10 Ways to Promote Your Business
| Category: Top 10 Tips | Date: 2002-05-31 |
There certainly are a lot of ways for you to promote your business these days. Almost every day I receive messages about a new list, new E-zines, new site, new something to help you promote what you offer.
However, there are some important elements to keep in mind when you decide how and where you want to expose what you do. I have chosen ten to share with you now.
1. One very vital element to successful promotions is to know where to promote so you wont be spending money or time where you would be ignored. So determine your target market quickly. Dont assume that by advertising to a large number of people you will get the results you want. You will get a lot of "looky-lous" who may need what you have, but not necessarily want it! So, you wont get many sales. Staying with a smaller distribution that has the target reader who needs and WANTS your business will bring you much better results. Make a list of people who would need and WANT what you have, then advertise only to them.
2. You should know what your competitors are doing in order to stay ahead of them. After all, YOUR CUSTOMERS know what they offer, how they offer it, and how much it is. That means you better know too! Compare your advertising styles, your logos, your web sites and where they advertise. Look at your competition through the eyes of your prospects. Would you buy from you?
3. Determining your own keywords to describe your business is one way to advertise right along with your competition without sounding like a copy cat ad. It is easier to use the common keywords seen everywhere, but not as effective as when you discover some of your own. This unique twist will give your business a fresh new look. Your audience will continue to read your ad because it wont be the same old thing.
4. Many of us spend so much time promoting, we overlook how we look when our prospects find us! All you effective ads do is create interest in your reader. It is your place of business that presents your product or service. Make sure it is a comfortable place to be, both online or on location. We may be competing in a high tech world, but our customers still crave a high touch relationship before they buy. Is your business site "customer friendly"? Can they find their way around without difficulty? Is there a way to get their questions answered? Do you give them a reason to come back?
5. Another element that positively effects your marketing efforts is to get your customers involved in your business. Make them want to learn more about your product or service. Invite them to participate in your forums, your newsletter, or updates to the site. Offer to alert them to new items via e-mail or snail mail. Have surveys for them to answer then reward them for doing so. You dont have to have a newsletter or E-zine in order to keep in touch with your prospects in a professional and consistent way. A simple bit of information from time to time will still keep your name in front of your audience.
6. Be sure you have a follow up system in place for your customers after the sale. Go beyond that "thanks for your purchase" we all get automatically both online and in a brick and mortar business. Dont wait until you lose a possible return sale to hastily put a follow up together. Design a plan of action that will keep you on track to send out a message a set intervals. Ask your consumer if they are happy with the purchase. Next time, try adding some information about how others are enjoying the same item they purchased. Then another time, tell them about a new product or service. Or maybe describe several ways to use what they purchased. Do this and you will not only get repeat business, but you will earn REFERRALS as well.
7. Learn to blend your marketing with both online and on location promotions. I know most of us would much rather sit back and click our mouse to sell what we offer. But, todays consumers are still out there looking for that special feeling of "high touch". Try searching out some compatible businesses that are not yet online and trade promotions. If you are a traditional brick and mortar business find a few compatible online businesses that might have some possibilities to share promotions. Create a real win-win situation.
8. One very effective way to promote is to specialize with just one product or service at a time. When you offer a long list of items at one time, people tend to feel totally overwhelmed and wont make a decision. This also lets you keep your focus on one particular target at a time. It is easier for you to inform and educate when you take it one at a time.
9. Do you know what specific results you want from each campaign you launch? I know, sales, right? But, sales wont happen overnight, so you need to guide your audience through the sales process a little at a time. Decide what steps you want them to take and target each one. Your first might be a simple introduction about your business. Then another may be to promote a specific item and so on. Build their trust by educating and informing your prospect.
10. Be prepared to be prepared. Keep a notebook handy for those times when you see or hear of other great, unique or incredible ways to advertise or promote. Jot down words or phrases that grab your attention and use them in your own campaigns. Read newspapers, magazines and flyers to know what others are doing and adapt them to your own business. Keep this notebook handy so you are always ready to promote, promote, promote!
To your business success!
Kris Secor
About The Author
Kris has helped many folks with her Ad Writing and Marketing techniques. She teaches you how to effectively use these elements and many more in the Netpropelled Marketing System. Now, you can have step-by-step procedures in marketing your On-Location and On-Line Business. FREE e-book, Ad Writing...Hitting Your Mark! and more with FREE subscription to the Netpropelled Newsletter ~Ideas that PROPEL your NET PROFITS. You are invited to learn more at: netpropelled.com
:To contact online see details below,
webmaster@netpropelled.com
http://www.netpropelled.com
However, there are some important elements to keep in mind when you decide how and where you want to expose what you do. I have chosen ten to share with you now.
1. One very vital element to successful promotions is to know where to promote so you wont be spending money or time where you would be ignored. So determine your target market quickly. Dont assume that by advertising to a large number of people you will get the results you want. You will get a lot of "looky-lous" who may need what you have, but not necessarily want it! So, you wont get many sales. Staying with a smaller distribution that has the target reader who needs and WANTS your business will bring you much better results. Make a list of people who would need and WANT what you have, then advertise only to them.
2. You should know what your competitors are doing in order to stay ahead of them. After all, YOUR CUSTOMERS know what they offer, how they offer it, and how much it is. That means you better know too! Compare your advertising styles, your logos, your web sites and where they advertise. Look at your competition through the eyes of your prospects. Would you buy from you?
3. Determining your own keywords to describe your business is one way to advertise right along with your competition without sounding like a copy cat ad. It is easier to use the common keywords seen everywhere, but not as effective as when you discover some of your own. This unique twist will give your business a fresh new look. Your audience will continue to read your ad because it wont be the same old thing.
4. Many of us spend so much time promoting, we overlook how we look when our prospects find us! All you effective ads do is create interest in your reader. It is your place of business that presents your product or service. Make sure it is a comfortable place to be, both online or on location. We may be competing in a high tech world, but our customers still crave a high touch relationship before they buy. Is your business site "customer friendly"? Can they find their way around without difficulty? Is there a way to get their questions answered? Do you give them a reason to come back?
5. Another element that positively effects your marketing efforts is to get your customers involved in your business. Make them want to learn more about your product or service. Invite them to participate in your forums, your newsletter, or updates to the site. Offer to alert them to new items via e-mail or snail mail. Have surveys for them to answer then reward them for doing so. You dont have to have a newsletter or E-zine in order to keep in touch with your prospects in a professional and consistent way. A simple bit of information from time to time will still keep your name in front of your audience.
6. Be sure you have a follow up system in place for your customers after the sale. Go beyond that "thanks for your purchase" we all get automatically both online and in a brick and mortar business. Dont wait until you lose a possible return sale to hastily put a follow up together. Design a plan of action that will keep you on track to send out a message a set intervals. Ask your consumer if they are happy with the purchase. Next time, try adding some information about how others are enjoying the same item they purchased. Then another time, tell them about a new product or service. Or maybe describe several ways to use what they purchased. Do this and you will not only get repeat business, but you will earn REFERRALS as well.
7. Learn to blend your marketing with both online and on location promotions. I know most of us would much rather sit back and click our mouse to sell what we offer. But, todays consumers are still out there looking for that special feeling of "high touch". Try searching out some compatible businesses that are not yet online and trade promotions. If you are a traditional brick and mortar business find a few compatible online businesses that might have some possibilities to share promotions. Create a real win-win situation.
8. One very effective way to promote is to specialize with just one product or service at a time. When you offer a long list of items at one time, people tend to feel totally overwhelmed and wont make a decision. This also lets you keep your focus on one particular target at a time. It is easier for you to inform and educate when you take it one at a time.
9. Do you know what specific results you want from each campaign you launch? I know, sales, right? But, sales wont happen overnight, so you need to guide your audience through the sales process a little at a time. Decide what steps you want them to take and target each one. Your first might be a simple introduction about your business. Then another may be to promote a specific item and so on. Build their trust by educating and informing your prospect.
10. Be prepared to be prepared. Keep a notebook handy for those times when you see or hear of other great, unique or incredible ways to advertise or promote. Jot down words or phrases that grab your attention and use them in your own campaigns. Read newspapers, magazines and flyers to know what others are doing and adapt them to your own business. Keep this notebook handy so you are always ready to promote, promote, promote!
To your business success!
Kris Secor
About The Author
Kris has helped many folks with her Ad Writing and Marketing techniques. She teaches you how to effectively use these elements and many more in the Netpropelled Marketing System. Now, you can have step-by-step procedures in marketing your On-Location and On-Line Business. FREE e-book, Ad Writing...Hitting Your Mark! and more with FREE subscription to the Netpropelled Newsletter ~Ideas that PROPEL your NET PROFITS. You are invited to learn more at: netpropelled.com
:To contact online see details below,
webmaster@netpropelled.com
http://www.netpropelled.com
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