Starting a business involves a long list of jobs, and marketing tends to get squeezed in between registering with HMRC and working out how the card machine works. The result is often a rushed logo, a website thrown together the week before opening and a vague plan to “do some social media”. New business marketing works better with a plan and a sensible order.
It doesn’t need to be like that. You don’t have to do everything before day one, but a few things are much easier to get right at the start than to fix later. This guide sets out the new business marketing essentials for your launch, in the order they’re best tackled.
It focuses on new business marketing and your presence, not the full legal and financial setup. For those, the official GOV.UK guidance on starting a business is a good place to begin, along with an accountant.
Stage one: the foundations (before anything is public)
Check the name properly
Before you fall in love with a name, check it isn’t already being used by a similar business, particularly in your area or sector. Search Companies House, search Google, check the UK trade mark register and see whether suitable domain names and social media handles are available. If the name matters to your long-term plans, get advice on trade mark protection.
Secure the domain and handles
Register your domain name as soon as you’ve settled on the name, in the business’s name and on an account you control. Register the matching social media handles on the platforms you’re likely to use, even if you won’t post straight away.
Get a business email address
Set up email on your own domain, such as hello@yourbusiness.co.uk. It looks far more credible than a free webmail address and means your email stays with the business.
Create a brand that will last
You don’t need a huge branding project to launch, but you do need a proper logo, a small set of colours and fonts, and a clear idea of how you describe the business. A cheap logo that you’ll replace in a year costs more in the end, because you’ll pay to redo everything it’s printed on.
Write down a short description of what you do, who for and why you’re different. You’ll use it on your website, social profiles, Google Business Profile and in every introduction you make.
Stage two: getting found (a few weeks before launch)
Build a simple, solid website
A new business doesn’t need a huge website. It needs a quick, mobile-friendly site that explains what you do, where you work, why people should choose you and how to get in touch. A handful of well-written pages is enough to start. Make sure it has a privacy policy that reflects how you use visitors’ data, and contact forms that actually deliver to someone.
Set up your Google Business Profile
If you serve local customers, create and verify your Google Business Profile early, because verification can take time. Use your real business name, choose accurate categories, add hours, services and photos.
Set up tracking
Install analytics on your website and connect Google Search Console. You want data from day one, so you can see what’s working.
Complete your social profiles
Choose one or two platforms where your customers spend time. Complete the profiles fully with your logo, description, contact details and website link. Post a few times before launch so the profile doesn’t look empty.
At launch, it’s better to have two channels that look finished than six that look abandoned.
Stage three: getting ready to sell
Printed essentials
Depending on your business, this might include business cards, a leaflet or price list, signage for premises, vehicle graphics and workwear. Allow time for design, proofing and production. Signage and vehicle graphics often have longer lead times than people expect, and some external signs may need permission from your local council, so check early.
Photos
Real photos of you, your team, premises and work build trust much faster than stock images. Even a small shoot before launch gives you material for your website, profiles and social posts.
Collecting contacts properly
Decide how you’ll collect details from customers and enquiries, and how you’ll store them. If you plan to send marketing emails, understand the basic permission rules before you start collecting addresses. The ICO’s website has guidance for small businesses, including on whether you need to pay the data protection fee.
Plan the launch moment
Think about how you’ll tell people you’ve opened. Options include an opening event, a launch offer, local press, announcements through your personal networks, local community groups and partnerships with complementary businesses. Pick a few you can do well rather than trying everything.
Stage four: the first three months
The launch is the start of your new business marketing, not the finish. In the first few months, focus on:
- Reviews. Ask every happy customer to leave a Google review. Early reviews make a big difference to a new business’s credibility.
- Consistency. Keep posting, keep your profile updated, keep following up enquiries promptly.
- Learning. Ask every customer how they found you and write it down. After a few months, you’ll know where to focus.
- Existing contacts. Stay in touch with early customers. Repeat work and recommendations are often a new business’s best source of growth.
In new business marketing, hold off on large advertising spends until you’ve got the basics working and know which messages resonate. A small, well-targeted test tells you far more than a big splash.
New business marketing launch checklist
- The business name has been checked against Companies House, search results and the trade mark register.
- The domain is registered in the business’s name on an account we control.
- Social handles are secured on the platforms we’ll use.
- Email is set up on our own domain.
- We have a proper logo, colours, fonts and a short description of the business.
- The website is live, fast, mobile friendly and has a privacy policy.
- Contact forms have been tested and deliver to a monitored inbox.
- Google Business Profile is set up and verified.
- Analytics and Search Console are installed.
- Chosen social profiles are complete, with a few posts published.
- Printed items, signage and vehicle graphics are ordered with lead times allowed for.
- We’ve checked whether any external signage needs permission.
- We have real photos for the website and profiles.
- We understand the basics of data protection and email marketing permissions.
- A simple launch plan is in place.
- We have a routine for asking customers for reviews.
- We record how every new customer found us.
Launching soon?
If you’d like your new business marketing essentials handled together, our marketing strategy work covers brand, website and launch in one plan. If you’re a smaller start-up watching every pound, our free website offer gets you a professional site for £220 all-in.
