MARKET STRATEGIES Marketing strategies are as varied as your own imagination, and don’t need to cost you any money, at least at the outset. Here are some ideas for free or inexpensive “deals” you can offer your loyal and new customers.
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MULTI MEDIA In view of all that you can get through internet marketing, you may wonder, “what more there could be?” Well, the ether itself is not just text. You can go multimedia on the web, too. Pictures and videos are another way to get the word out about your business. Going multimedia can mean building your own channel on YouTube. You shoot your own amateur videos concerning your business. It can be just static camera shots of you explaining part of your business, or giving out free pointers. When managed correctly, your YouTube account can open doors in your industry and gain a lot of followers, which bring in more clients. This only requires minimum equipment, with just your video camera serving for video and sound. It doesn’t cost anything, and you make your presence known to potentially hundreds of thousands of people. If you’ve ever watched the videos on YouTube, you know that professional quality isn’t the focus.
Graphics, too, make a difference. For instance, when you’re designing a call to action, it needs to be easy to spot, without being obnoxious. Fit it into a geometric shape that will be easy to find on the page, with just enough information to let the potential customer know what he will receive. There should also be a security notice reassuring the customer that his information will be protected. Just make sure that the information is secure, because nothing will kill your momentum more quickly than someone hacking your carefully formed list and alienating your new customers.
Offer your established customers a discount
on services for each referral. This discount can be for each referral, or for referrals that sign up for your services. Simply stating that your customers are important to you, and that their referrals are the most valuable advertising you can get, will make it clear to your customers that you don’t take them for granted. ▪ Always give your customers a chance to sign up for emails, with cyber security, of course. With email addresses, you have mass-mailing potential that costs you literally nothing. You can send out newsletters, sales flyers, and announcements, and the only cost you have is for the artistic eye that designs the “mailers”. Now, keep in mind, just 20 years ago, you would have had to take your prepared flyer to a printer, pay for a PMT to be formed, pay for printing out the flyer or newsletter, fold and address everything, and then, pay for postage. People who have done this have the process, and expense, seared into their memories. ▪ A widget is a form of call to action that you can imbed in various sites. With a widget, you’ll have analysis of the success of your marketing campaign, too, so you’ll know what needs to be tweaked. ▪ Limited area promotions can be very successful. One clever entrepreneur had a local reputation as a “hagger” – a woman who dresses up like a hillbilly hag and crashes birthday and anniversary parties. She offered one free hag service to all of her current clients, and to any new clients who signed up within a set time period. She limited the area to within a 30 minute drive of her home. She saw a significant increase in the number of clients, and even got a couple of hag requests from another state! So be creative. You may have something to offer locals, and the personal interaction serves to spread the word and build good customer relations.
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