Low-Cost or Free Small Business Marketing Ideas
The economy has forced both large, corporate marketing departments and small businesses to reevaluate and reduce their advertising budgets. The Association of National Advertisers reported in August 2009 that 74% of marketing departments were reducing their marketing budgets. At the same time, it is likely you are seeking new customers to replace those that may have left for economic reasons. We have ideas for you to continue marketing for little or no money!
There are many non-traditional marketing methods that are often free or very low-cost. They aren't meant to replace your usual marketing strategy but to supplement and grow it. Because they are so inexpensive and low-risk, now, in these financially leaner times, is a great time to test them out.
Social media is the most talked about of all of these marketing trends. By interacting on Twitter, joining groups on Facebook and LinkedIn you expose a large number of new contacts to your business. Be diligent. This form of advertising through "relationship building" takes time.
It is much cheaper to take care of your current customers than to replace them. In times like these, going the extra mile to serve and socialize with them is crucial. This might mean simply touching base with a quick phone call to thank them for their business, sending a small gift or stopping by for a visit. Do it for the right reasons, not to hustle, and they will reward you with referrals and continued business.
When you interact with people in other businesses, you can offer to refer business to them if they do the same for you. This is how you build a referral network. Whether it is your landscaping company, your lawyer or your accountant, if you feel comfortable recommending them, ask if they will do the same for you. Let all of the contacts that you trust know you are seeking new business.
A great way to meet like-minded people you respect, and to build your own reputation, is through community involvement. Whether you are volunteering at a soup kitchen or for Habitat for Humanity, you get the opportunity to tell people what you do while providing a genuine service. You can also let people know your business is involved with certain organizations by adding their logos to your website.
A well-developed spiel about your business is important so you can answer the question "What do you do?" with aplomb. This presentation is called your "elevator speech" because it is short enough to deliver on an elevator ride. Be sure you flesh it out a bit if you are in a traditional business. If you own an auto supply store, don't just say that. Say "I own a business that supports both casual drivers as well as car collectors by carrying one of the largest inventories in the area. What kind of car do you drive?". This opens up a whole new conversation.
Do a website and blog review to make sure both are search engine optimized. There are many small things you can do to ensure that search engines like Google and Yahoo find your business and rank it higher in their listings. Some of these things include proper use of keywords, links to other sites and changing title names. There are additional articles on SEO on my website or ask your webmaster for help.
Stay caught up on small business marketing ideas by subscribing to my blog and reading the website.
About the Author:
With 30 years of consulting experience, Steven Schlagel offers training and coaching for startups, entrepreneurs and small business owners. Check his site for more articles to increase your success!
---------------------------------------------------
You are receiving this because you signed up for it on 2009-08-17 from IP 70.85.179.186
To fine-tune your selection of which articles to receive, just login here
using your username: samdman
To unsubscribe please use the following link: unsubscribe
---------------------------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment