Small Business Marketing Ideas

[beancounter]

From a business perspective, the best marketing we've done is free marketing :-)

Word-of-mouth and good "old fashioned" Customer Service.

Even some banks are "discovering" that Customer Service is an important marketing strategy. They now have "real people", not nameless faceless telephone touchpads and recorded messages to help customers - One wonders how much money they spent on research to come to that conclusion.

In a department store recently the sales assistant asked if I had an "XYZ" card - "What's that," I asked

"Oh, it's a customer loyalty card, " she replied

Is, that right," I said. "In days gone by departments stores didn't need a card to promote customer loyalty, they used a concept called Customer Service!"

Her expression was priceless!!

[Burgo]

Yes it is something that has been seriously laking for many years.
Customer Service a good old fashioned term.
What goes around comes around all this business the Banks are sprouting off about existed before many of you were born.
They have realised and it is something that I have been talking about for many years , if you dont look after your customer in a way they want to be looked after you wont have a customer, no customers equals no business.

[OCDknits]

I just read this thread and came up with about 3 or 4 free or low cost ideas just by converting the ideas presented here to things that could work my business - thanks guys. Like giving away carrots.

[FS Concierge]

Good stuff huh Cathy?

You might like this thread too - it's an oldie but a goodie, on a slightly different but related topic: What do you do different?

Have a great day!
Jayne

[kally]

Hello Friends.....

The best marketing tactics in the world aren’t going to do diddley-squat to grow your business unless they are part of a bigger strategy.

To make an impact you need every piece of marketing you do to work together strategically to create what I call “Critical Marketing Mass”.

This is the point where your ideal customers see or hear your name and core message so often, your marketing takes on a life of its own. Soon half the people you meet have already heard of you. And those that haven’t quickly understand who you are, what you do, and why they should buy from you instead of the competition.

Thanks

[rendersmart.com.au]

Originally Posted by kally

Hello Friends.....

The best marketing tactics in the world aren’t going to do diddley-squat to grow your business unless they are part of a bigger strategy.

To make an impact you need every piece of marketing you do to work together strategically to create what I call “Critical Marketing Mass”.

This is the point where your ideal customers see or hear your name and core message so often, your marketing takes on a life of its own. Soon half the people you meet have already heard of you. And those that haven’t quickly understand who you are, what you do, and why they should buy from you instead of the competition.

Thanks

Good Advice,

I must admit we fail at this and is something I will take more seriously this year.

Advice I could offer is track any advertising/marketing you do and put a value on them. This is so easy todo yet most business fail at this. I see clients advertise in magazines that generate leads, but they are poor and no or little business is generated. You need to be prepared to cut your loses and find something else that works. Just becuase you get phone calls doesn't mean its good marketing.

Look at free advertising methods. I'm not religous but I have even heard about church newsletters. Of course it depends on your business, your image blah blah. But for small business i think it can be good to think outside of general mediums that are quite costly.

I also like tv advertising. Cost per read/view imo is far greater than newspaper or radio. But thats only my experience with it. I'm unsure if people will aggree with me but I find newspapers to be an industry I can do without adverting in. Having said that there is a way around those costs. Write articles for them, upcoming events blah blah and just get your name in the paper. ITS FREE!!!!

my 2cents..
PS i'm dislexic, so generally there are spelling mistakes
Regards

[Steve_Minshall]

Retail store. We ask every customer where they heard about us.

Figures for December:

Search engine: 63% (almost always google)
Repeat business: 16%
Shop front: 11%
Customer referal: 6%
Supplier referal: 2%
YP OL: 1%
YP Book: 1% (old copy, no longer listed)

or
on-line: 64%
reputation: 28%
location: 11%

[Fluidx]

Workshops and seminars.

Part of our goal is to help small businesses grow. Best way to establish this image is to get involved within small business associations.

We work with these associations and host workshops and seminars. It brings our target market to us, gives us face to face time and helps establish the image we want to achieve within the market.

Networking is also a great tactic alongside strategic alliances. Most effective though is direct marketing i.e: cold calling and 1 to 1 personalised mail outs.

I can go on forever but these are what we've found to be helpful to a B2B business.

Some of my clients who sell to consumers find that loyalty programs (selling to existing clients) are an effective way to generate consistent sales.

Regards,
Carlo Kasparian

[Chris Bates]

Originally Posted by Steve_Minshall

Retail store. We ask every customer where they heard about us.

Figures for December:

Search engine: 63% (almost always google)
Repeat business: 16%
Shop front: 11%
Customer referal: 6%
Supplier referal: 2%
YP OL: 1%
YP Book: 1% (old copy, no longer listed)

or
on-line: 64%
reputation: 28%
location: 11%

You would be the perfect testament to all my cold calls, haha. I get "oh YP gives me all my work" all the time.

If YP is 1% of your work as a RETAIL SHOP, imagine what other business could get...