The surprising link between political strategy and health policies
In addition to increasing your visibility, volunteering to speak will also increase your authority with both potential and existing customers.
Volunteering to speak at local community, business, or university events is a great way to get the word out there about your business.
To really stand out, try and come up with a creative way to use the weirder and wackier ‘special days’ as part of your marketing campaigns.
If you like to market using the ‘special days’ throughout the year, take a look at the full list so you can pick some to have fun with. Think Crazy Hat Day or along those lines, assuming it's something that makes sense for your business to participate in.
With everything in the calendar and easy to find, you can also assign tasks to your employees more easily.
And last but not least, try to establish relationships with the most influential bloggers in your industry.
Find out who has the most sway in your line of business, and reach out to those people. Be friendly and complimentary; get the thought leaders on side.
Sources: (Constant Contact)
You might also consider offering a free e-book or white paper to your customers and/or leads in exchange for their email address.
Pop together a few interesting and related articles or blog posts and offer them as a free download in exchange for contact information.
If you really want to be on top of things, try to plan your seasonal promotions for the rest of the year. If you are properly organized, these things needn’t be done in a rush.
Whether you decide to do it in store or online, a contest is a great way to engage your fans and followers, both past and present.
If you decide to host a survey on your website, make sure to promote it through the social media channels that you use.
Find a marketing podcast, or a few marketing podcasts, that you enjoy, and try to listen during your commute or while you exercise, for instance.
Customers also love a freebie. To get people talking and engaging with your brand, why not host a contest or giveaway?
Bear in mind that marketing is always changing and there is always something new to learn. A great way to keep your finger on the pulse is to listen to podcasts.
A great way to get your brand out there and increase engagement is to offer surveys. Customers love to feel that their opinions are being heard.
Your social media marketing should be a priority, and streamlining it will enable you to make sure everything is always fresh and informative.
Put a list on your website of other businesses that you think may interest your customers, and encourage those businesses to do the same.
Unless you have endless resources available, it is best to keep your social media strategy to two channels only.
It is also a good idea to format your forum signature in such a way that it promotes your business. Branding is everything, after all.
Another less obvious way to grow your customer base is to share links with noncompeting but related businesses.
If you haven’t updated your website for a while, it might be time for a refresh. Keep in mind that website designs go in and out of fashion.
Given that your website is often the first impression someone has of your business, it is important that you keep it up to date and in line with the times.
Local groups will often hold networking events. If you are in a group that is advertising an event soon, why not attend?
Another great tool to take advantage of is LinkedIn. Be sure to join both the groups that your customers are in, and the local groups.
A great way to put your business out there and make contacts is to join forums related to your business. Be sure to follow relevant discussions and post useful information.
For example, when you write a blog post, think about how you’d shorten it for a tweet, or give it the newspaper treatment for a press release.
Tap into that market by getting yourself on the radio. You might, for example, do a regular call-in spot on a local radio talk show.
A great time-saving tip when it comes to creating content is to ensure what you create is multi-use. Before writing it, think about all the channels you might want to share it on.
Radio may not be the most glamorous media channel these days, but it certainly hasn’t been forgotten. In fact, you’d be surprised by the number of people who still listen to local radio.
When it comes to starting a new business, one of the things you'll need to think about is how to market your product or service. Whether you're opening a brunch café or an online translation tool, you'll need to identify your target market and work out how to reach them. Of course, if you're a small business owner, you'll likely be working with a small marketing budget. That doesn't mean, however, that you have to limit yourself. In fact, there are plenty of low-cost, high-return steps you can take when marketing your small business.
Intrigued? Check out this gallery for some DIY marketing tips you can use today.
Top DIY marketing tips for small business owners
Get your name out there today!
LIFESTYLE Business
When it comes to starting a new business, one of the things you'll need to think about is how to market your product or service. Whether you're opening a brunch café or an online translation tool, you'll need to identify your target market and work out how to reach them. Of course, if you're a small business owner, you'll likely be working with a small marketing budget. That doesn't mean, however, that you have to limit yourself. In fact, there are plenty of low-cost, high-return steps you can take when marketing your small business.
Intrigued? Check out this gallery for some DIY marketing tips you can use today.