In my “book reports,” I cut through the fluff, and outline only the most useful ideas and information from the book, so that you can put them to use right away, without reading the book. In this book report, I will share some tips and strategies I learned, for promoting and marketing a small business or organization, even on the tiniest of budgets.
Marketing is Not About You
* Step outside of your own experience, and try to understand the needs and problems of your potential clients.
* Listen carefully to what they are saying, and determine whether you can actually help them, temporarily putting your own agenda aside.
* If you are genuinely able and willing to help, they will pick up on, and truly appreciate the offer.
Stick to a Regular Marketing Schedule
* Commit to 2-3 monthly meetings, educational seminars, workshops, or volunteer activities – which would also be good networking opportunities.
* Create a system to keep in touch with your prospects – a monthly newsletter, quarterly postcard, etc. The time may not be right to do business with you at your first, second, or third contact, but if you keep in touch, they will think of you when the need for your services arises.
* Create a simple marketing plan, hang it somewhere where you can see it, evaluate it every month, and stick to it.
* Decide on a monthly marketing budget, then spend it!
* Your marketing efforts need to be consistent in order to generate results.
Some Ways to Get People to Spread the Word
* Give something away – if it’s something interesting and/or useful, people will tell their friends
* Do things differently – any unusual activity that benefits a customer evokes favorable comments from its sponsors
* Empower your customers – provide those who buy from you with awards and privileges to share with others
* Provide new, important or humorous information – you’ll benefit from the discussions arising from the inevitable “Where’d you hear that?”
More Paths to Free Publicity
* Being included in a resource list – newsletters, books, and magazine articles often list resources, and if you can be listed in appropriate lists, it’ll be easy for your prospects to contact you
* A calendar listing for an event you either sponsor or are involved in, with your contact info and url.
* Tips or articles on your topic – submit them to article directories (articlemarketer.com). If they’re fresh or useful, they’ll get picked up. Be sure to include your contact information, url and a brief description of your offerings in the byline.
Send out Press Releases
* A press release is a newsworthy story about your business that you submit to newspapers, radio, television, magazines, etc.
* If an editor is interested in your story, they may interview you, or write an article about your business.
* The public is generally more receptive to a news story than an ad
* Brainstorm for anything that’s fresh and newsworthy about you or your business
* Offer surprising facts tied to your business
* Do a survey and publish the results
* Conduct business in an unusual setting, then write a press release reporting on the event
Where to Submit Press Releases: A Couple of Good Starting Points
* prweb.com
* mediapost.com
This book was a wealth of good ideas for promoting a small business on a budget, with more to explore, if you are looking for further marketing tips.
Emilie Nottle is a Graphic and Web Designer, Online Strategist, and Principal at Zooop Design – a full service graphic and web design firm. If you’re ready to make the most of your online presence, automate your marketing efforts, and grow your biz, subscribe to her monthly eZine here.