| |
| |
|
Marketing Resource Center |
|
|
|
5 Ways to Upgrade Your Existing Marketing Materials for Practically Nothing!
In addition to direct marketing strategies you want to besure your existing passive, or indirect, marketing activitiesare as effective as possible. When is the last time you tooka good look at your existing marketing activities? Here are some fast, easy (and free to inexpensive) ways toupdate and upgrade your existing marketing activities. YOUR VOICE MAIL MESSAGE Does your voice mail message give additional informationabout your business? Use this opportunity (you have acaptive audience) to provide some additional information.You can mention your website or newsletter, promote anupcoming event, or offer a free report. YOUR E-MAIL SIGNATURE This is a chance to send a marketing message along withevery e-mail that you send. Remember, e-mails are oftenforwarded. Think viral marketing (if this term is new toyou, check out Seth Godin. It's a good thing). Do you havean upcoming event? Do you offer a free article or report?Are you having a sale? At a minimum put a link to yourwebsite in your e-mail signature. In addition to interestingcontent, think about the color and font of your e-mailsignature and create something that is attractive and fitswith your brand. YOUR BUSINESS CARD Use the back of your business card. Don't leave thisvaluable space blank. Make an offer for something like afree report, your newsletter, a sample of your services,a discount, etc. Get your business cards out into theworld so people can hear about your offer. Ask forpermission to leave a few cards at places your clientsfrequent like stores, restaurants, gyms, waiting rooms, etc. YOUR EXISTING PROFILES I hope you have profiles on networking websites, directories,clubs, industry associations, and the like out there. Hasyour marketing message, your offer, and/or yourproducts/services changed since you first created yourprofiles? I am betting that is a yes! Review all yourprofiles to make sure they are up to date. This is a greatchance to take inventory of all of the places where you haveprofiles and create a list you can refer to later. If youhave a photograph of yourself to add to your profiles, pleasedo so. Add your photo to your own website if it isn't alreadythere. Connecting your face with your company makes yourcompany more human and personal. Remember, people buy frompeople they know, like, and trust. It will also help peoplerecognize you at events. YOUR COMPANY LETTERHEAD This may seem like a no-brainer but I have seen businessowners who don't have their contact information on theirletterhead. Your letterhead needs to include your phonenumber, e-mail address, and website. This goes for yourprinted hardcopy letterhead as well as the electronicversion. The only way to know which marketing strategies are workingfor you is to keep track. This includes the activates aboveas well as all of your other strategies (networking,referrals, direct marketing campaigns, etc.) Always, I mean always, ask people who contact you how theyheard about your business and record this valuableinformation. It is easy to do, simply create a list of allof your marketing strategies and how many people respond toeach one. It is easiest to do this electronically using aspreadsheet so you can easily calculate percentages andtotals. You can also use old-fashioned pen and paper ifyou must. Whatever method you prefer, just make sure youdo it! It's time to get into action. Take some time and go throughall of your marketing materials. What marketing tools do youhave laying around that could be dusted off and upgraded up towork even harder for you? (c) 2005 Stephanie Ward Life & Business Coach Stephanie Ward helps business ownersset their profits on fire! Get your free monthly profittips plus bonus report at:http://www.fireflycoaching.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Marketing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Getting Your Services Used Every day I talk with professional service providers who do great work, have a valuable service that really helps people?and struggle to get their services used as much as they'd like.They get a lukewarm response after an initial conversation while networking, the referrals come in but don't convert to real business as often as they'd like, and they can't seem to get prospects to see them as that much better than other professionals offering similar services. Why Target the Matures The "Matures" are the generations that came along between 1909 and 1945. Born to and tempered by economic uncertainty, older Matures were nurtured by the New Deal and served in the mightiest armed force fielded by any nation. Writing Sales Letters That Sell The most important part of any marketing you do is direct marketing. This includes letters, postcards, brochures, newspaper or magazine coupons, telemarketing, TV or radio direct response commercials, e-mails, and the copy on your web site. To Web or Not to Web? Do I need a web site? That is the question often asked by business owners. The answer will usually depend upon the type of product or service offered and what the business is trying to achieve. Simple Marketing Idea - Big Marketing Results! Have you ever noticed how many times it's the simplest concepts that end up working the best?The same is so true when it comes to marketing. I'm constantly amazed at just how powerful some of the simplest concepts are. 21 Ways To Expand Your Subscriber List Expanding your subscriber list, whether it be for your ezine, newsletter -- printed or electronic -- takes persistence, and commitment. Not to mention time and letting go of the frustruation of it all. Sowing and Growing Your Network The N-word! We all know the value of networking and we feel we should be doing more of it. Unfortunately, for too many of us the very thought of attending an event where we have to mix and mingle with total strangers is enough to drive us into hiding until it's all over! What a pity we often force ourselves to go to a potentially great conference, but we're so busy worrying about the networking part that we forget to enjoy the event!But networking is like so many other activities in life-it's easy when you know how. Client Attraction Technique #3: Study the Competition! One very powerful and cost-effective marketing strategy is to study the competition. This is an important exercise, as essentially it allows you to find out as much as possible about the opposition - how best they operate, what they lack and then how to capitalise on it!Study the Competition OfflineStart by reviewing the Yellow Pages, the Thomson Local or even go online to determine what you're up against locally (and if applicable nationally). You Must Get Going If You Want To Get Growing For many of service-based businesses out there, it's not that you don't know you should be marketing or don't want to get better at it. It's just that you don't. Marketing Person You Think You Arent Have you thought about starting your own business? Have you started one and are having challenges with marketing, fear of failure, fear of success?I could go on and on. Has the question, Now what? ever entered your mind? If so, I would like to share my story with you. 10 Powerful Marketing Tips 1. Print your best small ad on a postcard and mail it to prospects in your targeted market. Networking: The Cost of a Connection "Networking is a waste of time," said JoAnne, owner of a busy print shop. "Besides, I advertise in the daily paper. Effective Use of Promotional Products and Ad Specialties 1. Determine the goals of your promotional products program. What IS the Difference Between Marketing and Sales? There seems to be a never ending argument among marketing andsales professionals as to what really is the difference betweenmarketing and sales functions. More often than not, bothbusiness activity terms are used to describe any businessactivity that is involved in increasing revenues. Dear Friend: Dont Start Your Non-For-Profit Fundraising Letters As A Stranger Dear Friend:Don't do it.Don't start your fundraising letters with "Dear Friend. What is a Marketing Plan Anyway? Building a business that grows steadily in size and profits is like building your dream house. First, you identify what kind of home you want, then you and your architect plan and create blueprints for your house, then you'd build it, move in and enjoy it. Mastering the ABCDs of Small Business Marketing & Selling I believe that small business marketing and selling follows a certain flow. The pace of the flow may differ depending on what you're selling, but I still see the flow for virtually every small business. Marketing And Patience "Get your positioning and your programs implemented properly, and the numbers will come. But you've got to have some patience. 4 Steps To Increase Your Job Sign Marketing It's no secret that using a job site sign can be an effective way to market your company's services to neighborhood homeowners. But most job sign marketing isn't done as effectively as it could be. Getting Ideas for Your Postcards If you're going to do postcard marketing on an ongoing basis, it's a good idea to have a collection of cards to inspire you. In advertising and marketing circles, this is called a "swipe file.
|
| home | site map | Advertising Articles |
| © 2006 |
