How Local Startups Can Turn Public Space into Profit

But anyway, sometimes, the easiest way to do that isn’t by paying for ads or chasing followers, it’s by making the most of the space right outside the front door. So, if there’s a busy pavement, a little square, or a park nearby, that’s your free stage (or at least it can be). But overall, turning public space, or, well, an outdoor space within your locality in general, might require some creativity for your branding, but it can work!

People Like Street Art

Well, for starters, nobody walks past a huge mural without at least glancing over. Just think about it for just a moment; street art’s got this weird power to make people stop in their tracks, and when it’s done well (as in, nothing boring or generic), then it turns a random wall into a must-see spot. Besides, people love snapping photos, posting them online, and next thing you know, your business is part of the local vibe.

Startups don’t need to go big with this either (well, it depends on what you want, of course). But even little bits of pavement art, pop-up boards, or cute painted benches can get people curious. At the same time, it never hurts to hire a mural artist and go bold, of course. Overall, it’s fun, it’s affordable, and it gets way more attention than another boring poster in a shop window.

Make Outside Spaces Feel Like a Vibe

So this ties into the above, so nobody’s walking past an outdoor space that looks warm, welcoming, and full of life. The businesses that pull people in (including pulling them into Googling their business_ always nail their outdoor setups. Just take a cafe as an example, so it’s pretty simplified, but they have colorful tables, cute little bistro chairs, cafe barriers for their little “billboard”, and some large planters, just those things that entice people to want to go there, right?

Well, the rules can still apply, even for a startup that wants to get its name out there (and yes, that includes strictly online businesses). It’s really about finding ways to entice people out in the real world to want to be involved with your business, and yeah, creating that “vibe” is a nice way to go about it.

Think About the Fun Aspect

If someone’s already walking by, why not give them a reason to stop for a minute? Well, interactive stuff always works (you kind of see this online with ads, but it’s so much more effective doing this offline). While you could probably look into an interactive marketing agency (which is pricey but fun), you could do smaller things instead, like chalkboards, a selfie spot, just low-effort things like that, while people are passing through a busy street. Oh, even giving out freebies can help a lot too (and it’s usually a better way to get remembered).