Small Business Marketing Tips

							Title:
Small Business Marketing Tips

Word Count:
826

Summary:
Discover the secrets of effective m
arketing for small businesses in th
is helpful article. You'll find se
ven suggestions for driving revenue
 at little or no cost.


Keywords:
marketing, small business marketing


Article Body:
If you’re a small business owner, y
ou probably don’t have a lot to spe
nd on marketing. That’s okay, many
 small businesses aren’t taking ful
l advantage of the many opportuniti
es they have for marketing their bu
siness in basic ways that cost litt
le or nothing to implement.

There are a number of things you ca
n do to leverage your existing cont
act points with prospects and custo
mers that require some initial effo
rt to produce but go a long way in
promoting your business, products,
or services. Some of these methods
 include:

1. Business Cards. For less than
$20, you can have a virtual billboa
rd that promotes your business. Su
rprisingly many businesses forget a
bout this great way to promote your
 business, your products, or specia
l offers. When ordering your busin
ess cards, think about how you can
use the space effectively. Some of
 the best business cards that I’ve
seen include specific URL’s on the
back for accessing free information
, tools, resources, or product demo
’s. I’ve even seen some with coupo
ns on the back that turn business c
ards into a customer staple – givin
g them an incentive to have your bu
siness card handy at all times.

2. Invoices. Do you send your cus
tomers an invoice in print or elect
ronically? If you do, use the invo
ice to promote your brand, product
or service. This is also a valuabl
e touch point to thank your custome
rs and prompt them to learn about o
ther things you offer. Some of the
 more effective messaging for your
next invoice might be, “Thank you f
or your business. To learn more ab
out our frequent shopper program ca
ll 1-800-555-1234”. This simple me
ssage can increase awareness and ge
t your customers to take notice.

3. Emails. Nothing in marketing p
erforms as well as your very own li
st of customer emails. Customers w
ho offer their email address want t
o hear from you. Do what you can t
o encourage customers to provide yo
u with their email address. You ca
n always provide a small incentive
like a pen with your business’s nam
e on it, free information, or a whi
te paper addressing an area of grow
ing importance. Once you have this
 email list, communicate to your cu
stomers on a regular basis and enco
urage them to do more business with
 you. Satisfied customers are like
ly to forward your emails to others
, growing the size of your customer
 base.

4.   Thank You Notes.   A number of s
mall businesses are very effective
at communicating with their custome
rs. These businesses use every shi
pment as a vehicle to promote their
 products or thank their customers.
  You should do the same. When you
 make a sale and are shipping a pro
duct, insert a short thank you note
 that offers your gratitude and wil
lingness to hear from the customer
or perhaps your latest catalog or f
lyer. This goes a long way in showi
ng your appreciation for you custom
er and interest in building a long
term relationship with them.

5. Online Coupons or Offers. When
 you have a particular product to s
ell, you should offer information a
bout it on your website. Additiona
lly, offer an incentive for prospec
tive customers (new customers). Wh
en individuals are on your website
and take interest in your product o
r service, providing an incentive t
o buy can drive considerable respon
se rates. You might be concerned a
bout discounting your product or se
rvice to existing customers so be c
lear that your offer is only for ne
w customers. Your existing custome
rs understand that you’re trying to
 grow your business and won’t be di
sappointed to learn that you’re giv
ing an incentive to new customers only.

6. Free Samples. Giving away free
 samples is one of the most effecti
ve marketing tactics available toda
y. Even if you have a service busi
ness, offering up a method for pros
pective buyers to try a derivative
of your service without paying for
it can lead to increased trials and
 conversions. Large consumer produ
ct companies like Proctor and Gambl
e know that once a consumer decides
 that he or she likes the product,
they will become a customer for an
extended period of time which more
than pays for the cost of their pro
motion.

7. Encourage Referrals. Small bus
inesses that leverage the power of
referrals experience strong growth.
  When you have others suggesting y
our product or service it’s like ha
ving your very own sales team. The
se referrals are even more powerful
 because, like word-of-mouth, the p
rospect is being encouraged to buy
from an existing customer, associat
e, expert, or influencer. Think ab
out how you can encourage referrals
 from your customers or other servi
ce providers. One way is to ask ot
her vendors to distribute informati
on about your business to their cus
tomer base in exchange for you doin
g the same.

Marketing doesn’t have to cost a lo
t. Use your own business to commun
icate your marketing messages and i
ncrease lead generation. These sim
ple methods are effective for any s
mall business owner regardless of i
ndustry, product, or service offeri
ng. Implement some or all of them
to see the power of effective small
 business marketing.