James Giacopelli, Giac Capital, Inc & Giacopelli Accounting and Tax Services, LLC
7. Be Kind
The truth is being kind to your employees, your customers, your vendors — those are things that people remember. Those are the things that leave a lasting impression. If you want to be noticed, shine by taking care of the people who make your business possible. Live a life filled with gratitude and appreciation and offer the best products or services that make you proud to be a business owner. – Hoda Mahmoodzadegan, Molly’s Milk Truck and F’in Delicious Beverages
8. Partner With A Larger Brand
I started building my brand about a year ago. I got on TV, got written up a couple times, got some endorsements and joined the Forbes Business Council and Young Entrepreneur Council. But what helped me the most was partnering with Kevin Harrington from Shark Tank. I wanted a partner with a large, existing brand, and got lucky enough to get in front of Kevin. Might as well shoot for the moon, right? – Philip Smith, PJP Marketing, Inc
