We talked about four marketing tactics that required little or no financial cost in a previous post, and after writing that post, we came up with four more. As with the others, keep in mind the time investment required by each of these and make sure you are willing to make it.
- Write articles for local publications – with all of the news and information sources available today, there is bound to be one that your potential customers are reading. Find out what they are reading, and start writing relevant articles for that publication. If you don’t feel your writing skills are up to par, you can hire experts to write or edit for you. Published articles not only provide marketing for you in the publication, but also when you post or link to them on your Website. A sampling of published articles on your site adds significant credibility to you and your business.
- Networking events – this one might seem like a no-brainer, but just attending the event is only middle of the task so don’t forget the beginning and the end. To begin, be cognizant of who you are, who your audience is, and what your message is before you leave your office. You only have a very brief time in which to make an impression on a new contact so be confident, succinct, and polished. To end, make sure you follow-up. When you return to your office, make the effort to follow-up each new connection. Whether it is someone who is a potential client or not, all of your efforts at the event may be for naught if you simply toss the business cards in the pile of cards on your desk. Make sure that your follow-up is a personal message and not a canned response or an automatic subscription to your e-newsletter (unless the person specifically requested to be added to your distribution list).
- Partnerships – think about businesses in your area who have a similar target customer and whose services complement yours, and open dialog about joint marketing efforts. With someone else to help share the cost, you may be able to reach twice the audience and increase business for both parties. Whether you a creating a one-time or ongoing marketing partnership, ensure that the deal is structured appropriately and everything is in writing, including clear expectations and termination parameters.
- Community involvement – most businesspeople have a charitable cause or organization about which they are passionate. Why not bring that cause into your business? Volunteering your time and talents will showcase your abilities to a new network of people, and the organization will benefit from your professional efforts. Before venturing down this path, make sure that the organization is meaningful to you and that it really can benefit from your services. If you pick a cause that does not have personal meaning to you, you risk resenting the time you may spend volunteering. If the organization cannot benefit from your services, volunteer in a different capacity – you’ll still be exposed to a new group of people.
What other low or no cost tactics do you use in your business?
[Image courtesy of ljleavell]