3 Quick Money-making Marketing Tips
Written by: Sharron Senter Low-cost Marketing Tip #1 If you're coordinating an email marketing campaign, consider the following: your customers will tend to have more emails in the morning, than late afternoon. Most people check, and respond to email in the morning. It's during the mornings, when many people are overwhelmed by too many emails, increasing your chances of not being noticed. Send your marketing message later in the day. It will have a better chance of being opened and read. Low-cost Marketing Tip #2 Be careful how you mail your invoice. You may delay payment, or miss a marketing opportunity. In the past two weeks I've received two different invoices enclosed in large envelops with my vendors' finished project samples enclosed. When I saw the vendors' names on the envelopes, I knew they'd be sending me the finished samples (which I'd already seen in email), so I let the envelopes sit without opening them. Several days later I finally opened the packages. The vendors should have mailed their invoices in invoice-specific envelopes. Furthermore, invoices are valuable and inexpensive marketing tools. Every time you send out your invoice be sure to include a special offer to motivate your customer to buy again. At the very least, the invoice should highlight your other products or services. For example, a photographer could write, "Purchase a second portrait before Sept. 17 and receive 15% off your order." Low-cost Marketing Tip #3 Have you ever sent a proposal to a potential customer, never to hear from them again? This recently happened to an associate of mine. She asked her client if he'd be interested in establishing a monthly retainer relationship, rather than her sending him a contract every time she started a new project for him. He said he was very interested, and asked her to forward her proposal. Shortly thereafter, she emailed him the proposal. The client didn't acknowledge receipt of the proposal, so she called him two days later to make sure he received it. He didn't return her call. The following week, she emailed and called him once more. Again, no returned email or call. Two weeks later, she emailed and called again. Again, no response from the client. Lesson Before you send off your proposal, call your client and tell him/her that you have the proposal ready. Tell the client you'd like to forward the proposal to him/her, and then ask the client what time tomorrow would be convenient to discuss the proposal. Remember, always set up your next appointment before releasing any information!
About The Author Sharron Senter is a New England-based marketing consultant, speaker, writer and founder of Senter & Associates, a marketing communications firm that helps small businesses deploy affordable online and offline marketing strategies. Sharron is well known for her free weekly emailed marketing tips, found at http://www.sharronsenter.com/fmt.htm. She's also the author of several marketing reports that illustrate affordable ways to grow a small or home-based business while spending very little, including “A Secret Marketing Weapon, How to Submit Expert Articles Online & Drive Qualified Leads to Your Inbox." Looking for original marketing content, please email Sharron to discuss your needs.
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