Three things to do to turbo charge your marketing for FREE

Marketing requires you either build an audience yourself, which takes time, or borrow an audience from someone else, which takes money. So when you find the means to boost your business for free, with a minimal investment in time, you could say you’ve cracked the code for achieving the best bang for your buck. Here are my three key places to start:

GET YOUR NAME OUT THERE

There are several (around 50 at my last count!), free online resources: directories, listing sites, advertising sites and video sites, readily available at your fingertips. You just need to spend a little time working your way through them. For the latest resources, simply search “free online business listings” and the SERPS will provide a current list of clickable URLS. Time saving tip: before visiting listing sites, create a Word doc with a standard company description, some key facts (like date established, company principals), number of employees, etc.), that you can cut and paste to speed up the listing process. Make two versions of your description, because the word count allowed varies between listing providers. Leverage any free available space on offer.

Have some images handy and ready to upload – especially your logo. Some listings allow images, some do not. On a side note, Google your company first and review any places where your company is already listed. Some directories add your company without your knowledge and wait for you to claim the business. Update any that appear (especially on the first three pages), to check all the content is up to date. Listings are great for SEO, as well as an ideal way to increase brand awareness.

SHOP YOUR OWN CLOSET

Any savvy company knows the benefits of referral business,
yet few put any serious effort into harvesting referrals. The best time to get the most referrals is within the first few days following the contract signing. Strike while your customer’s feel good factor is at its peak.
Consider adding a referral request to your contract cover letter. Make it part of your sales team’s routine to ask for them directly the contract is signed. In addition, put in place a referral rewards program for customers and publicize it.

Another area that is widely known about, but has comparatively less effort placed on it, is the upsell and cross-sell opportunity. I can almost feel some heads shaking at this suggestion, because it seems so obvious. However, do a quick mental accounting of how much time and money you have been spending chasing new accounts, as opposed to following up on established accounts for new business. This will illustrate whether you are doing enough in this area or not.

If you have dormant accounts, consider giving an incentive to reactivate their interest and sales volume. There is not other time in the year as appropriate as Thanksgiving for giving thanks to existing customers.

QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS?

I know I have barely scratched the surface here. Please contact me, at klong@anterasoftware.com to share your tips and insights. I would love to hear your ideas and pass them on! Alternatively leave your comment in the comment section.

DOMINATE YOUR HOME TURF

I’ve been in the marketing space a long time and I can’t think of one company, big or small, that has truly leveraged their local community for sales. By that I mean profiled, studied and marketed to prospects in their immediate vicinity.

Take a city like Dallas, TX. Whatever you sell there are probably enough prospects to develop a substantial book of business. Most people prefer doing business with local companies, so the sale is not as much hard work. It is also cheaper to service the account.

Now is an excellent time to host some local events – maybe a virtual lunch and learn, or even just dropping some samples around with your card and an order form for the Christmas season.

Conduct a local search on Google for your ideal prospect. Set up a list and plan a day out getting to know your business neighbors. Investigate local chapters of any organizations your customers belong to and see if there is anything you can be a part of listed on their upcoming calendar.
Last but not least, find a local business that is not in competition, but appeals to the same audience/market as you. You can join forces for any marketing initiative where you can share or piggy back off of their effort and share any cost. You can explore and leverage each other’s customers by allowing the other to contact them. You can brainstorm ideas and come up with some fresh plans and new angles.

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Three things to do to turbo charge your marketing for FREE

GET YOUR NAME OUT THERE

SHOP YOUR OWN CLOSET

DOMINATE YOUR HOME TURF

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