3 Low Cost Methods To Market Your Small Business

Small businesses typically do not have the marketing resources and abilities enjoyed by big corporations. So, it is important to choose and invest in marketing options wisely. The good news is that there are several ways to market your business with little money and look good in the process.

E-newsletters

E-newsletters are a great way to promote your business because they allow you to help your prospects and customers solve problems. You are able to provide key insight into the challenges your prospects and customers face and offer solutions to them. Then, when a recipient needs someone with your experience or products, they think of you.

All you need to start publishing an e-newsletter is an autoresponder such as Aweber and timely content that provides value. Once you start publishing your e-newsletter, you can submit it to sites such as BestEzines.com, Ezine-Marketing.com, and New-List.com.

Coupons

Creating coupons costs about nothing and can help drive more business your way. To be effective, offer at least a 15% discount. One simple and unique way to offer exclusive deals is through twitter, using twtQpon.com.  According to the site, Dell generated $1M last year using twitter.

Testimonials

Satisfied customers can be one of your best sales tools. Simply ask your customers to write a testimonial on their letterhead and then include these letters in your marketing and promotional material. You can also use excerpts of the testimonials on your website.

Taken a step further, ask your satisfied customers if potential customers can contact them about your products and services. This will lend credibility to your brand and confidence in the quality of your products and services.

What does your customer want?

Do you ever wonder what your customers want? Most business owners ask themselves that question daily. I know I do and I bet you do too.

I was watching one of my favorite marketers speak recently and he said something that struck a chord with me and got me thinking. He said “people want magic bullets.” They want the answer to their problem; a quick fix for their woes. A simple solution that will make their world a better place and they want it now!

That phrase made me ask:

• What magic bullets do my prospects want and do I have them?

• How can I turn my products into the magic bullets that my prospects can’t live without?

Now, asking these questions won’t help you get inside your prospects mind but, it will get you in the right mind set.

Think about it. When you have a problem, you want a solution right? You don’t want to wait. Do you?  You want a quick fix and you want it now. You want a magic bullet. Guess what? So does your prospect!

Have you ever watched an infomercial and felt every button they pushed. Felt like what they were selling was the answer to all your problems? You just want to rip out your credit card and say take my money! You can’t wait until you can get your hands on that magic bullet.

We all have and it’s the magic bullets that get you every time.

For instance, let’s say your target market is acne sufferers. If you have ever had acne you can identify with the pain and agony that acne sufferers go through. A sufferer will try just about anything that offers relief from their suffering no matter what the cost. Magic bullets don’t have a price cap.

Are you starting to see? Put on your top hat and pull out your magic wand. Now start thinking. What you are selling? What solutions do you have to offer? How can you solve people’s problems? What magic bullets can you pull out of your product or service?

Once you pull those magic bullets out of your hat and put them right under your prospects nose then the real magic will begin.

The Key To Customer Loyalty

Let me ask you a question….
Have you said “Thank You” to your customer today?

Customer appreciation is the best way to create customer loyalty. Let’s face it. Without customers your business is dead. And, repeat customers are the life blood of any business. It’s a proven fact that happy customers make repeat purchases and not only that they tell their friends, which means more customers.

Just think about it…

When you’re happy or excited about a product or service what is the first thing you do? You tell everyone you know. Right? If you have a great experience with the staff at a store or restaurant what do you do? You go back again!

What if you have a bad experience? Do you go back? NO! And that’s not the end of it. You make sure you tell everyone you know you had a hard time and never, NEVER to use that company. In fact, with the advent of the internet age, you probably also broadcast your story to complete strangers (anyone who will listen).

So show your customers that you appreciate them. It’s the little things that matter. Something as simple as a friendly voice and prompt courteous service can make them feel special. You can create a huge following of loyal customers just by being nice.

But don’t stop there. The possibilities are endless. Have you ever been to a nice hotel where they leave a chocolate on your pillow? Now that chocolate only cost them a few pennies but it made your experience nicer. It made you remember their hotel above others.

You could even consider a customer rewards program. Sales will soar when you provide your customers with discounts or a free gift with every purchase. Everyone likes presents.

Good customer service will never go out of style. It’s so simple but it is where most businesses fail. Customer appreciation days, sales and specials will get you well on your way to a loyal and faithful customer base. Make them feel special, like they matter, that they are important to you. Then watch your business reap the rewards.

What Do You Do When Customers Complain?

Tell me…. what do you do when your customers complain?

It’s true that you just can’t please all of the people all of the time, even if you run yourself into the ground trying. There will always be someone who is not happy with what you have done. So what is a small business owner to do?

First and foremost, don’t be rude or dismissive. The customer’s complaint might seem uncalled for or insulting but that doesn’t mean it’s unwarranted. You must treat every customer complaint seriously and with respect for their feelings.

Remember that every unhappy customer will talk about their experience to as many 20 people. Those people are your potential customers and they will never hear your side of the story. Going the extra mile to keep unhappy customers happy is always a good idea to prevent them from damaging your business.

Second, if the customer asks for a refund or replacement product, give it to them promptly.
Make sure that you convey your apologies for their time and trouble. Go the extra mile and show them that their business is important to you. Even if you don’t want their future business, you have effectively minimized your exposure to negative feedback.

Customers tend to appreciate your effort if you take the time to apologize. Simply say that you’re sorry things weren’t to their satisfaction and you appreciate them taking the time to tell you so that you can improve your product or service. You want them to walk away feeling good about your business.

Having people know that you respond well to complaints is some of the best marketing you can get. Knowing that you treat customers well is a great way to insure they come back, tell their friends and do business with you again.

Remember good customer service is the life blood of your business so make sure you handle it with care and consideration.

Getting Started With A Business Blog

A business blog is a great compliment to your online marketing strategy.  It serves as a one-to-many communication channel with a feedback loop that allows two-way communication with your target audience.  Moreover, the Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed that comes with a blog allows readers to register or subscribe to your blog, indicating that they want to see all communications from the blog.

There are two primary options to start a business blog.  You can start a basic blog in just a few minutes using popular blogging platforms or hosted services such as Blogger and WordPress.  Although these platforms are free, they offer less flexibility.  For example, you have limited control of the look and feel of your blog.

While blogging platforms are a good place to start, they should not be considered a permanent solution. The primary reason is that you can be shut down at any time without notice.  If you have several links pointing to your hosted blog and then decide to move to a self hosted platform, you lose all of your marketing efforts.  Essentially, you’ll have to rebuild your linking strategy.  Therefore, if you are serious about blogging, you should not use a blogging platform for more than a month or two.

The more reliable alternative that provides maximum flexibility and control is self hosted blogging software such as WordPress.  WordPress provides more functionality and control than a blogging platform.  Many hosting providers, such as Hostgator, provide for simple, push button installation and upgrades.

Whatever platform (hosted or self-hosted) you decide to use as a starting point for your business blog, remember that a blog requires planning.  Your blog should be part of your business strategy and include clearly identifiable goals. You’ll then be well on your way to a successful business blog.

Should you decide on WordPress, the self-hosted option, and need help getting started, take a look at our Business Blog Packages.

Anatomy of a Good Manager

Managing people is one of the toughest jobs in business.  Make the right choices and there is no limit to how you and your business can grow.  Make the wrong choices, and the floodgates of trouble never seem to close.

Whether you operate a small business with multiple managers or are a solopreneur, you cannot escape the task of managing people.  You have to answer to your employees, banker, suppliers, customers, and, if you are smart, your advisory board.  You have to be a good, even great, manager if you plan to survive and thrive.

Becoming a good manager requires time and effort.  But the rewards are priceless.  Good managers earn the respect of their workers and our creative, motivated and fair.  They have a sense of purpose, deal well with tough performance issues and tackle problems head on rather than hoping they will disappear.  Good managers also create an environment where employees can do their job productively and positively contribute to the bottom line of the company.

Although all managers make mistakes, the smart ones learn from their mistakes and modify their behavior.  The smartest managers learn from the mistakes of others to avoid making the same blunders.  By using good techniques and troubleshooting bad situations, good managers create a better working environment and, ultimately, lead people and manage things.

What type of manager are you?  And, better yet, what areas of management can you improve upon?

The First Step In Hiring For Small Businesses

As a small business owner, there comes a time when you must hire (maybe for the first time) or replace an employee.  You may have already done a less than desirable job of both. So, how do you avoid the hiring blues?  The simple answer: very carefully!

All too often, employment decisions are made on the fly without much thought or preparation.  The result: voluntary or involuntary replacement of misfits.  And, every replacement has its cost.  The most obvious costs of replacing an employee are those associated with recruitment, advertising, training, severance pay, and legal fees (in the event of wrongful discharge claims). But, we’re not done yet.  You may also experience lost production, sales and customer satisfaction.

To protect yourself from making a costly mistake, consider the following questions to determine whether you’re ready for a new employee:

• Why do you need to hire an employee?  What are the critical tasks the employee will be performing?
• How does the position add measurable value to the product or service provided to the customer?
• If the position were not filled, how would the work be accomplished?
• Who could accomplish the required tasks, with or without some modification or accommodation?
• Is this a full time position, or could the tasks be accomplished by a part-time employee or independent contractor?

Your main objective when hiring is to identify those positions that are necessary to the effective operation of your business.  Knee-jerk reactions to hiring or replacing staff are far too costly.  But, taking the time to thoroughly evaluate your workforce needs provides a positive impact to your operations and, ultimately, your bottom line.

Email Marketing: Expand Your Reach

If you plan to get maximum impact from your online marketing efforts, you should seriously consider e-mail marketing.  E-mail is the most used application on the Internet.  It is also an efficient means of distributing your message to large numbers of people at the click of a button.  And as a form of marketing, it gives you measurable results with instant feedback.

The first step in creating an e-mail marketing campaign is building an e-mail distribution list.  This is essentially a list of e-mail subscribers to whom you will e-mail relevant information and promotional materials.

One common and effective way to build a subscriber list is through an opt in form placed strategically on your website.  In your opt in form, you ask current as well as potential customers to register to receive periodic updates about your products and services as well as other information which might be of interest to them.  This provides you with a database of e-mail addresses from customers who have a genuine interest in your products and services and who are interested in learning more about these products and services.

Once you have a list of interested customers or potential customers, you can send e-mails or create an e-newsletter for distribution to the members of your e-mail list.  Whatever format you select, you must include a wealth of valuable information to retain your subscriber base.  If you are perceived as providing valuable information, your subscribers will be much more receptive to your marketing messages.  Gain their respect as a trusted advisor and you’ll have a customer for life.

It is also useful to include links to your website, which may be of interest to your readers or enhance your message.  Your content should also contain a portion which urges the reader to take a specific action such as making a purchase or at least investigating a product further.

E-mail marketing opens up an often overlooked opportunity to reach new and existing customers almost instantly.  By simply building a list of subscribers interested in your products and services, you can connect with them on an ongoing and regular basis.  If you provide them with valuable information that meets their needs, you’ll soon see a significant impact to your bottom line.

Sound like a strategy that would work in your business?  Contact me to learn more about launching an e-mail marketing campaign to connect with your customers today!

Boost Your Marketing Results

When it comes to connecting with clients, an engaging and content-rich business blog can be your most valuable online marketing tool. Blogs are a user-friendly, customized and flexible medium for disseminating useful information for effective positioning of your products and services in the market. And with over 57 million Americans reading blogs, according to Bloghology, you gain a definite edge over your competitors.

Starting and maintaining a business blog is a great way to let people know that you’re in business and what you can do for them. It allows you to draw in new leads and turn leads into conversions.  These new leads can be further wooed through follow up online newsletters, special offers or any number of tactics. With this almost limitless and relatively inexpensive marketing tool, your profits have an ability to soar.

To be effective, a business blog needs to be well designed. In addition, it needs to be regularly maintained and updated. This means that you must:

• Plan Your Content: It’s important to set some targets in terms of how often you update your business blog. This will help you stay on track with your publishing efforts. You also want to create content that engages your readers, makes them loyal to your blog, and keeps them coming back for more.

• Keep Your Content Fresh: Ensure there is a dedicated resource for the maintenance of your blog, which includes writing blog posts. The worst thing you can do is launch a blog and then allow its content to slip, which will imply all of the wrong things about your business.

• Make Your Content Relevant: Try and make each blog post relevant to your business objectives. This is a great opportunity to show off to potential and existing clients and engage with them through comments and feedback.

You want to avoid:

• Saying the same things as everyone else in your industry
• Writing posts that don’t engage your readers into a conversation
• Talking too much about business and company accomplishments
• Selling to your readers in most of your posts
• Simply posting an ongoing stream of articles

Effective use of a business blog is essential to the growth of your business. Your competition knows this and they probably have a business blog. If they are savvy enough to realize its marketing potential, then they have a competitive edge. But you can make up ground and pass them up with a well designed business blog of your own.

So, are you ready to start blogging? You can easily set up a free blog on hosted services such as Blogger and WordPress to get your feet wet. However, if you’re fully committed to a blogging strategy, the self-hosted version of WordPress is your best bet. Depending on your marketing goals and level of technical knowledge, one of my blog packages can help you get set up quickly and easily. When you are ready, just contact me for a free consultation. Then get prepared to…Blog Away!!!

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