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Issue #47 ~ March 2, 2010 Printer friendly PDF file
10 Low or No-Cost Marketing Tips
By Scott Gillespie
Many business owners are looking for effective, profitable low-cost or no-cost marketing ideas that will help ring the till. And it only makes sense - maximize results and profits while minimizing the expense and resources it takes to do so. With that in mind, let’s dive right into ten ideas you can implement immediately.
1. Incent Your Voice-mail Greeting The best greeting your customers can receive when they call is your “live” voice when their call is answered. However, if you can’t take their call, make your voice-mail greeting memorable. One way to do so is to have a unique, humorous greeting that keeps them chuckling during the first part of their message. Better yet, have a promotional call to action for them, something like this: “You’ve reached the 10% voice-mail of ABC Company. I’m not able to take your call, but you’re in luck! To make it up to you, leave your name and number and when I call you back, tell me which product you’d like me to knock 10% off the top.”
2. Promo Post-Its When mailing correspondence, whether it be to customers, prospects or suppliers, take half-a-minute and hand-write a special offer on a Post-It note and stick on the front of whatever you are sending.
3. Partner Advertising Find a non-competing business where your product or service complements theirs, and vice versa, and partner with them on cross-promotional advertising and other marketing opportunities. For example, a chiropractor and a massage therapist could double up on most any advertising piece as their clients quite often use both services.
4. e-Newsletters This quite possibly could be the most effective low-cost marketing tool available. It allows you to provide great value in a non-sales environment to your customers and prospects in the form an article with useful information that most anyone could use. Sprinkled in your e-newsletter, you can also include special offers and promote a product or service as long as the main focus is held on providing value - not commercials.
5. Give a Seminar This doesn’t have to be half a day in front of hundreds of people (although it could!) but a 30 to 60-minute seminar or training to 10-20 people can be very effective. Pick an aspect of the product or service you provide, speak about how it provides value and deliver it as information rather than an hour long infomercial. Just like writing an e-newsletter, speaking adds credibility and positions you as a person of authority and leader in your industry.
6. Ask for Introductions Referrals are the ultimate in no cost marketing. You’ve just rung up another great sale and your customer couldn’t be happier. This is a perfect time to see who they know that you could also help and make equally happy. Rather than give them a few business cards to pass out (reality is they’ll be passed right into the circular file), ask them who they could introduce you to that may also benefit from the superior product or service you just delivered!
7. Social Media This is not a fad. It isn’t going to go away. And it isn’t something that only the “big city” businesses use. More and more businesses are utilizing it and exponentially, more and more of your customers are relying on it to stay connected with the people they do business with. It does require a little time and consistency, but it is free and effective!
8. Send, Don’t Just Say We now live in a world where advertisements and bills clutter our mailbox and personal messages are delivered through cyberspace into our Inbox, the personal, hand-written note has almost become extinct. This is great news - for you! Stand out from your competition and follow up with your customers and prospects with a personal, hand-written thank you or even an out of the blue “just because” card, sent in an envelope with a 44-cent stamp!
9. Use Your Signature Make it work FOR you! Most e-mail services and software clients allow you to save a custom signature that automatically appears at the end of every e-mail you create. The typical signature usually includes a closing like “Sincerely” or “Regards” followed by your full name and then your company name and contact information right underneath. While this information may be valuable - for you - to give, also give something of value to the recipient. For example, create a white paper or a top ten list that you can have on your website and put a link to it in your e-mail signature block.
10. Join a Leads Group Referral generation is an extremely profitable use of your time and leads groups are an excellent source to cultivate professional relationships and teach other like-minded business owners and sales people what to look for while they are doing their business to gather referrals for you. To find a leads group in your area, contact your local Chamber of Commerce or do a search for Business Networking International for a chapter near you.
There you have it - ten low-cost or no-cost ideas that you can implement immediately to increase sales and profits. In the words of Michael Jordan, “You’ll miss 100% of the shots you never take!”
Now, Go Get ‘Em!!
By Scott Gillespie
Many business owners are looking for effective, profitable low-cost or no-cost marketing ideas that will help ring the till. And it only makes sense - maximize results and profits while minimizing the expense and resources it takes to do so. With that in mind, let’s dive right into ten ideas you can implement immediately.
1. Incent Your Voice-mail Greeting The best greeting your customers can receive when they call is your “live” voice when their call is answered. However, if you can’t take their call, make your voice-mail greeting memorable. One way to do so is to have a unique, humorous greeting that keeps them chuckling during the first part of their message. Better yet, have a promotional call to action for them, something like this: “You’ve reached the 10% voice-mail of ABC Company. I’m not able to take your call, but you’re in luck! To make it up to you, leave your name and number and when I call you back, tell me which product you’d like me to knock 10% off the top.”
2. Promo Post-Its When mailing correspondence, whether it be to customers, prospects or suppliers, take half-a-minute and hand-write a special offer on a Post-It note and stick on the front of whatever you are sending.
3. Partner Advertising Find a non-competing business where your product or service complements theirs, and vice versa, and partner with them on cross-promotional advertising and other marketing opportunities. For example, a chiropractor and a massage therapist could double up on most any advertising piece as their clients quite often use both services.
4. e-Newsletters This quite possibly could be the most effective low-cost marketing tool available. It allows you to provide great value in a non-sales environment to your customers and prospects in the form an article with useful information that most anyone could use. Sprinkled in your e-newsletter, you can also include special offers and promote a product or service as long as the main focus is held on providing value - not commercials.
5. Give a Seminar This doesn’t have to be half a day in front of hundreds of people (although it could!) but a 30 to 60-minute seminar or training to 10-20 people can be very effective. Pick an aspect of the product or service you provide, speak about how it provides value and deliver it as information rather than an hour long infomercial. Just like writing an e-newsletter, speaking adds credibility and positions you as a person of authority and leader in your industry.
6. Ask for Introductions Referrals are the ultimate in no cost marketing. You’ve just rung up another great sale and your customer couldn’t be happier. This is a perfect time to see who they know that you could also help and make equally happy. Rather than give them a few business cards to pass out (reality is they’ll be passed right into the circular file), ask them who they could introduce you to that may also benefit from the superior product or service you just delivered!
7. Social Media This is not a fad. It isn’t going to go away. And it isn’t something that only the “big city” businesses use. More and more businesses are utilizing it and exponentially, more and more of your customers are relying on it to stay connected with the people they do business with. It does require a little time and consistency, but it is free and effective!
8. Send, Don’t Just Say We now live in a world where advertisements and bills clutter our mailbox and personal messages are delivered through cyberspace into our Inbox, the personal, hand-written note has almost become extinct. This is great news - for you! Stand out from your competition and follow up with your customers and prospects with a personal, hand-written thank you or even an out of the blue “just because” card, sent in an envelope with a 44-cent stamp!
9. Use Your Signature Make it work FOR you! Most e-mail services and software clients allow you to save a custom signature that automatically appears at the end of every e-mail you create. The typical signature usually includes a closing like “Sincerely” or “Regards” followed by your full name and then your company name and contact information right underneath. While this information may be valuable - for you - to give, also give something of value to the recipient. For example, create a white paper or a top ten list that you can have on your website and put a link to it in your e-mail signature block.
10. Join a Leads Group Referral generation is an extremely profitable use of your time and leads groups are an excellent source to cultivate professional relationships and teach other like-minded business owners and sales people what to look for while they are doing their business to gather referrals for you. To find a leads group in your area, contact your local Chamber of Commerce or do a search for Business Networking International for a chapter near you.
There you have it - ten low-cost or no-cost ideas that you can implement immediately to increase sales and profits. In the words of Michael Jordan, “You’ll miss 100% of the shots you never take!”
Now, Go Get ‘Em!!