By Dawn Berryman - MarketMommy.com

So, you’ve taken the plunge and started your own business. Now what? How do you market it? How do you get the word out? Where can you reach your target audience?

All of these questions prompted me to launch Market Mommy, an online marketing resource for mom business owners. We specialize in helping moms market their businesses on a budget. Below, you will find 5 quick and easy tips for marketing your business.

1.    Invest the time:: First and foremost, you must be willing to invest the time it takes to market your business. You simply cannot launch a new company and just sit back and watch. Nothing will happen. You’ve made the commitment to start a business, now you must see it through. Oftentimes, the hours spent on marketing seem futile because it takes awhile before you see results. Stick with it.

2.    Be consistent:: Consistency is one of the most important components of marketing. It is crucial that while building your brand and your company, you remain consistent. Everything from colors, to logos, to product images, to fonts, to business cards, to web design, to packaging, to taglines, to e-mail signatures …. You get the idea. Everything you put out there must be cohesive to your brand and the image you are creating. This can’t be overstated.

3.    Partner:: Forming allies and building a team around you is a great way to market your business. There is strength in numbers. Business partnerships are just as important as customers. I always suggest finding similar businesses or organizations that you can partner with. At holiday time wouldn’t it be great to partner your shoe company with a non-profit that donates shoes to children across the globe? By partnering you instantly double your exposure!

4.    Investigate the competition:: Don’t underestimate the value of research. Taking your time to investigate who your competition is and what they are doing can prove invaluable. Set up Google Alerts and make yourself aware. This can generate ideas or it can prevent you from looking like a copy-cat. Investigating your competition can help with everything from price points  to marketing campaigns. It can also help you think of things to try and show you things to avoid.

5.    Be creative:: Most importantly, make sure your marketing plan is a fluid document; it should never be set in stone. Always be open to new ideas. Think outside of the box. Marketing ideas and concepts should be new and fresh. Just because you create a marketing plan now doesn’t mean it will still be a good plan in six months. Keep thinking, keep generating ideas, keep networking and keep expanding.


Dawn Berryman is the mother of two and founder of MarketMommy.com, an online marketing resource for mom business owners. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and communications and a minor in journalism. She has worked in the marketing field for the past several years and has a personal desire to help other moms market their businesses successfully.