CORMARQ

In this economy, you need all the help you can get to ensure that your business is noticed amid all the noise. Marketing is key, but which approach to take? Thankfully, there are a variety of different inexpensive marketing techniques that you can employ. Some require energy and perseverance, but that is what it takes to succeed when marketing in a 2010.

1.      Increase visibility in your community. Join local organizations that provide business networking opportunities, or start your own. Do volunteer work for a large charity. You’d be surprised at the marketing support such activities can bring.

2.       Creatively package your marketing campaigns. A postcard is one way to market your business. But how about putting a small box together with a fork, knife, spoon and a custom printed napkin that invites your prospect to “have lunch on us?” Think outside the box, and your marketing campaigns will have more impact.

3.      Yes, use Facebook and Twitter. Having a Facebook page may not earn you any new business, but not having one may cause customers to ask why you don’t. Take some good pictures of your offices and your employees (unless you’d rather leave those details to your customers’ imaginations), or, in some fashion, put a more human face on your company identity. 

 4.       Talk to your clients. It’s amazing how much money businesses spend to gather market information and attract new clients when they have a wealth of opportunity and information in their existing client base. One of the best ways to increase revenue is to talk to existing customers. Ideally, this should be done by someone outside your company so clients are willing to be honest and open.

5.      Get the word out with publicity. Think you can’t do PR or publicity without employing the services of a high-priced firm? You can! Although a good firm brings tremendous contacts and experience, most small companies can do enough PR on their own to spark the public’s interest.

6.      Use downtime for marketing.  When times are slow, keep employees busy contacting customers. Create e-mail marketing documents your employees can send to individual customers. Personal contact with customers gets results. Mass e-mails are less effective and, given today’s e-mail spam filters, may not be seen by many. Send Greeting Cards on a regular basis not just the holidays. Go for quality contacts rather than quantity.

7.      Leverage existing relationships. Most people know at least 200 people. Do the math: If you know 200 people and they each know 200 people, that’s 40,000 potential contacts! Spend time developing relationships with the people you already know-clients, colleagues, people you meet through professional networking organizations, friends and even family.

8.      Develop Strategic Partnerships. Establishing partnerships with other businesses allows you to combine your resources to overcome challenges. By creating an alliance with other organizations you can develop a synergy that improves your ability to meet the needs of your target market and decreases you marketing budget.

9.      Incorporate Promotional Products.  Promotional products move people to action. On average, 62% of end users do business with the advertiser after they receive the item, which makes them a great prospecting tool. The average Cost Per Impression (CPI) of an advertising specialty item is $0.004; as a result, you get a more favorable return on investment from advertising specialties than nearly any other popular advertising media.   

10.    Position yourself as an expert. Position yourself as the go-to expert in your field. It costs next to nothing and is the key to your success.  Positioning yourself as the expert can help you no matter what you sell. Write articles for a blog, engage in public speaking, and educate your clients.  You don’t have to have an advanced academic degree to use expert positioning to grow your business. You do need to be an expert in an area relevant to your business.

The key is to never surrender.  Getting new and potential customers to notice you is an ongoing—and sometimes uphill—battle, and one you can’t ever stop fighting. Pick a new idea every week or two and implement it, no matter how small it is. Call a meeting of employees, order a pizza for lunch, and brainstorm; offer an incentive for ideas you implement. Before long, your marketing might just pay off in new sales—and happier, more involved customers.