Marketing Tips You Can Apply Today

Many small businesses have to work to a tight budget when it comes to marketing. However, there are a number of simple activities that you can implement without it costing the earth. You will of course have to invest your time or delegate the task to a colleague or outsource the work.

As time is precious, it may be best to just focus on a couple of activities and try to do them well. Once you've nailed those, then perhaps you can consider picking up the next marketing activity. Here are your marketing tips:

1. Build Relationships: It is much cheaper to keep customers than to gain a new one. So keep in touch with your referrers, suppliers, customers, prospects. A simple monthly e-newsletter can achieve this for you.
2. Ask for referrals: The best time to ask for a referral is when your customers are happy with your service, but also ask friends and family.
3. Networking: There are many networking opportunities around. Joining costs can vary and some will suit you more than others so shop around. With all networking groups, you need to be prepared…so when people ask what you do…you can say “I help businesses to solve this problem or I help people to achieve X,Y or Z”. You may want to investigate sector specific networking groups, so keep looking for new networking opportunities further afield.
4. Ask clients for testimonials: Use them on your website, social media and printed materials. Testimonials induce confidence in potential clients about your services or products.
5. Social media: Share your expert knowledge and when you’ve run out of things to say you can re-purpose older posts. It is important to have a strategy for social media, otherwise you could end up wasting your time.
6. PR opportunities: If you’re working on an unusual project or something that perhaps benefits underprivileged people then you might be sitting on a newsworthy story…get in touch with your local paper, they’ll probably tell you straight if there is any mileage.
7. Leaflets: Leaflet drops to residential or industrial estates depending on what you’re selling can be effective, but you do need to keep at it. You may need to hit a residential property or business 3 or 4 times before someone picks up the phone. You will need to think carefully about your content. My advice is to keep it simple and to the point.
8. Advertising: If you are looking for cheap targeted advertising opportunities in a trusted publication, then you don’t have to look much further than your local Parish Magazine. Advertising on Google or Facebook can be expensive, so be sure as to who you are targeting if you want to maximise the chances of a return on your investment.
9. A Boards: If you have a physical office ask yourself ‘Can people tell what I do from the outside?’ or if you’re on site somewhere then an A board can help promote your business.
10. Cold Calling: Let's face it, this is not everyone’s cup of tea. You can expect a high rejection rate, but it works otherwise people wouldn't do it. A good list of potential customers is essential, but can be hard to source. I'd suggest you use your own in-house data and try to up-sell to your current contact database.
11. Prepare a case study: Always have something prepared for you to talk about when cold calling or networking

Liked these Marketing Tips? Then What Next?

Thank you for reading this article. I hope these marketing tips were useful.
If you need help to implement your marketing activities, then please call Neil Chatterjee today on 07966 612112.