May/June 2019 Marine Fabricator - 44

ShopTalk Business

Marketing your marine
canvas business
By David Huntington

M

arketing is a critical
component in the success of
all businesses, and marine
fabrication is no different.You may be
booked weeks in advance, but even
established shops should include
marketing in their annual business
plan to continue to build "brand
equity"-making your brand valuable
to the customer. Strong brand equity
improves customer confidence in the
buying process. Examples of companies
with strong brand equity are Amazon,
Apple and Costco, to name just a few.
Make your brand stand out
Brand awareness is highly visual,
which is why it's important to use
a professional logo in everything you do,
including signs, business cards, trucks,
uniforms and invoices. Make your logo
something that pops. It should define
your business and separate you from
your competition. There are many
resources for creating a logo and artwork
for your business. One of my favorites
is an online group of independent
creatives at www.crowdspring.com.
Carry your brand into your online
marketing efforts, including your
website and social media accounts.Your
website domain name should be easy to
remember and similar to your business
name or brand.Your email address
should be your actual domain name,
not a personal email address using a
third-party hosting service like Gmail
or Yahoo. For example, let's say you

44 Marine Fabricator | May/June 2019

secured the domain name
www.mycanvasbiz.com.Your
email should be something like
john@mycanvasbiz.com instead
of mycanvasbiz@yahoo.com. As
simple as this may seem, it separates
the hobbyist from an established
business in the eyes of the customer
and it further defines your brand.
Active vs. passive marketing
There are many different ways to
market your business in today's
digital world, and some of the most
successful can be done for free
with just a little time and effort.
Marketing basically falls into two
categories: active and passive.
In "active marketing" you are driving
the message and engaging directly with
potential customers.You are establishing
yourself as part of the community,
whether it be online or in the actual
boating community you are working in.
Examples of active marketing include
posting on social media platforms
like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
and Pinterest; attending tradeshows
and networking events; and handling
calls and emails from customers
who are shopping for services.
In "passive marketing" you are relying
on your business website, press releases
and paid advertising to get customers
to reach out to you. While these things
cost more up front, they create more of
a long-term mass marketing effort that
takes very little time overall to manage.



http://www.mycanvasbiz.com http://www.crowdspring.com

May/June 2019 Marine Fabricator

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May/June 2019 Marine Fabricator

May/June 2019 Marine Fabricator - Cover1
May/June 2019 Marine Fabricator - Cover2
May/June 2019 Marine Fabricator - 1
May/June 2019 Marine Fabricator - 2
May/June 2019 Marine Fabricator - 3
May/June 2019 Marine Fabricator - 4
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May/June 2019 Marine Fabricator - Cover3
May/June 2019 Marine Fabricator - Cover4
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