8 creative and low cost tips to promote your business
If your business needs a boost and your budgets are tight what can you do to promote as little cost as possible? Here are 8 tried and tested methods to assist your business:
1. Realise the importance of a business card or business stationary
Your business card, letterhead invoices and envelopes tell prospective customers you are professional.
The aim is to get your business card into as many hands as possible, this way your details will be left for future reference.
Your customers will be able to pass your business cards onto friends or family. Learn to drop a business card in every letter you send out/receipt that you give. Visit your friends and family and leave a small stack of business cards for them to hand out to their friends.
2. Talk to all the suppliers from whom your business buys products or services from
Next time you visit your suppliers, give them your business card and ensure to ask if they or their customers would require your products or service.
A good idea is to try and get your business card posted on their bulletin boards (newsagents often have these, including some supermarkets, hairdressers, etc.) This is an opportunity for mutual publicity if you agree to do the same for them.
3. Attend professional meetings/get actively involved in groups
These are perfect opportunities to meet possible prospects.
Networking groups can be one of the most useful marketing tools in today’s age. Ensure business cards are at hand as you will want every single person that you come into contact to take one.
When you start to say "My name is," reach into your pocket for a business card. By the time you get to "I run a...’business’,” your business card should be in the hand of the person you are speaking.
Flatter your prospects by asking what they do. Your interest will be noticed and it is a guarantee that you are more likely to be remembered for it.
4. Identify uniqueness in what you do, and publicise it
Send out press releases to local newspapers, radio stations, cable TV stations, or magazines that you can identify will target the same audience as you.
This will be done in hope that someone will be interested in what you sent, think that it will be interesting for their customers or simply just have space.
Include a photo in order to increase your chance of getting your material published. Editors of printed publications, especially, are often in need of drawings or photos to fill space.
5. Whenever you do get publicity, reprint the article containing the publicity
It is fantastic news when you hear that your material has published in a rather superior publication such as journals or newspapers.
Make photocopies of the particular piece and include in your marketing materials, such as news letters or emails. The publicity clips lend credibility to the claims you make for your products or services.
It is critical that you get permission from the publisher, beforehand.
6. Network with suppliers, who are doing the same type of work you are
Let them know you are available to handle their work overloads. (But don't try to steal their customers. Word will get out, and will ruin your business reputation.)
7. Use your means of transport as advertising
If you use a car or van in your business, utilise the space visible to people to its full advantage. Get your business name and any contact information professionally printed on the side/front/back of the vehicle. Magnetic signs could be just as superior.
8. Make it interesting
Run competitions and contests. Make prizes desirable but more importantly make it relevant to the products/services that you provide. It could be a free gift basket of your products or something much larger. This will encourage people to be interested in your business and keep them coming back for more!
This list is non-exhaustive and the more creative you can be the better, there is no truly definitive list of sure-fire ways of attracting customers and growing your business. Just keep thinking “outside the box” and see what works for you.
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