How can you get your organization noticed? And, what's more critical in these tough economic times, how can you get noticed without breaking your budget?
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In this economy, you need all the help you will get to ensure that your business is noticed amid every one of the noise. Marketing is key, but which approach to take? The first thing that will pop into your mind is always to send out e-mail blasts or even hire a consultant. While these are good ideas, everyone's already doing the primary, and the latter can end up being pricey. Besides, there are lots of actions you can take on your own that are generally cheap or free.
So find creative! Use the Web and other resources at hand to try and rise above the fray.
Increase visibility in your community.
Join local organizations that provide business networking opportunities, or start your personal. Do volunteer work for a big charity. You'd be surprised at the marketing support such activities brings.
Participate in online marketing communities.
Search Twitter and other social-networking sites for groups meeting go over marketing. For example, Understanding Marketing holds a chitchat and Q&A session on Twitter that targets small-business marketing. It's live each and every Tuesday from 8 to 9 r. m. eastern time. Search #smbiz upon Tweetgrid. com.
Submit information for you to blogs.
Blog writers are always trying to find content for their sites. Target appropriate ones and send them press announcements or descriptive e-mails.
Reward active customers.
Offer an exclusive incentive on your regular customers—only your regular buyers. Notify them via e-mail or even other contact methods, and direct them to an otherwise inaccessible page in your Web site where the present appears.
Get your customers to bring in new customers.
Offer an incentive like the discount to customers who get a new customer to generate a transaction with your business.
Liven up your Web site.
Stale internet sites don't attract business. Fresh, frequently updated Internet sites show your customers you're a vibrant and active business. Let users subscribe to get update notices, then up-date frequently.
Provide free, helpful information on your customers.
Such content should be linked to your type of business and can include tips, hints, reviews, and other information which will help drive sales. For example, a business selling paint provide a guide to selecting the best paint for different uses. Such informative content is frequently available from suppliers. Use the idea.
Offer your noncompeting business customers a hyperlink exchange.
A link exchange is a lot like a bulletin board at your organization that holds your customers' organization cards. The more links your organization has to its Web internet site, the better your search serps placement, and the greater the amount of people who see your organization's links, the more will check out you.
Use downtime for marketing and advertising.
When times are slow, retain employees busy contacting customers. Develop e-mail marketing documents your workers can send to individual buyers. Personal contact with customers gets results. Mass e-mails are fewer effective and, given today's e-mail junk e-mail filters, may not be witnessed by many. Go for quality contacts instead of quantity.
Visit your own Site frequently.
Look for ways it might be improved. Too often, small business Internet sites load slowly, are poorly prepared, and are difficult to find their way. Fix bottlenecks that impede customers to see ways to get customers to act. Make sure all links work and result in up-to-date content. Test campaigns with printable coupons and also other incentives. For more tips, see our story "Build a greater Web Site. "
Get mixed up in online community.
Encourage employees to do the same. Don't spam conversation forums or other social Internet sites, but don't be afraid to work with signature lines containing links on your Web site. Establish common-sense rules by yourself and your employees regarding these kinds of social-networking and discussion sites, and always try to be positive and helpful in it.
Check out your suppliers' Internet sites thoroughly.
Add links on your site to informative and helpful information on those sites. Many corporate sites offer instructional videos and also other material that can inform your visitors and lead them back, ready to do business.
Have a toll-free phone number.
It makes you look much more professional and encourages business—and the fees aren't as tall as you might think.
Launch a blog in your site and update it everyday.
Nothing reads "I don't care" just like a blog whose most recent access is days old. Assign this task to employees who can generate and spell—an illiterate blog is usually worse than no blog by any means. Introduce people to your company Highlight products. Run contests and give away company swag. Announce deals and upcoming product-line changes. Generate a "customer-of-the-month" tradition and do regular write-ups. Surely there's something you'll be able to say to your customers everyday.
Yes, use Facebook and Tweets.
Having a Facebook page might not earn you any put a more human face in your company identity. Twitter is a new technology, and everyone scrambling to understand useful applications. In the interim, let your customers at minimum follow you, and implement a strategy similar to what you're using in your blog. In 140 characters, that may be.
Visit online marketing sites.
Good Marketing Ideas is a wonderful site, with plenty of valuable tips. The suggestions here cost little or nothing to carry out, and will likely lead that you resources you might never have thought of alone.
Never surrender.
ENJOY YOUR DAY, have a great day!
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