| Do you need to get more clients? Are you tryingto | | | | yet,immediately! |
| get your first client? Is your marketingbudget | | | | 5. Get involved online. |
| equivalent to the cost of a Happy Meal? | | | | Find out where your target audience hangs outand |
| The following tips and techniques are not by | | | | participate in those online discussion groupsand |
| anymeans hidden secrets, but they are some of | | | | forums. Yahoo |
| themost overlooked ways to market a small | | | | Groups is a great place to find a widevariety of |
| businesstoday. | | | | discussion groups. Several businessowners also belong |
| 1. Know your target audience. | | | | to Ryze -- an online networking forum. Byconsistently |
| As silly as it sounds, many small businessowners kick | | | | offering your help toothers, you will position yourself |
| off a marketing campaign withoutregard to whom | | | | as an expertthat others will turn to when the time is |
| they want to target. If yousend out a coupon for | | | | right forthem. |
| NASCAR tickets to thefirst 1,000 people in the phone | | | | 6. Get involved offline. |
| book, some willundoubtedly be thrilled and will do | | | | Getting involved with local organizations canhelp to |
| what'snecessary to earn the tickets (akin to dropping | | | | build your reputation as a "doer", a "gogetter" or just |
| 1,000 mailers from an airplane -- somewill hit the | | | | a really dependable individual (allthings which will help |
| target). But just imagine theresponse rate if you sent | | | | your business). Justremember that you are |
| out the same 1,000 | | | | representing yourbusiness in everything you do and |
| NASCAR ticket coupons to only those people | | | | actaccordingly. |
| whoattended a NASCAR event in the last year. | | | | 7. Word of Mouth/Referrals. |
| You've gone from wildly shooting to steadilyaiming | | | | We've all heard the saying that a happycustomer tells |
| your campaign, thus increasing yourresponse rate and | | | | somewhere between 1 and 3people about her |
| decreasing your cost percustomer. | | | | experience while an unhappycustomer tells up to |
| 2. Publish an e-zine (or newsletter). | | | | 12people about hers. Keep your customers happy,ask |
| Publishing an e-zine or print newsletter (even asshort | | | | for feedback as to what you could do better,and |
| as a page) is a great way to keep in touchwith your | | | | once you know they're happy, thenask for a referral. |
| customers and clients. You canproduce one online | | | | People generally arewilling to help those theylike. |
| using a program such as | | | | 8. Use postcards. |
| Constant Contact for little to no money and can | | | | Whether you are an online-only business, a brick |
| evenset your e-zines up in advance | | | | & mortar establishment or a hybrid, you |
| usingeasy-to-understand templates. | | | | caneffectively use postcards to market yourbusiness. |
| 3. Have a website and keep it updated. | | | | Postcards are easy to do, inexpensiveto mail and |
| All businesses, no matter your size or field, needa | | | | have a high readership. Manypeople associate |
| website these days. You can get a domainname for | | | | postcards with personal notesfrom friends and family |
| as little as $2.95/year and, usingtemplates, have a | | | | and don't even thinkbefore they turn it over to read |
| basic design done in a fewhours. Once your | | | | the message. |
| customers, clients, andpotential customers and clients | | | | With this method, you have already gotten intothe |
| have visited yourwebsite, they will find fresh, quality | | | | hands of many people that wouldn't take thetime to |
| content inthe form of new e-zines, articles, blog | | | | open junk mail. |
| posts andtips. This will keep them, and the search | | | | 9. Have others do it for you or with you. |
| enginespiders, coming back for more. | | | | Never underestimate the power of cooperationand |
| 4. Opportunity is calling. | | | | reciprocal agreements. Is there a vendorthat has a |
| While not usually viewed as a marketingtechnique, | | | | related, but not directly competitive,target audience |
| answering the phone and follow-up iscritical in this day | | | | to yours? If so, form a strategicalliance where you |
| and age of limited valuabletime and impersonal | | | | recommend hisproducts/services and he recommends |
| service. Have you evercalled someone only to not | | | | yours. Forexample, a movie theater and a restaurant |
| get a call-back orsent an email and waited days for a | | | | couldshare customer information and play off |
| response? | | | | eachother for promotions. |
| More clients and prospects become lost | | | | While many of the above tips and techniqueswill |
| revenuethese days due to inadequate, or | | | | arouse the "DUH" response, it's constantlysurprising |
| non-existentfollow-up. If you receive a phone call | | | | to me how many businesses - smalland large - |
| from aprospective client or from an existing client, | | | | overlook these basic items in theirday-to-day |
| callhim back as soon as possible or, better | | | | marketing and operations. |