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While
a Web site lets you put information
about your company and products where it
can be found by millions of people, it's
not the answer to every marketing
problem. For starters, many small and
home-based businesses cater to local
clientele. If your does, the Web may be
the last place your customers look when
they need your product or service. And
even if you sell nationally, if your
customers don't use computers, or don't
use them to source products and
services, a Web site won't do you much
good.
But, even if your potential
customers do use the web, they aren't going to find your web site
unless you tell them about it give them a reason to want to visit
the page. In other words, you have to market the Web site.
So what can you do to market
your business at low cost? Here are 24 proven methods to helps get
your business off the ground without spending a fortune.
1. If you don't have business
cards and business stationery, have them made up--immediately. Your
business card, letterhead and envelope tell prospective customers
you are a professional who takes your business seriously.
2. Get your business cards into
as many hands as possible. Call your friends and relatives and tell
them you have started a business. Visit them and leave a small stack
of business cards to hand out to their friends.
3. Talk to all the vendors from
whom you buy products or services. Give them your business card, and
ask if they can use your products or service, or if they know anyone
who can. If they have newsgroups where business cards are displayed
(printers often do, and so do some supermarkets, hairdressers,
etc.), ask if your can be added to the board.
4. Attend meetings of
professional groups, computer user groups and groups such as the
Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, or civic associations. Have
business cards in a pocket where they are easily reachable. Every
time you start to say "My name is," reach in your pocket for a
business card. By the time you get to "I run a ..." (type of
person), your business card should be deposited in the hand of the
person with whom you are speaking. Don't forget to ask what the
people you speak to do, and really listen to them. They'll be
flattered by your interest, and better remember you because of it.
5. Become actively involved in
3 or 4 of these groups-- that will give you more opportunity to meet
possible prospects. But remember: opportunists are quickly spotted
for what they are, and get little business. While you won't want to
become involved in activities that require a lot of your time in
very many organizations, you can--and should make real contributions
to all of them by offering useful ideas and help with small parts of
one-time projects:
6. Look for something unusual
about what you do, and publicize it. Send out press releases to
local newspapers, radio stations, cable TV stations, magazines whose
audiences are likely to be interested in buying what you sell. To
increase your chance of having the material published, send along a
photo (but not to radio stations) with your press release. Editors
of printed publications are often in need of "art" (drawings or
photos) to fill space and break up the gray look of a page of text.
7. Write up an article that
demonstrates your expertise in your filed. Send it to non-competing
newspapers, magazines, and online forums such as the Business
Strategies forum. Be sure to include your name, business name,
reference to your product or service and phone number is included at
the end of the article. If the editor can use the article you can
get your name in print, and possibly get your contact information
printed for free, too.
8. Whenever you do get
publicity get permission from the publisher to reprint the article
containing the publicity. Make photocopies and mail the copies out
with sales letters or any other literature you use to market your
product or service. The publicity clips lend credibility to the
claims you make for your products or services.
9. Contact nonprofit
organizations, schools and colleges, and even other businesses who
have customers who may need your services. Ask for work or leads.
10. Network with others who are
doing the same type of work you are. Let them know you are available
to handle their work overloads. But don't try to steal their
customers. Word will get out, and ruin your business reputation.)
11. Offer to be a speaker on
subjects utilizing your area of expertise. Volunteer organizations,
libraries and online forum often need speakers for meetings. After
you've had some practice speaking (enough to feel comfortable doing
it to have gotten some positive feedback) look into working with
speakers bureaus to book speaking engagements for you. You'll
benefit two ways from such engagements: the fee you receive for
doing them, and the publicity your product or service gets as a
result.
12. If your product or service
is appropriate, give demonstrations of it to whatever groups or
individuals might be interested. Or, teach others how to use some
tool you use in your work.
13. Find out what federal,
state, and local government programs are in existence to help you
get started in business. Most offer free counseling, and some may be
able to suggest possible prospects for your business.
14. Send out sales letters to
everyone you think might be able to use what you sell. Be sure to
describe your business in terms of hoe it can help the prospect.
Learn to drop a business card in every letter you send out.
15. If you use a car or truck
in your business have your business name and contact information
professionally painted on the side of the vehicle. That way your
means of transportation becomes a vehicle for advertising your
business. If you don't want the business name painted on the
vehicle, look consider using magnetic signs.
16. Get on the telephone and
make "cold calls." These are calls to people who you would like to
do business with. Briefly describe what you do and ask for an
appointment to talk to them about ways you can help them meet a need
or solve a problem.
17. Get samples of your product
or your work into as many hands as possible.
18. Offer a free, no obligation
consultation to people you think could use your services. During
such consultations offer some practical suggestions or ideas--and
before you leave ask for an "order" to implement the ideas.
19. Learn to ask existing
customers, prospects and casual acquaintances for referrals. When
you get them, follow up on the leads.
20. Use other people to sell
your product or service. Instead of (or in addition to) selling your
products yourself, look for existing mail order companies that would
be willing to include your products in their catalogs, or for
distributors or sales agents who would be willing to take over sales
chores for you. Be sure your pricing structure allows for the fees
or commissions you will have to pay on any sales that are made.
21. Have sales letters, flyers
and other pertinent information printed and ready to go. Ask
prospects who seem reluctant to buy from you: "Would you like me to
send information?" Follow up promptly with a note and a letter that
says "Here is the information you asked me to send."
22. Run a contest. Make the
prize something desirable and related to you business--it could be a
free gift basket of your products, for instance, or free services.
23. Take advantage of any
opportunities you have to get free ads, or to have your company and
its product or service listed free of charge in a directory.
Professional associations often publish such directions.
24. If your target market would
be likely to use the Internet or online forums, participate in
discussion groups and consider putting up a web page. But, if you do
make it online, be sure to include your email address and your web
page address (if you have one) on your business cards, in your
promotional materials, in print ads and even on your letterhead.
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