Attention-Grabbing Tips to Get Your Business Noticed
The e-mail said it was from a Shark Tank producer. They had found my flexible window screen invention on social media and thought it would be an excellent fit for the show. Was I interested? Right, I thought. Who is playing this joke on me? So I ignored it. A while later, my phone rang, and the caller ID read “SONY Pictures.” I answered it, and the most incredible adventure began that day.
But that day only happened because months earlier, I decided to focus a great deal of our attention and our budget on getting noticed. I couldn’t afford to do it, but I also couldn’t afford not to. I needed to grab some attention – and fast.
Up to that point, my business was strictly B2B. Despite initial interest and excitement around my product, the buy-in from window dealers and manufacturers was slow. I call it the “slow yes,” and it was slowly killing me. Bills were high, orders were low, and it was time to reevaluate our strategy. So I decided to hire a local boutique digital marketing agency to build an e-commerce website, create a presence on social media, and usher us into the B2C space as well.
Our industry has a reputation for being very traditional and somewhat “old.” But I had a very young team of creatives coming up with some pretty out-there ideas, and I gave them plenty of space, going along with just about everything they proposed. The post that caught Shark Tank’s attention was a comical video of me showing the durability of our product by beating it with a hammer.
I appeared on Shark Tank in January of 2020, where I got a deal with Lori Greiner. And in March of 2021, my company was featured again in a Shark Tank Update.
The initial publicity got the attention of Global 500 giant Saint Gobain – the leading distributor of technical textiles worldwide – who approached me about acquiring the retail side of the business. A few months ago, we finalized the partnership, and Saint Gobain’s ADFORS division now has exclusive rights in the retail and dot.com space. They recently began a big-box rollout nationwide with plans to take my product – this thing I had created in my garage – global.
These are some mind-blowing results that, I admit, are not typical. But I firmly believe that none of it would have happened without our dedicated attention to digital marketing, creating a hipper, younger brand in a fairly tired space, and taking advantage of every opportunity to grab attention.
Here are a few great attention-grabbing tools that we used (and most of them are free):
Share Everything – on Every Social Platform – All the Time
Our social posts (and all forms of company communication and marketing) are frequent, genuine, light-hearted, sometimes funny, and highly relatable. We respond to almost every comment, admit when we’ve fallen short, and always keep it real. Recently a Facebook user commented on one of our posts; “I love your product, and I haven’t even bought one yet! How are you doing this to me? Will be buying soon for the whole house once it’s done.” That’s the power of thoughtful, strategic, AUTHENTIC marketing. Find your voice – decide what your company vibe will be – and stick with it, keeping in mind that vulnerability is magnetic.
Go Forth and Add Value
Are you an expert in your field? Is your company the “leading” fill-in-the-blank? Then let people know! And even if you’re not, go ahead and present yourself as such. You know enough, and the experts and leaders didn’t get that way by being quiet. Contact your leading industry magazines and inquire about being a regular contributor. In many cases, they are looking for content and will welcome your input. Publishing value-add blogs and articles regularly will help you solidify your voice, gain exposure, and earn trust.
Let Your Voice Be Heard
Seek out opportunities to showcase your industry knowledge. Consider starting a podcast. If that’s not feasible at the moment, reach out to other successful podcast hosts and offer to be their guest.
So, what are you doing to bring attention to your business brand? How many touchpoints do you have with potential customers – how many ways to win them over? If you’re not sure, it’s time for some reevaluation. Companies that fail to embrace or effectively utilize these powerful game-changing tools are leaving far too much on the table.
We focused on selling ourselves as much as we focused on selling our product, and Shark Tank came to us.
What’s still out there for you?
Joe Altieri is the CEO and Inventor of FlexScreen, the world’s first and only flexible window screen – a Shark Tank sensation. A passionate life-long learner, problem solver, and dedicated family man, Joe lives in Pittsburgh, PA, with his wife, Alisha.
