There’s an enormous amount of emphasis on digital, virtual and social branding these days, but it’s also important to look at the benefits of solid marketing as far as your physical location goes. In other words, if you have a building that you run your business from, it should represent part of your marketing plan as well.
To make this happen there are a few pieces of general advice that you can follow, including starting with curb appeal, creating a great entryway to the building, making sure you get digital reviews of your physical location, using deep branding techniques, and remembering to really focus on location, location, location.
Start With Curb Appeal
If your business doesn’t look good from the street, you’re already starting on the wrong foot. No matter what condition you initially get the building in, make it a point to replace the siding, paint or repair the outside, trim the basic landscaping back, repair the nearby parking as necessary, etc., etc. Those details really matter when you’re trying to give off a great first impression.
Create a Great Entryway
When people first come in your building, their senses are going to be on alert, seeking out information they want. Use that to your advantage. Create a great entryway experience. Have it be focused, well-lit, and easy for them to talk to a receptionist. In terms of pure marketing, this first internal impression may be one of the most intense experiences they have concerning what your business, brand, product or service means to them.
Get Digital Reviews of Your Physical Location
If you’ve ever poked around on Google maps, then you know there are reviews associated with physical locations. There’s nothing wrong with taking your marketing to this level. In order to do that though, you have to figure out how to get clients to write a review of your business as it stands in the real world. Make that as easy as possible. Give them instructions on how to do it even. The difference between a good Yelp review and a bad one makes a huge difference in perception.
Making Banding More Than Skin Deep
And beyond the curb appeal and entryway considerations, remember that the first person that someone talks to inside of your building is important as well. Make this a good experience. Hire a charismatic character to be this initial contact.
Think Location, Location, Location
Even business that have primarily a digital or web-based presence need to keep the location of their physical business in mind. If people do want to see you or your products and services in person, having it too far out of the way is going to get in the way of your best marketing practices.
Originally posted on September 9, 2016 @ 7:52 pm