Monthly Archives: February 2011

Feb 2 2011

Effective Daily Marketing Strategies for Your Small Business

Often, I’ve heard it said, “I just don’t have time to market my business.” In fact, the truth is that, for a number of us, it isn’t until we hit a dry spell that we realize the importance of consistent marketing. It is then, when we’re in the midst of a slump, that we look in the rearview mirror and wonder, “What could I have done differently?”

The answer: market. Despite the pain it may bring, marketing is a necessity for business growth. As a plus, however, it is often easier than many of us think and can even be an enjoyable experience. Following are a few quick ideas that may take the pain out of marketing your business.

1. Take advantage of your daily contacts. When you go to the
supermarket, take a flyer or business card with you and post it on the bulletin board. Place your business card, with a nice tip, in the hands your waiter or waitress at restaurants where you dine. There’s the cleaners, the barber or salon, and other places that you visit frequently. Leaving your business cards and flyers at places you visit often is a great way to market.

2. Give a thrill with your next bill. With every bill you pay, insert a business card. Once, I sent out an electric bill and placed my card in with a note on the back that said, “Have a great day!” As a result, I received a call from a lady at the electric company to prepare her resume. Even though she wasn’t the person who directly received my payment, the card was passed on to her and she became a client!

3. Send fun notes. My personal preference is the postcard. I send postcards to prospects on a weekly basis, a few at a time. Postcard messages should be focused and targeted but also attention grabbing. The best thing about postcards is that they require no opening and many eyes see them before they get to the recipient.

4. Promote when you invoice. Many invoices have a place for you to add a couple of lines of text at the bottom. You can use this area to announce a new service or product, or, briefly tell your clients about discounts and specials. Another great way to promote your business is to place a quarter page flyer with a promotional offer into letters, invoices, and outgoing parcels. It’s quick and easy.

5. Make your voice mail work for you. A voice mail or answering machine is a great marketing tool. Using key words such as, “Guaranteed,” “Expert,” “All-in-one, “Immediate,” and “Reliable” are great attention grabbers. An example of a key phrase would be, “You’re guaranteed to benefit from…” These attention grabbing statements sell your confidence and your service. You’re also leading your prospect in through the “WIFM” (What’s In It For Me) approach. I have seen this method work great, even with people who misdial numbers.

6. Create a referral incentive. Offer a special incentive for current clients or customers who bring you referrals. It could be a free gift, a gift certificate (for your product or service, of course), or something else that will serve as an incentive. Send out a short letter to your clients or customers asking for their help giving and mentioning your referral incentive (also a WIFM approach). Many times, your good clients or customers will have no problem referring you, if they haven’t already. However, it doesn’t hurt to ask.

There are many easy and innovative ways to take the pain out of marketing your business. Although it’s a great idea to take at least an hour a day to devote to marketing efforts, using these simple tasks are almost effortless and, dare I say, painless ways to market consistently.

http://www.businessknowhow.com/marketing/mkteveryday.htm

Feb 1 2011

Build a Cost-Effective Marketing Budget for Your Small Business

Too many small business owners look at their marketing budgets as just conglomerations of expenses. Marketing isn’t an expense for a small business. Not really. It’s an investment because your small business will fail unless you get the word out to your customers. However, you want to do that in the most cost-effective way as possible.

You don’t want to use a shotgun approach and hope something hits the target. Small businesses often do this and spend a lot of money on marketing with very little return. Instead, you want to target your marketing, utilize smart marketing campaigns and strategies that are low or no cost, stretch every marketing dollar as far as possible.

Use Free Publicity

Publicity costs nothing and it builds awareness of your business. If you use publicity correctly, it can also build points for you within your community. Sponsor a community activity that is somehow tied in with your business.

When something new crops up within your business such as the release of a new product or service or a different use for an existing one, issue a press release. Your local newspaper will likely be glad to run it. Include it on your website. Sponsor a customer appreciation day. Do a customer survey. Newspapers love surveys and will likely publish your results.

Create Partnerships With Other Organizations

Small businesses with low or non-existent marketing budgets can organize a partnership and pool their marketing budgets to make good things happen. Perhaps a small business would like to hold a conference to increase the visibility of their firm and draw advertisers. But, one small business would probably not have the marketing budget necessary to finance such a conference. If several complementary small businesses got together, then they might be able to manage the costs of the conference and draw advertisers to the conference. It would be a win-win situation for everyone.

Outsource it When you Can’t do it Yourself

If you have a small staff and you’re only experienced at certain things, then outsource those things with which you need help. Aren’t good with numbers? Hire an accountant. Can’t set up a computer network? Hire a computer expert? Can’t write? Hire a writer to write your press pieces and do your blogging. This may sound expensive on the face of it but think of the alternative. If you staff up to employ people with these skills, not only will you be paying professional full-time salaries, you’ll be paying benefits. It’s much cheaper to outsource and pay on a freelance basis.

Join Local Clubs and Organizations

As a business person in a community, it is important to be visible, particularly if your business has a storefront in the community and is not entirely online. Join the local Kiwanis Club and the local Rotary Club and any other service clubs that exist in your community. A must-join is the local Chamber of Commerce. Such service clubs are always looking for speakers for their meetings and you are going to be an expert in whatever product or service you sell. Not only will this be a great networking opportunity, but you may be called on to speak which will really increase the visibility of your business.

 

Build a Website for Your Business

Every business must have a website. A website domain can be bought for cheap and, if you can’t build it and maintain it yourself, outsource it. A presence on the web is a very cost-effective way of letting people know about your business even if your business is mostly a storefront operation. You can publish a newsletter about your business on the web virtually for free and create articles about your business to publish there.

Engage in Frequent Communication With Your Customers

The importance of communication with your customers is at an all-time high. Your customers are in a belt-tightening mind-set. Items that were once considered necessities may now be considered luxuries. You cannot effectively market your product or service unless you know how your customers think about what you have to offer.

For example, what about the business of a small spa that offers whirlpool baths and massages? Usually, such services are looking on as luxuries and, on the face of it, one would think that would certainly be true if customers are cutting back on their spending. But, think about it again. Maybe customers need those services more than ever for stress relief. Doctors even prescribe such services for stress management. You need to do a survey to find out what your customers think so you can plan for the future financially. Perhaps writing a letter to each customer asking what they need would be a good strategy.

Network and Network Some More


The fact of the matter is that people like to do business with people they know. That’s even true in the online world where everyone uses Facebook and Twitter. Use your organizational contacts and partnerships to network. However, there is one thing about networking. It takes time. It takes considerable time. But, it’s worth it. Figure out where to spend your time networking. Don’t network where it isn’t paying off.

Follow some of these tips and you will build a cost-effective marketing budget in no time.

http://bizfinance.about.com/od/marketing/a/market_bud.htm

 

Feb 1 2011

25 Nearly Free Ways to Market your Business

Our 15 DIY PR post generated a lot of buzz around executing PR and marketing ideas on the cheap. In response to it, (and thanks to Michael Basinet’s recommendation) we’ve decided to follow up with another post on more ideas around marketing your business for almost nothing. Read on!
1. Design creative business cards. Most business cards are thrown in a pile or discarded after a meeting or networking event. Why not create a card someone will use? Or one they’re sure to remember?  This post from creativebits showcases some great ideas!

 

2. Do-It-Yourself SEO. Submit your site to major search engines and indexes. Click here for a great post on where to find the URLs and tips on submitting your site the right way. Also, check out our previous post on25 Free (and Useful) SEO Tools.

 

3. Take a free online marketing course. On a previous post, we highlighted 99 free business and entrepreneurship classes of which nine pertained to marketing. Invest some time in taking the course and apply some of the methods for your business.

 


4. Use an ad exchange network to exchange links with someone. One I’ve heard a lot about is adgridwork.com. While we haven’t tried it yet, it allows you to add your site to their network for free. Your ad is displayed in relevant sites while you display an ad on your site. Basically, you’re exchanging ads from one site to another. It’s a great way to drive targeted traffic to your site.

 

 


5. Give back to your community. A great way to give back, promote your business, and feel good about yourself is to volunteer in your area. Help out at a local homeless shelter or church. You’ll be amazed at the great connections you’ll make.  If you’re not sure of how to find these events or what to do, visit VolunteerMatch and search for opportunities near you.

 

6. Use CafePress. Create your own pens, mugs, notebooks, T-shirts, etc. and give them away. It’s an inexpensive way to have your prospect/client/user be surrounded by your branding. The more useful the item, the better. Save money and buy them in bulk.

 

7. Start an incentive program. What better way to attract users than to ask current or former users/clients to refer you to someone. Offer an incentive for motivation. It could be something you make with your branding on it using CafePress. It could also be your own product/service for free or at a discount – it doesn’t hurt tying it back to your business!

 

8. Offer something for free. For example, we offer a free one-hour consultation (though it typically lasts longer) with early-stage internet startups looking for execution support. This consultation is one way we attract prospects. The objective here is to convert the visitors to your site into users or to get them to contact you in some way. What can you do in your business that has the same effect? Some ideas include providing them with a free subscription for a short period of time to your site, free shipping on purchases for a limited time, etc.

 

9. Social Media Outreach. There are tons of free buzz-building tactics you can employ. It’s also a great way to stay abreast of the latest trends on your industry while building credibility for yourself and your business. Some methods include:

  • Scouring the blogosphere and other social networks for relevant posts, groups, etc. and contributing valuable relevant content (being careful not to SPAM!).
  • Creating your own groups and discussions around your product/service. Start a conversation with your customers, gain valuable feedback, and drive traffic to your site.

10. Create a Squidoo Lens. Squidoo basically allows you to create your own online page. Highlight the benefits of your service or showcase your expertise in an area related to your field. You can also point to photos on Flickr, Google maps, your blog, eBay auctions, YouTube, etc. Squidoo also shares their advertising revenue with you. Check out our Cheap Revolution page for additional ideas.

1. Create a YouTube video. Use your own camcorder (or borrow one from a neighbor) and tape your own video to post on YouTube and maybe on the homepage of your site. Make it interesting if possible – a funny video will get a lot more traction. For a list of free video editing software, check out this site.

12. Make sure you’re listed in dmoz.org. What is it? It’s an open directory project that contains the largest human-edited directory in the Web. Its credibility helps its listings rank higher in search engines as well. Make sure to choose the right category and you’ll find it’ll attract targeted visitors to your site.

13. Other sites to get listed:

  • YellowPages – Make it easier for your users to find you by creating a free basic listing.
  • MerchantCircle – Become more visible in search engine results and manage your online reputation by creating a listing on this site.
  • CitySearch – Receive ad placement on top search engines with their online advertising tools.
  • Yahoo! Local – The basic plan is free and helps your customers find you when they’re searching for local listings.
  • Craigslist – Posting is free and it’s not just for buyers and sellers. Reach the estimated 10 million unique visitors per day by posting your product/service. Check out this article by Entrepreneur.com for a detailed approach on ways you can market your business on Craigslist.com.

14. Submit your site to Killerstartups.com or Springwise.com.Killerstartups.com aggregates web startups and reviews them on the site. It’s a great way to direct traffic to your site and see what people are saying about you. Springwise.com is similar, it scours the web for interesting products and services, lists a description on their site and they also send e-newsletters about their latest findings to thousands of subscribed members.

15. Look for product announcement boards. Related to the idea above, look for product announcement sites or job boards that allow you to promote your site without worries about spamming. A couple of great sites include StartupNation.com and YoungEntrepreneur.com.

16. Engage them with a quiz on your site. Do you have static 1.0 site? A great way to jazz it up (for those with Web 2.0 sites as well) is to engage your users as soon as they land on your homepage with a quiz. People love taking quizzes. They’re fun and can be thought-provoking. Start with an eye-catching title and ask them questions that pertain to your service/product, its benefits, its use, etc. After the quiz, give them their results with a short paragraph on which of your services/products you’d recommend, how to improve themselves, etc. Tip: Always be sure to link back to your site at the end.

Don’t have the software? We recently put together a quiz generator for this reason and are looking for people to test it out. E-mail us atinfo@teamandadream.com for more information.

The following ideas were mentioned in a previous blog post:

17. Blog about it. Don’t have a blog? Get one! If you’re worried about the cost, you can sign up for a free account at blogger.com or blog.com. We use TypePad ourselves. The title of your blog should be relevant to your product/service – you can also make it catchy or creative depending on the industry you’re in.

When writing your posts, take considerable time in writing your headline. In addition, make sure to include keywords that relate to your post. These keywords will be instrumental in helping readers find your post. Once you’ve published your post, submit it to bookmarking tools such as stumbleupon, delicious, and digg. For a great list of social media sites you can submit your post to, check out this entry by Tropical SEO. These tools will help drive traffic to your site.

I would also set up a Technorati account. This will help even more readers find your blog. It’s free to set up an account and you can set up your blog to automatically ping the site every time you post. MyBlogLogis another site I recommend setting up an account on. It allows you to build a community around your blog as well as network with other bloggers.

18. Write an interesting article. Writing articles is a great way to establish credibility and drive traffic to your site. Check out this outlineif you’re not sure of the layout or for some more ideas. The key here is to make sure your article ends up benefiting the person reading it. Some ideas include:

  • Talking about the social benefits of your service.
  • Providing advice on pitfalls you fell into when starting your business with examples on how you overcame them.
  • Write a case study on a past client and include it on your site.
  • A series of how-to tips related to your business.
  • Write a free e-book about something that will benefit your customers.

After you put it together, submit it to online article submission sites such as ezinearticles.com. For a list of more than 150 other sites, check out this post. (Pick your shots and find the ones that will be the most relevant to your audience).

Other important aspects to take into account are to make sure your headline is thought-provoking and to include a byline at the end of article. Your headline should draw people in – make sure it’s short, funny, and/or engaging. Sometimes writing it last works best. Check out this great post by Copyblogger for other headline ideas.

Finally, your byline should give readers a brief background of yourself and your company. Be sure to include a link to your site readers can click on. If you have analytics software installed on your site, track which sites are bringing the most traffic and concentrate your future efforts in submitting articles to those sites.

19. Write a press release. Write a noteworthy press release in third person and submit it yourself at free online sites such as prweb.com. For other sites, click here. You can also send the press release to the local media around your area. To gain a better chance of getting it picked up, include a cover letter that showcases how the information in your release benefits your local community.

It’s important to also note that it may prove worthwhile to pay for one PR service if you have truly newsworthy information. We’ve usedBusinesswire.com with great success.

20. Start a contest. Everybody loves to win something and a great way to market your company is to start a contest. Make one of your offerings for free as the prize. Use this opportunity to add to your mailing list (with permission of course).

21. Ask clients for testimonials and include them on your site. If your clients were happy with your services, ask them for a testimonial to include on your site. If they don’t time to write one, write it yourself and ask them to approve it.

22. Create a Facebook or LinkedIn Account.

Facebook isn’t for college students anymore. In fact, more than half of its users are comprised of people out of college. How can you use it for your business? Some ideas include:

LinkedIn is a social networking site for business professionals. It allows you to connect with those you know as well as get introduced to those you want to know. In my opinion, it’s most useful function is its “Answers” feature. This is where users post questions on several different categories about a certain topic. Leverage your knowledge and experiences by answering them and post your own questions that make others notice you. Be sure to leave a response you’re proud of because the best answer given to a question can earn you an “Expert” rating.

23. Profile your company in Wikipedia. It’s important to build an online presence and adding an entry in Wikipedia can help you accomplish that (even with the new nofollow attribute). Check out how other companies profile themselves and use the same format. Be sure to include links to your site so people can find you (We’re working on ours now!).

24. Add an e-mail signature. You are probably constantly e-mailing vendors, clients, partners, etc. Did you know you can also market your new services in them? Add a signature line at the end of your e-mail with a link to your site that promotes your new service or blog post. It’s easy to do and can prove to be fruitful. Tip: Make it action-oriented!

25. Speak at a local chamber of commerce or a nearby university. Find local, relevant conferences and offer to speak for free on an area of expertise you possess. This can be at your local chamber of commerce or other associations that relate to your industry.

http://www.cheaprevolution.com/the_cheap_revolution/2008/05/25-nearly-fre-1.html

Feb 1 2011

4 Ways to Make Money without Spending It

WAYS TO MAKE MONEY: # 1
Make money selling your own product

Yes, you can do this without spending money. This is the path most small business take – and probably the most profitable one.

It is also the most difficult one of the 4 ways to make money without money. It’s difficult and time-consuming. If you’re forced to do it without a budget, it will be even more time-consuming. But you’re determined to build a profitable, long-term Internet business, right? Hard work is not a problem. Right?

The most difficult part of this method is the product development.

What can you make without spending a penny? Something that people will still buy from you?

The answer lies in information products. We all have marketable skills. You’re an expert in something.

Do you know a lot about cars?
Write a mini-book on basic engine maintenance.

Know a lot about kids?
Write a book called “101 Ways To Keep 2-year olds entertained” –you’ve already got your first buyer right here!

This is really doable. There are people who’d pay to know what you know.

Get nitty-gritty advice on creating your own product. Get the very short, very powerful e-book called “Ways To Make Money On The Net“. No hype. Just dead-accurate advice. This document will save you two years of trial and error! Guaranteed.

WAYS TO MAKE MONEY: # 2
Make money selling someone else’s product

When you sign up as an affiliate / reseller for someone else’s product, you refer people to the “supplier site” and you get a cut each time someone who you referred makes a purchase. It really is that simple. Probably the most doable of the ways to make money without money.

But you will only make money at affiliate programs if you can find agood supplier. One that’s honest about tracking of sales and one that will pay on time.

I highly recommend http://www.innovativedesignstudios.net.It’s great if you target small business owners who might be in the market for a business logo or other graphic design work.

You can’t believe everything you read about affiliate programs, but they can really make money. A significant portion of my own Internet income is from affiliate programs. There are a couple of things you have to get right though. That book I mentioned above also looks at some of the best ways to make money with affiliate programs.

WAYS TO MAKE MONEY: # 3
Make money selling advertising space

The idea behind it is to offer free information from your web site to pull in high volumes of traffic. Once you’ve achieved that, advertisers would pay you to display their advertisements on your site. This is probably one of the oldest and most hyped ways to make money without money.

It worked really well until the end of 2000. It’s how Yahoo became big. With the dotcom bust in 2000, even Yahoo was forced to look to alternative revenue streams. Advertisers began to realize that, in most cases, web advertising is just not cost effective.

Nowadays most people don’t click ads right?

Right?

Wrong! There’s life in this old machine yet…

Contextual advertising (like Google’s AdSense program) offers a real alternative to traditional advertising – and many web site owners are rediscovering this tried and tested way of making money from their web sites.

WAYS TO MAKE MONEY: # 4
Make money doing what you already do

This is not for you if you’re looking to build a serious small business on the Net. It’s the easiest of the ways to make money without money, but because it’s easy, it doesn’t pay much.

Very little in fact.

It mostly involves getting paid to surf the Internet and getting paid to take surveys. It’s like stuffing envelopes for money. If that blows your hair back, type “getting paid to do surveys” into the search box atGoogle and hit “Enter”. Take your pick. Don’t expect to get rich though.