Magnets,
Buttons and Ornaments
 |
Business promotion is the
key to your business success. It might not be fun but like anything else
it’s got to be done.
You should spend at least an hour a day on business promotion or planning
how to promote your business (and more is better, if you can fit the time
in)!
You promote your business by getting the word out. The first adage of
business promotion is that you have to do this consciously. You can't rely
on other people to do it for you, no matter how great your product or
service is.
The second adage of business promotion is that like every other aspect of
your business, it's a budgeted activity. But business promotion doesn't
have to be expensive. Here are ten inexpensive ways to promote your
business; all most of these will cost you is some time.
#1 – Be a walking
billboard
You see the big companies do
this all the time. There's a reason they do it - IT WORKS! Maybe you can't
afford to give away free wearable items to your customers all the time and
not every business can afford to buy thousands at one time. But at Promote-101
we cater to the small businesses so you can buy just one and there are no
set up fees on our wearable
promotional items.
We have t-shirts,
button
earrings , and watches
and many other wearable items that can be made with your store name and
URL on them. Even wearable items for the kids - bibs,
creepers
and more.
#2 Use every outgoing piece of paper, and every electronic document as
business promotion.
You have business cards, but you also put out a lot of other documents and
emails in the course of doing business.
Check these to make sure you're using their promotional possibilities to
full advantage. For instance, business stationery is an ideal business
promotion tool. Is your business name, logo, contact information including
your URL and slogan on your envelopes and labels as well as on your
packing slips? Or are your labels only printed with your business name and
return address? What a waste! Your phone and fax numbers, your URL, and
even a memorable slogan should be there, too. It's not just an label, it's
a business promotion tool! You're sending it out anyway, so why not make
it work for you? The same goes for outgoing faxes, bill payments,
receipts; whatever paper you send out should carry your full company
message. And don't forget to make sure that your email has a complete
signature that provides all your business information and a promotional
tagline.
#3 Writing articles on topics related to your business expertise is an
excellent business promotion technique.
Well written articles can provide free advertising and build positive
word-of-mouth. If you're a Web site designer, you might write a piece
about assessing Web site usability. The more specific your topic, the
better. Write a short biographical note, or "blurb" about you
and your business to go with the article. Then send it out!
Where? As the goal is to promote your business, ideally you'd like it to
appear in a publication that your target audience will be reading.
Realistically, you may have to send it to a publication that accepts
unsolicited work from unknown authors. Magazines generally have a long
lead time, so I would focus my first efforts on the 'Net. There are an
astronomical number of e-zines and sites with newsletters that are hungry
for content. One place to look for e-zines to send articles to is The
Internet's Best E-Zine Directories. E-zines also provide excellent
advertising value; the trick is to find the right e-zine for your target
audience.
Newspapers are also excellent places to place your business promotion
article, as they too have a much shorter lead-time than magazines, and are
always looking for material. Try contacting the Business editor of your
local paper and pitching your article. If this approach fails, you might
be able to get your piece into the paper by sending it in as a letter to
the Editorial section.
#4 - Forums, Buddy Marketing and Freebies As Business Promotion
Posting messages in forums (a.k.a. bulletin boards) is a great way to make
your business known to people you would otherwise be unable to contact.
You can't blatantly advertise your business on most forums, but you can
show others that you're a knowledgeable, personable individual and promote
your business through your signature file.
Getting people interested in your business and perhaps attracting new
customers works best if you choose forums that are business-related or
product related.
The other caveat with choosing forums to post in is to check their level
of activity; posting in a forum that doesn't have much traffic or regular
activity isn't going to do much to promote your business.
#5 - Use buddy marketing to promote your business.
Businesses Growing
Together has some great programs for having online merchants promote
your business. This gives you the chance to reach more online shoppers.
The BGT programs can considerably cut down the cost of business promotion,
and allow each business to use promotion techniques that would be too
expensive to implement alone.
#6 - Give out freebies as business promotion.
We're all familiar with this kind of spot promotion because it works.
People love to receive things that are free. Besides using freebies as
business promotions, you can also use them regularly as customer
"rewards". What small, inexpensive things could you give out
with your product or service that will get your customer thinking good
thoughts about you? Combining business promotion with customer rewards is
definitely a win-win situation.
As a grand opening special during August our Promote
store is offering a free matching logo gift with a purchase of $25 or
more.
#7 - Use your vehicle to promote your business.
Mobile business promotion isn't just for white delivery vans. Put the name
and phone number and URL of your business on your car windows or doors.
Think of all the people who see your vehicle when you're driving around -
especially if you live in a place where people often get stuck in traffic!
You can get a pair of magnetic signs or window decals from Jeri's
Signs. Or for under $20 including shipping get a license
plate holder with your URL.
#8 – What to do with your business cards
Do not leave home without them! Put your business cards to work. When you
pay that bill hand the clerk or waitress your business card. When you go
to the library slip them in some books. When you go in a public restroom
leave some on the counter. Get in the habit of doing business promotion
wherever you go and you'll be surprised how word-of-mouth builds. Create
your Business Card here.
#9 - Talk it up!
There's always the opportunity to promote your business by letting other
people know what you do and how it could benefit them. This doesn't mean
that you talk about nothing else, but there are bound to be chances to
talk about your business that crop up during normal conversation.
These business promotion ideas are just some of the ways you can promote
your small business without spending a small fortune. With a little
experimentation and time, you'll find out which of these ideas work best
for you - and best get the word out about your small business.
|
T-Shirts
 |
