Need more ideas to give your marketing efforts a shot in the arm? Here are some ideas to get your marketing efforts moving forward:
- Develop "free samples" of your service. Usually the best samples are written or recorded information. Write a tip sheet or a short list of frequently asked questions (FAQs). Record a speech you give to a local organization. Record a short 2-3 minute video of yourself standing in front of a whiteboard talking about three or four bullet points of interest.
- Improve your existing advertising by writing ten new headlines for your newspaper or Yellow Page ads. Test these new headlines against your existing headlines in small classified ads. Measure the results and let the winner be the headline the next time you run a larger ad in the Yellow Pages or newspaper.
- Host a wine tasting or open house in your place of business. Invite several potential clients and prepare a short talk on a topic of interest to them. Use the tip sheets or free samples you prepared above to give to each attendee.
- Request testimonials from your best clients. Better yet, put these testimonials on video and load to your website and/or YouTube.
- Volunteer yourself and your employees to assist in a charitable cause. For example, your team could man the phones at the next public radio or television membership drive or help other organizations with fund raising.
- Join a new group. Select organizations that allow you to get involved and meet potential clients or networking contacts. Many a financial planner, CPA or lawyer has built a practice by volunteering for United Way as a fundraiser.
- Find non-competing businesses that serve the same client base as you. Approach these businesses about forming alliances and sharing referrals. Cross promote each other on your websites or other platforms.
- Sponsor a talk and invite a visiting expert on a topic of interest to your potential clients. Send out invitations and press releases to alert the media.
- Get in touch with ex-clients who no longer do business with you. Find out how you can help them and get their suggestions about how to improve your services.
- Sponsor a children"s club or sports team.
- Give an award for the "Best of ___." Use this award as a way to attract publicity.
- Create a profile of your ideal client. Then determine what groups these ideal clients are members of or what specialized publications they read. It is often easier to market to groups than it is to individuals. Find content in the form of information that solves problems, is interesting or helps achieve goals and use this content to attract these ideal clients.
- Find an online discussion group. www.boardtracker.com is a search engine that specializes in discussion groups. Just read the conversations as they go back and forth for a while (this is called "lurking"). Then, after you have a feel for the personalities involved and the group's protocol, start adding your own input.
- Develop a "needs assessment" that you can use in new client interviews.
- Do a client survey to uncover your strengths and weaknesses. Make it clear that you are seeking honest and open comments and are looking for ways to improve.
- Become more active in your local Chamber of Commerce and other organizations that open up networking opportunities.
- Create a list of reference books and CDs you can recommend.
- Create a 21 word description of your business that clearly tells what you do, who you do this for, and what makes you distinctive. This is your "elevator speech" that can be used on your marketing materials, press releases and given to someone who introduces you at public speaking opportunities.
- Find barter organizations or set up barter relationships on your own. Not only can you reduce the cost of goods and services your business needs, you will gain new clients.
- Buy season tickets to a local sports team. If you take clients or give tickets to people you do business with, they will be tax deductible and fun as well.
Get busy today and build a fire under your business. Do something, get out there and watch your business grow.
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COPYRIGHT © 2009, Charles Brown
1 comments:
Great ideas. I 'll let you know how they work for me.
Some of these I have been doing. Some I have been thinking about doing. And some I've never heard of before.
Thanks for the refresher!
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