So where to start? Well as per my previous article the Brand / Name. This needs to be common across the platforms.

So if you are just starting out and have an idea for a brand it is worth checking out the platforms to see if that name has already been taken.

If you already have a brand then you can be limited however you can always work out a variation that is close enough.

Do not choose something completely different as this could confuse people. (Yes i have done that in the past myself)

So platforms.

There are main ones and then lots of other little ones:

Facebook – https://facebook.com

Instagram – https://instagram.com

Twittter – https://twitter.com

Google Business – https://business.google.com/

tumblr – https://tumblr.com

Pinterest – https://pinterest.com

Facebook and Instagram are owned by the same company and can be linked.

Short of spending money getting followers and gaining business is old fashioned patience and hard work.

I will do follow up posts about each platform and what you can do.

The first being brand consistency. Have a clear idea of what your brand is. When you are trading at various events you are potentially competing with many other vendors. As such you need to stand out and be memorable. The two things that many people reference is the name of your business and then a tag line. For example mine is The RGD Event List and the tag line is The place to find out about unique and different events across the UK. I also have an easy to identify logo which I use across everything.

When planning a brand you need to note down things such as colours and fonts you use. then when producing marketing materials you can reference.

Now to physical branding. This can be expensive and as such make sure you plan what you want and the design before purchasing.

I once again iterate I am not affiliated with the following but from personal experience have found the following to be really good.

Awesome Merchandise
For £5 including delivery you can get double sided business cards. This is great if starting out and don’t want to invest in lots of cards. Also if you have a theme but want to do subtle changes this means you can do so at an affordable rate. An example which I personally use, is where i take photos at different types of events. Thus I have sets of business cards with different photos but same logo and contact details.

https://www.awesomemerchandise.com/100-Awesome-Business-Cards-Deal

Vistaprint
This is a big company but the key part is they are forever doing offers. I have bought hats, T-Shirts, originally business cards, cups, etc. However each time I have managed to get between 10-40% the items. At one stage I got custom T-Shirts for about £4 a shirt. You can also sign up for their mailing list and they email the offers to you and give you access early sometimes. I would say though is check prices when offers are on to ensure they are good value. My next purchase I am planning is a flag for outdoor events.

https://www.vistaprint.co.uk/offers