It’s the final quarter of 2009 and for many professionals that means budget planning for 2010. I bring this up because I have often heard business owners and professionals state that they are hesitant to employ a marketing campaign because they don’t have a budget. Well, the time to make room for marketing is now.
As the economy begins to pick up, those with strong and strategic marketing will be the ones who benefit the most. Consumers are more likely to purchase a service or a product from a company or professional who has already earned their trust. Here are some cost effective ways you can improve your marketing in 2010 or better yet, now:
Professionals
Marketing and communication isn’t exclusive to heads of companies. You can easily build your credibility as a professional and build a rapport with your clients through simple marketing tactics. Remember to check with management for permission before you publish anything that includes your company’s name.
- Blog
- How: Sign up for a blog on sites like WordPress or TypePad and get cracking. Schedule blogs into your weekly routine for consistency and create a topic list ahead of time to combat writer’s block.
- Cost: Free to minimal.
- Volunteer
- How: Find an organization that interests you and sign-up as a volunteer. You may volunteer within your industry (e.g., I often volunteer on the marketing/PR committee for charity events). Either way, you’ll meet more people and build relationships.
- Cost: Free.
- Social Networks
- How: Pick one that makes the most sense to you and commit to it. Create a profile or an account just for your business. Post links to blogs, interesting articles or offer industry tips on a regular basis. You can even advertise on Facebook for a minimal cost, which can result in significant exposure to your target demographic. Whatever you post, make sure it benefits your readers. Important: This is not the place for a sales pitch!
- Cost: Free to minimal.
- Comment on blogs or answer industry-related questions
- How: Find popular blogs or articles that are related to your expertise and comment on them. Or, use the question and answer feature on sites like LinkedIn to offer solutions to individuals’ questions. It’s that easy. You’ll gain exposure as an expert with insightful feedback.
- Cost: Free.
- E-newsletter
- How: Use professional email distribution services like Constant Contact to touch base with your clients, friends and family. You can send a newsletter of industry tips, announce a new service and its benefits, or even send out a survey.
- Cost: Minimal to Moderate.
Business Owners
As a business owner you know that in order to build business, you have let people know you exist. Whether it’s through networking, word-of-mouth referrals, marketing, advertising, or public relations, there are a myriad of ways to promote your products and services. Here is a short list of marketing techniques that business owners can easily build into their 2010 plan and budget:
- Get published on the web
- How: Set up a free blog using sites like WordPress or TypePad or write articles and submit them to topic-relevant web sites such as Kirtsy or Digg. You’ll have to do some research to find out which sites are best suited for your articles. If you’re opting for the blog route, be sure to schedule blogs into your weekly routine for consistency and create a topic list ahead of time to help jog article ideas. Either way, write about topics that will benefit your readers and promote the articles (e.g., post on social networking sites).
- Cost: Free.
- Donate an Auction Item
- How: Charitable organizations are always holding events to raise funds. Often times they will hold an auction or a raffle to help them achieve fundraising goals. Look for local events and contact the organizer to see if they could use an auction or raffle item. You’re pretty much guaranteed to get exposure at the event and a possible mention in promotional materials leading up to the event.
- Cost: Varies per donated item.
- Sponsor Events
- How: Event sponsorships are a great way to promote your company and can be very cost effective. Look around your local area for upcoming events. You might find opportunities through charities, business organizations, interest groups, sports or even other businesses. Find out the demographics related to the sponsorship opportunity and where and how your name and logo will be used. Visibility to the right audience is the name of the game.
- Cost: Varies per event and sponsorship level.
- Business Expos
- How: Business organizations and interest groups hold expos year round presenting a fantastic opportunity for business owners to meet lots of new people in a short amount of time. Again, a little research is necessary. Many networking and business organizations hold expos. You can also ask around to find out what events are coming up and which are the most popular. When you sign up for a table, make sure you plan to have a visually stimulating table (bright colors and interactive activities are great) and be sure to have plenty of staff on hand to meet-and-greet your guests.
- Cost: Varies by expo and involvement level.
- E-mail marketing
- How: Maintain contact with clients with e-mail marketing. One great tactic is to use professional email distribution services like Constant Contact to send out newsletters, announcements or even conduct surveys. The benefit is that you will be able to track statistics such as subscribers, email forwards, percentage of opened emails, and link clicks. Perhaps even better, you will continue to maintain a presence in your clients’ minds. Content should benefit the reader, whether you’re providing tips, announcing a special for your newsletter subscribers or sending an event reminder. etc.
- Cost: Minimal to Moderate.
- Social Networking Marketing
- How: From Facebook to Twitter to LinkedIn, businesses can get great exposure by creating a profile or an account just for their business. Use these sites to build relationships. Post content that will encourage interaction and feedback. Remember that content should always benefit your readers.
- Cost: Free to minimal.
