Effective Marketing Tools That Won’t Break the Bank

Posted on 23. Jul, 2009 by Jeremy in Burning or Building, Business Efficiency, Writing & Marketing

These days only a handful of businesses enjoy marketing budgets that include funding for high-profile advertising such as television and radio commercials. If you’re not one of those businesses (or if you are one of those businesses and you want to save some money), there are numerous ways to market your business without resorting to BYOTPWD (Bring Your Own Toilet Paper to Work Day).

Big Software Purchases vs. Online Databases

Before you break the bank on sophisticated software that no one has a clue how to use, consider using an online database. This will save you money because a) you won’t have to hire fancy IT people that only speak IT, and, b) the online databases usually come with free technical support.

Many of the online databases can be adapted to fit the user’s needs. Whether the database is used for managing customer relations, marketing, or information management, the database can adapted to be exactly (or very close to) what you need or want.

Telemarketing vs. Bulk Server Email

Let’s face it: many people are not fond of telemarketers because they feel intruded upon and are annoyed by the phone call itself. Chances are the representative’s sales pitch is followed by the dial tone or a polite “no, thank-you.” Whichever it is, it’s not effective marketing that will yield positive results for your business.

Hiring a bulk email server is a cost effective method of marketing that will make most customers feel less intruded upon. Another added bonus for the customer is that they are free to further examine the email on their own time. There is no pressure on the customer to act right away.

Many bulk email servers can also be used in conjunction with online databases. Your contacts can be imported from the database to the bulk email server in a just few clicks.

If high dollar marketing isn’t in the budget, these are just a few ways to market your business without throwing away exorbitant amounts of money.

Super-Affordable Marketing Ideas

Posted on 11. Feb, 2009 by Jeremy in Burning or Building, Writing & Marketing

Consider these simple, low- to no-cost things you can do immediately to jump-start your marketing and, ultimately, keep your business viable.

  • Network! Network online, network at events, network with your current customers and colleagues. Just get out there!
  • Put together an informational presentation and offer to present it for free. Target your presentation to what your customers care about. Put it on your website as a free download.
  • Partner with local businesses to host an event. Give your presentation. Network at the event. (By the way, when you’re contacting local businesses to partner with, you’re networking! See how easy it is?)
  • Get on the phone. Whatever you do, don’t tell yourself that you’re cold-calling—if you’re like most people, you’ll never pick up the receiver. Call it prospecting (much like digging for that gold nugget); call it relationship-building; heck, call it making new friends: it doesn’t matter—just pick up the phone and start contacting people to let them know you’re available. You’ll get lots more “no thank yous” than you will “sell me everythings,” but either way, you’ve let someone know you’re there.
  • Reconnect with the people you’ve met at the networking events or online, plus those with whom you do or have done business. Just keep checking in. Send a little note about something new and exciting in your business. Call back the people you said you would call back.

As you get more comfortable with marketing, you’ll find that small successes beget more small successes, and ultimately big successes. Sometimes the hardest part is just getting started.