In order to sell your services or products it is crucial that your customers know that you exist, where they can find you, what you are offering, and why they should buy from you! “Becoming an effective marketer is simpler than you think,” says Louise Johnsson Zea, a small business marketing consultant at ACCION. “Even small business owners on a budget can increase their sales by utilizing a few low-cost marketing techniques.”
1. Word of mouth. Ask your clients to mention your business to their friends, family, and anyone else they know!
2. Make your customers feel special. Include something very inexpensive with a purchase -everyone loves to get something for free.
3. Order business cards online for free at www.vistaprint.com (you have to pay $5.95 for shipping and handling). These are perfect to give to customers and to hand out at networking events and meetings.
4. Host an annual event and invite your customers. You could organize a baseball game or a pot-luck picnic.
5. Keep a customer birthday list. On their birthday, send them a card and give them a discount enticing them to buy from your business.
6. Be kind to your customers. It is over five times more difficult to acquire a new customer than to keep an old one. If a customer suffered a bad experience pick up the phone and acknowledge what happened, and offer them a discount on their next purchase.
7. Hand out brochures and fliers.
8. If you have a small store – visit larger companies selling similar products and see how they market their products.
9. Advertise in the yellow pages or in local newspapers.
10. And last but not least, Network, network, network!
Johnsson-Zea recommends that small business owners write down all their marketing ideas and strategies, share them with employees to get them excited and involved, and set aside some time weekly to adjust the marketing plan. In no time, you’ll see that by investing (a little) money and time in marketing, your profits will soar!
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