Marketing Tips

Marketing your small business should not cost a fortune. Contrary to the popular belief "you've got to spend it to make it," there are ways to boost your sales, promote your brand, and create a buzz without spending any money at all.

When people hear the word "marketing" they often think about advertising. Technically, marketing is really an umbrella term that covers many different methods to reach your customers beyond paid advertising; including publicity, research, promotion, selling, customer service, and distribution.

Advertising is the most expensive type of marketing because it involves paying media suppliers to present your message to their audience. As such, advertising is not included in the list of free marketing tools set out below.

While it's almost impossible—and dangerous—to spend absolutely nothing on marketing, you may enjoy saving some money with these no-cost marketing tactics.

While it's almost impossible—and dangerous—to spend absolutely nothing on marketing, you may enjoy saving some money with these no-cost marketing tactics.

Free media publicity. Every small business has a story. What's yours? Perhaps your business recently expanded into a new location or hired more employees. Maybe you won a prestigious industry award for your innovative product or process. Did you just land a major new client or start to develop business in a foreign country? You might possess unique expertise on a certain topic or trend. Or, perhaps your business is changing the world by helping people or protecting the environment.

Your personal career path is also a potential media story. Did you scrape, struggle, and sacrifice to get your business where it is today? Your story may appeal to media as a human interest piece or a business lesson.

You've got plenty of things to say to media. Select an angle each month that's unique to you or your business and write up a media release. Go online to find samples of one-page media releases to learn proper tone and format. Send your media releases to the same radio stations, television channels and newspapers you know your customers listen, watch and read.

Cross-promotion. Team up with a local business owner who sells something different from you. For example, a muffler shop might cross-promote a car wash. Or, a movie theatre with a restaurant. Strike an agreement to distribute each other's promotional materials, exchange website links, or create a special "buy here, save there" offer.

Customer referrals. Word of mouth is a highly effective marketing tactic, but is often under utilized by small businesses because most don't know how to get customers talking about them. Like most things in life, if you don't ask you won't get referrals. Pick up the phone and ask your best customers if they know anyone who might benefit from your products or services. Ask for an introduction by email and simply follow up.

Resist the temptation to turn your customers into "salespeople" by dangling a commission—they won't like it. Instead, send a thank you note or a small gift when their referral becomes your customer.

Newsletters. Give some valuable advice to your prospects and customers by sending an informative monthly newsletter. Write about topics relevant to your business: for example, a computer repair shop might offer tips on how to safeguard data. To avoid being seen as spam, email only to customers who have opted-in to receive your communications. Keep the promotional messages to a minimum.

How-to seminars. Similar to a newsletter, consider offering free "how-to" seminars for your customers. A yarn shop could host knitting lessons. A financial planner might teach customers how to reduce taxes. Create one-hour topics, find a free meeting room (your store, if applicable) and send out invitations.

Sales calls. Picking up the phone and calling a prospective customer is perhaps the best form of no-cost marketing. It's nice to think marketing will drop customers on your doorstep, but it's never that easy. Identify prospects, prepare your sales approach, and go get them.

Surveys or focus groups. Research activities will help you to better understand your customers and pre-dispose them to buy from you, simply because you asked for their input. Issue regular surveys or host focus groups to ask your customers questions about their recent purchase, about your competition, and about your customer service. Collect their suggestions on how to improve your business? and act on them.

Sampling. Like the cereal manufacturer dispensing a small taste at a kiosk in your neighbourhood grocery store, let your prospects sample your wares. Generously offer to let people try your delivery service for free, taste your restaurant menu, or snuggle up in that leather sofa for sale. For example, a stereo store could let customers take home speakers for the weekend to hear how they sound.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO). There's no point to having a website unless people visit it. SEO helps make your website easier for search engines such as Google or Yahoo to find it, using well-selected keywords, expressions, and phrases. Bring in a placement student from your local university with such online expertise. Or, swap services with a local website marketing consultant.

Spoiling customers. Get people talking about your business by simply "surprising and delighting" them. Do things your competition does not, such as thanking customers in person, offering no-strings-attached returns, or around the clock technical support. Like the mint on your hotel room pillow, it's the little things customers remember. Small business owners must remember it's always less expensive to keep an existing customer happy than it is to get a new one.

Marketing your small business should be fun. It's your chance to be creative, work with other business owners and connect with your customers. And, the more you work at marketing your business, the easier it will become

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