Are you planning to get ahead of all the rest? Jumpstart your marketing efforts this year! Improving marketing activities is the today’s trend for most small businesses. An improved marketing strategy helps boost sales in a time of economic uncertainty. If your small business could use some marketing inspiration, here are eight things you can do to be more effective with your marketing and promoting your business in 2009.
1. Be DYNAMIC – do something each month, or at least each quarter
Now is not the time to cut back on your marketing efforts; instead, be motile as much as possible in order to keep your customers interested, and so that competitors don’t gain any advantage over you. Do at least one thing each month, whether it’s updating your web site, giving out a press release, or monitoring your positions in the search engines. If you just don’t have the time or resources to do something each month, make sure you do something at least quarterly.
2. Be INFORMATIVE - Start an e-newsletter
Start an information drive. Begin by sending out a weekly or monthly e-newsletter so you can keep your company name and message in front of your customers and prospect clients. This helps build your brand, initiate additional buying, and drive new sales. It is also a great way to stay in touch with your customers and keep them updated about special offers, company news, or new products and services. E-newsletters are cost efficient and thus are inexpensive to create and send. They make it possible to reach ALL of your customers and prospects regularly thus expanding your client reach.
3. Be UP To Date - Update your web site regularly
It is vital that you don’t allow your small business web site to become inactive and outdated by the minute. Users today expect brand new content, current technology features, and interactivity. If you satisfy these cravings of today’s online users you are a step ahead from your competition. Be sure to add your latest press releases, e-newsletter content, and future events to your site, and think about adding easy to use features like widgets or product reviews. Keeping your site up to date can help your business attract more new leads, improve your search engine level, and increase your sales.
4. Be SOCIABLE – Reach out to the world through social networking
Social networking is indeed altering the way the web is used today. To be able to keep up with today’s trend you need to know at least the fundamentals of social networking. Sites like LinkedIn and Facebook; Technorati and de.licio.us; and blogs and micro blogs (like Twitter) are all designed to make it convenient for all to connect with others on the web. This is social interaction made easy. And can be useful in marketing your business, too! With a little sweat, social networking can lead to increased organic, natural traffic and better search engine rankings for your web site.
5. Be VOCAL - Get a blog/ participate in a blog
Blogs are best known for drawing search engine spiders, because they are updated frequently and contain lots of useful content for the spiders to index. If you don’t have a blog yet in your website, consider adding one. Blogs are also one of the most vital interactive features you can add to your web site, and are extremely well-liked by users. Even if you do have a blog (and especially if you don’t), it’s important to visit other blogs in your industry and start participating in the forum. Leave comments and feedback, and always include a back link to your blog (or web site) in your signature. This draws even more traffic for you. The most important thing to remember when commenting on other blogs, however, is to add something useful, and don’t promote your business on someone else’s blog.
6. Be INSIGHTFUL - Use landing pages with your email marketing drive
Email marketing is one of the most lucrative strategies that small businesses practice today. But in email marketing, you need to use specific landing pages for each campaign that you send. It’s appealing to use a call to action that says “visit our site at www-dot-whatever-dot-com”, but sending recipients to your home page is not the most effective way to convert a visitor to a buyer. Instead, create specific landing pages that contain the following:
* A re-statement of the offer and/or subject line of the email campaign – let them know they have landed in the right place
* Specific marketing copy and a “pitch”
* Product information and/or testimonials
* Simple, uncluttered content with no unnecessary elements – use only what’s needed to convert the customer
* A simple, clear call to action – make it as easy as possible for your prospects to respond to your offer; you can always collect more details later
7. Be GENEROUS - Offer something for free
Nothing is more motivating to clients/prospect clients than getting something for free! Be quick to offer them a product sample, a free trial, or something of value like a whitepaper or e-book. This feeds their urge to buy. Giving a free gift with every purchase or better yet using limited-time offers are also successful ways to motivate customers to make purchases or do business with you.
8. Be VISIBLE – Practice maximum exposure
The more visible your business is the more effective is your business promotion strategy. Increase your visibility online, at society and networking events, and in the press. Do not be tempted to slack off until the economy turns around for the better. Instead, get out there in every way you can think of. Use email marketing and your web site to your advantage, offer to speak at industry or Chamber events, send out regular press releases, volunteer at community events, write articles in your area of expertise, and attend every social event that you can possibly attend. The more publicity your business has, the more your customers and prospect customers will want to do business with you!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
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