10 Marketing Suggestions for Business Owners
marketing strategies for small business owners
In business, nothing happens until a sale is made.
Marketing is essentially the process of acquiring and retaining new clients.
If you are not marketing and promoting your business on a daily basis, your rivals are.
Here are some simple methods for efficiently marketing and growing your business:
- Form alliances with owners of significant email database lists and offer to cross-promote each other. The list owner will promote your event, product, or service to their email list, and you will reciprocate by doing the same for their list.
- Start your own blog, which is an online diary with constantly updated content designed to engage and excite current and new clients. It's more personal and immediate than a website, and it keeps people interested and hopefully returning for more. You may even make one for free by going to http://www.blogger.com.
- If you want to quickly build word-of-mouth, go above and beyond industry norms. Mr. Lube, for example, provides fast and economical tune-up service to customers directly on the spot, without requiring them to leave their cars, while also providing coffee, cappuccino, and a fresh newspaper.
- Always get endorsements or testimonials from satisfied customers and post them on your website and other marketing materials. They're worth more than their weight in gold. For added cachet, try to obtain some well-known names in your neighborhood.
- Include a special offer or product advertisement on each invoice and statement you issue. Similarly, you may work out a contract with another firm to advertise your product or service on all of their invoices in exchange for a share of income from orders received.
- Make your business cards stand out and be easy to maintain. On the back, include crucial information such as emergency phone numbers, a map, or significant dates to remember. Create a tagline that provides a compelling benefit statement to your potential buyer.
- Provide special incentive packages in conjunction with your product or service offering. In exchange for free publicity, ask business sponsors to provide items as part of the incentive package.
- Align your company with a good cause or charity. Give something back to your town. Customers value doing business with firms that give back to their communities and the environment while also being good corporate citizens.
- Look for a way to make your work controversial. The prohibition of Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," described as "trashy and cruel," turned out to be a gift in disguise. Twain created a poster promoting the restriction, which resulted in a substantial spike in sales.
- Participate in online discussion boards/forums related to your business or expertise on a regular basis. Include your signature and provide helpful hints and suggestions. You will eventually get word-of-mouth exposure as a leader in your profession. Posting messages with your company information may also assist to boost your search engine results and bring visitors to your website.