Small Business Marketing Ideas

biznicole · 04-07-09

What's your best marketing tactic, and why did it work for you?

Mine has been strategic alliances. It has worked best for me because what I offer is a bit different, and the clients I work with would rather get a recommendation than anything else.

What about you?

gutsy · 17-07-09

Hi Nicole
I tend to agree - networking works ... joining up at forums like this works well. Also offering something slightly different and developing your brand.

Candise · 13-08-09

1. Don't Advertise Like a Big Business
Big businesses advertise to create name recognition and future sales. A small business can't afford to do that. Instead, design your advertising to produce sales ...now. One way to accomplish this is to always include an offer in your advertising - and an easy way for prospective customers to respond to it.

2. Offer a Cheaper Version
Some prospective customers are not willing to pay the asking price for your product or service. Others are more interested in paying a low price than in getting the best quality. You can avoid losing sales to many of these customers by offering a smaller or stripped down version of your product or service at a lower price.

3. Offer a Premium Version
Not all customers are looking for a cheap price. Many are willing to pay a higher price to get a premium product or service. You can boost your average size sale and your total revenue by offering a more comprehensive product or service ...or by combining several products or services in a special premium package offer for a higher price.

4. Try Some Unusual Marketing Methods
Look for some unconventional marketing methods your competitors are overlooking. You may discover some highly profitable ways to generate sales and avoid competition. For example, print your best small ad on a postcard and mail it to prospects in your targeted market. A small ad on a postcard can drive a high volume of traffic to your website or generate a flood of sales leads for a very small cost.

5. Trim Your Ads
Reduce the size of your ads so you can run more ads for the same cost. You may even be surprised to find that some of your short ads generate a better response than their longer versions.

6. Set up Joint Promotions with Other Small Businesses
Contact some non-competing small businesses serving customers in your market. Offer to publicize their products or services to your customers in exchange for their publicizing your services to their customers. This usually produces a large number of sales for a very low cost.

7. Take Advantage of Your Customers
Your customers already know and trust you. It's easier to get more business from them than to get any business from somebody who never bought from you. Take advantage of this by creating some special deals just for your existing customers ...and announce new products and services to them before you announce them to the general market.

Also, convert your customers into publicity agents for your business. Develop an incentive for them to tell associates and friends about the value of your products or services. An endorsement from them is more effective than any amount of advertising - and it is much cheaper.

defcab11 · 14-08-09

Candise, that is some great advice.

AndersenSoft · 27-08-09

I agree with Candise. There are many good marketing advice.
But personally i think that for best selling company should create and maintain good web-presence: good web-site with excellent content, with unobtrusive ads.

Web-site should provide insight into company's activity.
It's also a good way to make special offers, actions and place them on the site.

AFashionableLife · 27-08-09

Great advice Candise, thank you for your input on this one, I really enjoyed reading your comments.

Just Love Gardening · 16-11-09

Offer a free SMS service to your visitors of your website. I did it is working for me now. Do a google search for star cities international

rietpg · 25-11-09

Nice info from you all guys.Thank you.