| |
| |
|
Marketing Information |
|
|
|
Marketing On The Cheap: Join The What?
Your local Chamber of Commerce. Now before you stop reading, I assure you this really works, and no, this is not an advertisement for the Chamber of Commerce although it may read like one. What seems now like a hundred years ago I owned and operated a company that was made up of three components: a monthly magazine that we converted over to the Internet (http://www.sbmag.org); a graphic art studio; and an advertising agency. While we were in our infant stages, one of the tools I used to build a client base was a one hour consultation for new business start-ups on how to get business with little or no advertising budget. This program was very successful, and we ended up with a number of excellent clients that stayed with us for years. Most, if not everything that I suggested in that one hour session many years back, is still valid today. The first thing I would recommend for a new business owner was to become a joiner. If your business is a mama-papa business, you should both join an organization or two, but not the same ones. Spread it out. The first organization I always recommended joining was the local Chamber of Commerce. Your Chamber of Commerce should be the number one advocate for business of all sizes in your community. Most are structured about the same way with a variety of committees that deal with specific issues related to different aspects that make up your community. Make sure you become active in the committee that has the closest relationship to your business. If you are a retailer, join the retail merchants committee; if you are a contractor, you may want to join the government affairs committee or the transportation and traffic committee, etc., etc. If the opportunity presents itself, you may also want to consider chairing one of these committees or gaining a seat on the board of directors. This will add instant credibility and more exposure to you and your business. But be selective and don't take on more responsibilities then you want to do or, worse yet, than you can do. Failing here can create negative public relations, the direct opposite of why you are there to begin with. Most Chambers also sponsor any number of different networking opportunities ranging form mixers to field trips. Attend as many of these functions as you can, and always make sure you wear a nametag and have plenty of businesses cards with you. My favorites were the mixers. However, don't be obnoxious about it. I have seen people attending chamber events and simply walking around and sticking their business cards in people's faces and launching into some sort of sales pitch. This won't get it done. In fact, all it will do is tick people off. Remember, you are only there to meet and greet people and make friends and contacts, not sell them something right then and there. Also remember that most, if not all, people in attendance are probably there for the same reason you are. Quite often I found it more beneficial to listen more then talk. People that have something to say are appreciative of those that are willing to listen. I can remember incidences where someone would say to me later that I really made a great impression on so-and-so, and that they thought what a great guy I was. In reality, I hardly said more then 20 words to so-and-so, but I did spend a half hour listening to him. Some Chambers will arrange a ribbon cutting ceremony for you when you first join, assuming yours is a new business. If your business is not all that new, they may be willing to do something similar in the way of announcing you as a new member to the Chamber. Most Chambers have a monthly newsletter and accept press releases. Some also sell advertising at very reasonable price. Also keep in mind that if you are an active member and maybe even a committee chairperson or board member, you may have your own column in the newsletter or at least a listing as a committee chair or member of the board. This listing usually will include the name of your business. If your committee is dealing with important issues and or events, there may also be additional benefits in the way of local media coverage. I always made sure I chaired at least one or two events a year, and I picked the ones that were most likely to effect a large segment of the community "in a positive way". This becomes important. For instance, you may want to think twice about chairing a committee to recall the local mayor and opt instead to take over the Christmas Parade. A lot of Chambers sponsor trade shows. If promoted right, these events will offer an excellent opportunity for you to showcase your business. The trade shows are sometimes limited to a specific type of business. An example may be an electronics show or a fashion show. Obviously, if you sell running shoes, setting up a booth among nothing but big screen TVs and laptop computers may not be the place for you. On the other hand if you sell insurance, this may be the place for you to pitch homeowners insurance to people with a lot of high priced electronic gadgets. You have to pick and choose the right place at the right time. Another function some, if not most, Chambers sponsor are seminars. Don't miss the opportunity to present yourself as an expert in your field. Explore the possibility of becoming a presenter at a seminar being offered. Don't over look the possibility of selling your goods or services directly to the Chamber itself. It's a fairly good bet that, with little exception, they are not going outside their own membership to purchase anything unless they absolutely have to. If you do get a chance to do business with them, make sure you give them the best service and the best prices you can. The last thing you want to do is over charge or under serve what is probably the largest and most influential business organization in your area. The list of possible exposure via your chamber is endless -- web site listings, yearly directories both on line and hard copy, referral services, business card racks, local maps and on and on. I can't possibly cover all the advantages of membership. There will be many other opportunities that your involvement will create for you. Yet, not all of the benefits can be, nor should they be, measured in dollars and cents. One of the greatest benefits of being a member will be in the overall pride and satisfaction that you will get, knowing you are a leader working to make your community a better place to live. You can't put a price on that. Check out http://www.sbmag.org for a number of other ideas on promoting your business on a budget. No permission is needed to reproduce an unedited copy of this article as long the About The Author tag is left in tact and hot links included. Reciprocal links will be considered. Email floyd@sbmag.org. Floyd Snyder has been trading and investing in the stock market for three decades. He was on the forefront of the day trading craze that swept the nation back in the late 1990's both as a trader and as the moderator of one of the Internet's largest real time trading rooms. He is the owner of http://www.TraderAide.com , Strictly Business Magazine at http://www.sbmag.org, http://www.FrameHouseGallery.com, and http://www.EducationResourcesNetwork.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Off the Shelf Small Business Mapping Software All small businesses can benefit from inexpensive off the shelf CD Rom mapping software. If you own a business you need to where your customers are coming from, where you would like to expand your sphere of influence to, where your competitors are located and how to route your delivery vehicles. The Real Path To Big Bucks On The Internet! "Instead Of Wasting Time Trying To Hit The Lottery Of Internet Riches, Focus On Building Your Business One Sweet Income Stream At A Time!" Eric (one of my JV partners) experienced an epiphany yesterday. He had one of those rare moments of insight that can forever change your life. Judge Rules in Consultant's Favor with 80-20 Rule I opened the registered letter and was shocked. My best clients were joining together in a class-action suit against me. How To Start With Absolutely Nothing And Create Wealth online in 30 days or less. Without a doubt, if you asked me, Shane if there was only 1 marketing strategy that you could use on the Internet, what would it be? Without hesitation I would say joint Ventures. Joint Ventures are easily the most lucrative Marketing Strategy ever invented and if you learn to do it right, will likely be the ONLY marketing strategy you will ever need to use. The Dare-To-Be-Different In Marketing Checklist There is a big payoff in being different. When you accept "what is" you place yourself in the category of "sameness," and people don't buy sameness. Sponsorship: A Key to Powerful Marketing Sponsorship is the fastest growing form of marketing in the U.S. Positioning For Success According to military historian David Chandler the campaigns of Napoleon Bonaparte consistently rose above the expected. For more than 20 years Napoleon showed genius and skill as a general on the field of battle. Eleven Reasons Donors Stop Responding To Fundraising Letter Appeals Donors will stop responding to your fundraising letter appeals for many reasons. Some of which you can manage, but many of which you cannot. Postcard Marketing Done Right Say it with a post card. A well designed, colorful, high impact postcard in the mail box of your prospect is your best ticket to a new customer. Corporate Branding and Trade Shows - 8 Tips for Marketing Managers Trade shows are part of the marketing mix and the appearance by your firm should be a continuum of your entire marketing including advertising, public relations and events.While you may introduce a new product or showcase a service, many firms make mistakes by not connecting the overall corporate branding with the show. Voice Mail Can Be Your Buddy Voice Mail is a classy name for "answer Machine". Problem is, people at home had answer machines long before most businesses. 2 Little Words That Work Marketing Magic In his classic best-seller, "How To Win Friends And Influence People," Dale Carnegie's second chapter is entitled The Big Secret of Dealing With People. The secret is summed up in this principle: Give honest and sincere appreciation. Marketing For Profit - 6 Critical Traits Develop These Six Critical Marketing Traits.. Secret of Strategy - Part 1 A step-by-step guide to creating a growth strategy based on your current situation and future possibilities. I'll bet you think you already have a strategy. Is It Time To Kill Your Marketing Program? Ouch . . AIDA From A Different View - I Call It the 5 Ws My childhood was my foundation for how I write and how I think. I caught on at an early age that writing is an art and it has a very distinct way of reaching out to people depending on how you apply it. Five Mistakes Absolutely Guaranteed to Drive Away Your Best Clients We all work hard to attract even one paying client. In fact, we work hard to attract serious inquiries. Business In 2010: A New Face of Marketing The term "internet marketing" was virtually non-existent a short 8 years ago, now it is a growing phenomenon that is raking millions every year. Because of this expanding industry, the internet landscape it changing. How To Be A First Class Marketer? Did you now how to follow up a new customer with less phone calls?First thing for you to know that you only have about 5 minutes for first follow up in the phone. The rest of that is a meeting arrangement. One-A-Day Marketing Vitamins Is your business growing, or are you on a plateau in need of a boost to move up? I know that I always tell you it is best to have a positioning statement and a plan. But sometimes, you just need something to get you off square one.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
