4 Easy Ways to Get Free Marketing Exposure
Are there really ways you can get valuable marketing exposure without spending any money? You bet there are. The trick to uncovering these methods is to think of creative ways you can get your products or services in front of, or in the hands of, your prospects. And that last part is critical. It is only valuable marketing if it is targeted at the people you have identified are most likely to buy your products or services. Following are four ways I've used to create great results at little or no cost. 1) Share Your Knowledge. If you have specialized knowledge or expertise related to your business, think of ways to share that knowledge. Consider writing a regular column for a website or publication that targets the same customers you target. Become a regular contributor to a magazine or radio or TV program. 2) Package Your Knowledge. Package and distribute your knowledge in the form of an Ezine, Newsletter or Special Report. Build your contact list and distribute this valuable information on a regular basis. Use this as an opportunity to market your products and services and be sure to Include special offers or bonuses to recipients who act by a certain date. 3) Do Seminars or Presentations. Do you offer a professional or personal service? Consider booking yourself for speaking engagements where you can provide valuable information in your area of expertise to groups of people. Make sure the groups are representative of the types of customers or clients you believe are most likely to benefit from your services. This tactic serves several marketing purposes. First, it gets you out in front of your prospects. In marketing this is called "generating awareness" and it is the first step toward making a sale. Second, it allows people the opportunity to get to know you and/or your services. And with a service business, where clients are buying "you" (that really is what they are buying when they purchase your services) it is crucial that they understand the services you provide and that they get to know you. People like working with people they like. Given the choice between hiring two people with the same skills and services, most people will choose the person they like or feel the best chemistry with. Make sure to give attendees a special offer on your products or services at the end of your presentation. Give the offer a deadline to create urgency for them to take advantage of the offer on the spot. 4) Give Something Away. Find a way to give away samples of your products or services. Is there an association or group meeting or any other event that is looking for donations to be given away as door prizes? Why not donate a package of your services or products? You will gain exposure (a free advertisement by the group leader) among the entire group when your package is either auctioned off, or announced and given away in front of everyone. You are also giving the person who wins the package the chance to sample your products or services at no risk. You could further leverage this marketing by offering the "winner" an incentive to refer others to you. The "winner" might also be a great person to provide feedback to you, or a testimonial regarding how they felt about your product or service, that you can use in future marketing. Yes, there may be a hard cost associated with the product you are giving away, or a "time" cost associated with the time you are donating, however when you weigh that cost against the number of people who are being exposed to your products or services, usually it is well worth it. And it certainly is cheap (and usually more effective!) in comparison to buying an ad. My advice is to incorporate this sort of activity into your operational budget and simply consider it a cost of doing business. There are all kinds of ways to generate exposure of your products and services without paying for advertising space. Yes, sometimes this does involve giving away product or service, but I don't consider that a hard "marketing" cost. I have found that the benefits always outweigh the cost of my time or my products. The trick is to target well, or in other words, locate where your prospects congregate or what media they read or view, and then find creative ways to get yourself, your products or your services, in front of them in those places. © Copyright 2005 Debbie LaChusa 20-year marketing veteran, consultant, author, teacher and coach Debbie LaChusa has developed The 10stepmarketing System to help small business owners successfully market their business, themselves. To learn more about this simple, step-by-step program and to sign up for her FREE audio class and FREE weekly ezine featuring how-to articles, tips and advice, visit http://www.10stepmarketing.com
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Boost Your Direct Mail Response Rates with Mapping Technology
On Superbowl Sunday, Domino's Pizza delivered more than 900,000 pizzas-and mapping technology helped. How do 60,000 pizza outlets serving 3 billion pizzas per year compete in an industry where reputations and dollars are dependent on "fast, hot and delivered to the door?" Global Positioning System (GPS) technology!
Service Marketers; How?s Your Packaging?
When a shopper picks up a product in a store, what's the first thing they notice? The packaging, right? The same holds true for someone buying a service.
The Benefits of a Marketing Plan
What is a Marketing Plan?
Marketing is to do with matching the features and benefits that your products and services are able to provide with specific customers and then telling those customers why they should buy them from you. Your marketing plan details how to do this. A Marketing Plan is a document that supplements your business plan and brings together all your market research so that you can work out exactly where your business is going and how it is going to get there.
Who Is Your Market and Where Are They?
An important part of planning your business is to know who will use your products/services.
Wealth Knowledge & Power ? Lost Secrets From Ancient Masters
Behold! He with the light cometh!
Eight No Cost Ways to Market Your Business
Are you trying to promote your business with a tiny marketing budget? Opportunities are plentiful for low or no cost marketing. Here are a few that won't cost you a cent.
Publish articles about your specialty. "How-to" articles are always welcome. Ensure you include your contact information.
Write letters to the editor of publications your target market reads.
Get involved in an organization or community project.
Build strategic alliances with non-competing businesses and cross-promote each other.
Publish a special report. A "super how to" list for your specialty area. Distribute freely. Ensure that your contact information is included.
Speak to groups and organizations. Make sure the audience is your target market.
Carefully target relationships with media sources.
Write newsworthy press releases and distribute to your special contacts.
The more proactive you can be, the better off your business will be.
Developing A Focused Marketing Strategy
You want all of your marketing messages to have a single focus, so they pull together instead of competing with each other. Great! So how do you come up with one?
Consumer Thinking And Search Marketing
12/20/04
Choosing Networking Functions
Time is a concern for all of us. We only have so much of it to give to our work, and then some to our families, our churches and some to ourselves. In today's business climate it is essential to spent our time wisely to maximize our productivity and satisfaction with our lives.
How To Market A Seminar
Have you ever left a seminar thinking: "I could have done a better job than that!" Before you start signing up attendees, take a few minutes to think about what you are getting into. Putting on a seminar involves planning, time, and money. Understanding the ins and outs of the industry will go a long way in helping you hold a successful seminar. That's where I come in. Over the past 4 years, I have put on over 4,000 seminars, and a handful of national conventions. I will help you plan the event, and make sure that someone shows up!
Keeping Marketing Simple / Ten Simple Steps
1. Business Cards
Itchin For Some Nichin
The whole idea of Niche Marketing is exciting! The possibilities are endless, as there are literally millions of people surfing the web, the vast majorities of whom are here for two reasons . . .
Direct Mail - Dont Assume, Just Test and Track
Where to Start:
Mortgage Marketing to Realtors ? Creating a Memorable Positioning Statement
Mortgage marketing to Realtors involves having a crystal clear position that establishes credibility, so that you can develop a consistent dialogue with prospects and guide them at every stage of the relationship building process.
The Marketing Recipe: Money, Marketing and Me ? 3 Keys For Success
You have a great product or service? Now, how should you market it?
10 Simple Ways to Boost Your Sales IMMIDIATELY!
Alright you've got yourself a nice website with a great
design and a good steady traffic coming in...
Importance of Endorsements And How To Use Them
Customer endorsements are an inexpensive and easy sales tool, particularly for someone just starting out.
How Simple, Small Changes Can Add Real Money To Your Pocket
I want to share with you a story. This story happens everywhere and everyday in America . If you grasp the simple lesson from it, you can make more money each month without working harder or spending more.
Marketing Strategies: What Choices Do You Have?
Most business people want to see improvements in sales and profits. But how do you get there? What choices do you have?
How Much Is Your Popcorn Worth? Powerful Lessons In Marketing & The Psychology Of Selling - Part 2
NB: You can read part one here: http://EzineArticles.com/?id=58690
|
