When you start a business, nobody hands you a marketing manual. You're told to post every day, run ads, start a newsletter, get on TikTok and now show up on ChatGPT too. It's no wonder so many founders feel overwhelmed and end up doing a bit of everything without seeing much come back.
When I launched my own fashion brand I had no customers, no following and no idea where to start. What made the difference wasn't doing more. It was getting a few foundations right first. Here are the five I'd start with.
1. Know exactly who you're talking to
"Everyone" is not a customer. The more clearly you can picture the person you help, the easier everything else becomes. What's their problem? What have they already tried? Where do they spend time online? Write it down. Every post, email and ad should speak to that one person.
2. Be clear about what you offer
Could someone land on your website or social page and understand what you do, who it's for and how to buy in under ten seconds? If not, fix that first. Clear beats clever every time.
3. Make it easy to get in touch
A surprising number of small businesses lose customers simply because it's hard to contact them or book. Make sure there's an obvious next step everywhere: a contact form, a booking link or a phone number that's easy to tap on a mobile.
4. Start collecting email addresses
Social media followers belong to the platform. Your email list belongs to you. Even if you only have a handful of subscribers, start now. Offer something genuinely useful in return, like a discount, a guide or early access. I built my own list to 8,000 people this way, and it became the most valuable thing in my business.
5. Pick one or two channels and do them well
You don't need to be everywhere. Choose the places your customers actually spend time and commit to them properly. One channel done well will always beat five done half heartedly.
Founder led marketing is your secret weapon
As a small business owner, you have something big brands spend fortunes trying to fake: you. Your story, your expertise and your personality are what make people choose you. Don't hide behind your logo. Show your face, share what you know and talk about why you started. People buy from people.
Then, and only then, spend money
Once these foundations are in place, every pound you spend on ads, SEO or a new website works so much harder. Skip them, and even a big budget can disappear without much to show for it.
