Posted by Biz Central USA Marketing Team on February 25, 2010 under Small Biz and Entrepreneurship,Small Biz Marketing,Small Biz News | 2 Comments to Read

Website, e-mail blasts, business cards, print ads; all of these methods of marketing can be confusing and unknown territory for a small business owner whose focus is keeping the business running. One of the oldest and more cost-effective forms of small business marketing is and will continue to be word-of-mouth. If your business can get new business by referrals then you have the best marketing team already acting on your behalf: your current customers. If your business is not getting new business, give your current customers an incentive to promote your services or products. Referral programs are easy to start and don’t cost very much to maintain. If your small business isn’t getting new customers, you might want to give your current marketing strategies a tune-up.

If you are looking for different creative ways to market your company without running up your marketing tab, here are some examples to get you started:

Print Material (business cards, logos, brochures) – Small business owners have relied on this relatively inexpensive method of conveying marketing information: cards, brochures, and circulars. Keep in mind when purchasing these items that you want your business card to stand out from your competitor’s business card. You want people to remember who you are because of a catchy name or a printed material that really catches their attention.

Samples and free offerings – When considering this method of marketing, the question you need to keep in mind is, “Can my business truly afford to offer something for free?” Giving away services or products that you make is usually an inexpensive small business marketing strategy that will leave customers appreciating the value of your products. Customers never get tired of these special offers and great treatment. On the other hand, if you say that the goods or services are “free” or “without charge,” be certain there are no unstated terms or conditions that qualify the offer.

Coupons and Discounts – Making coupons available on your small business website will always attract potential customers to your site. By drawing them into your website, they may simply purchase the service or product because the coupon exists. This strategy of “pulling” customers in also gives them an opportunity to check other services they may be interested in. Consider using a coupon mailing service to send coupons to homeowners in specific neighborhoods in your local area.

Public relations – To get your business in the news, send a press release you draft yourself to every newspaper in the area. The trick is to give the reporter an angle that makes the story interesting to readers; examples would be such events as a grand opening, a contest, a new product line, a new service launch or charitable activities your business is sponsoring.

Signs – Don’t forget about “signage.” Signs work best if they’re bold, edgy, professionally done, and consistent with your business values. Keep in mind that they should be well-lit, and tell the viewer your message quickly. Signs don’t have to be in stationary locations. Examples would be items such as T-shirts, shopping bags, and bumper stickers. These items are creative forms of signs and can do a great job of advertising your goods to new potential customers. Another great sign that is often times overlooked is your vehicle; you can get a magnetic sign for your car door with your business name, logo, and slogan or some art.

Have any other small business marketing suggestions to offer to the community?  Share them in the comments box below!

Posted by Biz Central USA Marketing Team on August 10, 2009 under Small Biz Marketing | Be the First to Comment

On average, 63% of businesses use social networking to build
relationships and awareness of their brand.

Customer Relationship Development and Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction is at an all-time low, possibly as a result of reduced business focus on actual relationships, and an increased focus on “customer relationship management” systems. Online social networks allow a prospective customer or prospective member to easily create a real connection with individuals in a given organization.  This allows for the customer to put a face with an interaction, rather than just a computer screen.  This in turn creates a real human perception of the company that is welcoming to business relationships.

Extremely Low-Cost Marketing Tool
Small business owners should engage in social networking because it is an easy and inexpensive way to connect to your consumers, and potentially form business partnerships.  Additionally, it provide an opportunity to network with people who have similiar interests, problems which you can solve and business goals you can help them achieve.    

Easily Share knowledge with Consumers
By combining social networking with other technologies (such as RSS, Blogs, Bookmarking etc.) your company will make it easy for current and future consumers to “subscribe” to updates from your organization. This is a way to share your company’s important information (Promotions, Articles, News etc.) without any additional effort.

Differentiate your service with “brand you”
Social networking provides another outlet for building your brand; Evenmore, it helps you promote “brand you” and not just the services that you offer.  You will have a variety of interactions with potential consumers, future partners and other people of interest.  Express your company as one that has real people working for it, people that love their company and believe in the products or services it offers.  This genuineness will come through in the conversations that you engage in.   This is your company’s brand; it is what make your company special.