Want to make your small business stand out from the crowd? Marketing can help, but obstacles like tight budgets, limited resources, and plenty of competition can make it challenging to promote your products or services. That’s where founder-led marketing comes into play. Let’s look at what founder-led marketing is and how you can incorporate it into your marketing strategy.

What is Founder-Led Marketing?

Founder-led marketing is a marketing approach in which the founder becomes the face of the company. Rather than simply delegating all marketing tasks to team members, the founder takes an active role in marketing activities and strives to personally connect with customers. 

Why is Founder-Led Marketing Important for Small Business Owners?

This founder-led approach to marketing offers a variety of benefits to small business owners. 

Authenticity

Today’s consumers crave authenticity and are more interested in connecting with a real personal than a faceless company. When you’re involved in your small business’s marketing efforts, you can foster relationships and build trust with your audience. 

Passion and Expertise

No one is quite as passionate or knowledgeable about your business as you. Being directly involved in marketing gives you the opportunity to communicate your passion for what you do as well as share the ins and outs of your company. This can help attract customers who are enthusiastic about your products or services and the “why” behind your business. 

Storytelling

Founder-led marketing allows you to share your journey with your target audience, along with your values and vision for your business. Having this story come from a real person instead of the company in general can help your story resonate with people on a deeper level. 

Cost-Effectiveness

Hiring a team of full-time employees to do your marketing can get expensive quickly. Founder-led marketing allows you to leverage your own time, resources, and expertise for effective marketing on a budget. You can also save money (and time and energy!) by working with a digital marketing agency for support. 

Building Personal Connections

Through founder-led marketing, you can engage directly with your audience to build personal connections. For example, you can respond to comments or messages on social media, answer questions in real time, send emails from you specifically rather than from the company in general, and more.

How Small Business Owners Can Incorporate Founder-Led Marketing

Ready to give founder-led marketing a try? Here are some steps you can take to get started.

Be the Face of Your Brand

Make sure you’re visible in your marketing efforts. From social media to blog posts to videos and more, show up and let your personality shine.

Tell Your Story

You know firsthand what it’s taken to start and run your business. Share your story with your audience, including your inspiration, challenges, and vision for the future. Storytelling in an authentic way humanizes your brand and helps customers build an emotional connection to your business.

Engage with Your Audience

Take time to interact with your audience online. Respond to their comments or messages on social media with thoughtful replies and engage in conversations. This shows you truly care about your customers, which can encourage customer loyalty and trust.

Demonstrate Your Expertise

Position yourself as a thought leader in your industry by sharing helpful advice and valuable insights. Consider publishing blog posts, hosting webinars, contributing to industry publications, or speaking at events.  

Be Consistent

Be consistent with posting on social media, emailing your customers, and other ways you like to communicate with your audience. It can be helpful to block time in your calendar each day for when you will participate in founder-led marketing efforts. 

Get Help with Founder-Led Marketing

Founder-led marketing gives small business owners an opportunity to stand out from the crowd, build trust, and connect with their audience on a personal level. Want help with your founder-led marketing efforts? Schedule a call with us to learn more about our consulting and digital marketing services.