Marketing Strategies Today: Where Should I Advertise?

Regardless of whether you're a new business just launching or a stable business that has been around for years, there are some proven marketing strategies that will help you with your advertising without your having to break the budget:

1. Plan your attack -- Sounds a little bit like going into war now doesn't it? Well, business can be war, it's certainly every man for himself and your success or failure can doom you or lead to victory. Determine who your best prospects are, and then find the best method to reach them. Be as exacting as possible. Is the person whose interest you want to capture the CEO of the company, the director of human resources, or a young working mother? Will you locate them on Twitter, Google Plus, Facebook or Pinterest? Will they be looking for your product on Google or Bing? When do you want to begin promoting your business to them, at the start of the buying cycle, or when they're just about ready to make the purchase? It's a lot to think about, but only by doing so will you have any hope of starting down the road to success.

2. Set up a website if you don't already have one -- If you lack the financial resources to hire someone to build you a website, put your site up on usage companies like SiteSell.com, HomeStead.com, or something akin to what they provide. They supply templates and tools that make it easy to create a basic website. Nothing fancy mind you, but then you don't need to go fancy, just present the facts in an interesting and informative manner.

3. List your business in search engine local directories -- Google and Bing both provide a free listing for local businesses. Yahoo charges even for local listings, but you make out quite well if you buy their service because you get listed on much more than just Yahoo. The service, called Yahoo Localworks, costs $29.99 a month and lists you in 50 directories including Yahoo Local, Yelp, WhitePages, Mapquest, Bing and more. The advantage of paying: You have a single location to enter your data to make it consistently available on multiple online directories that your customers will hopefully search through to find what you sell.

4. Set your business profile or page up on Linkedin, Google Plus, Facebook and Twitter -- Be certain that your business profile contains a good description, keywords and a link to your website. Look for groups that discuss your kind of products or services and participate in the conversations, but only when you have something relevant to say. Don't spam them with an overload of promos for your product. There's no faster way to annoy people.

5. If you're just starting out and don't have a business card and business stationery, have them made up -- Immediately is not too soon to do this. Your business card, letterhead and envelope let prospective customers know that you are a professional who takes your business seriously. List your website address on your business card and letterhead and any handouts you create.

6. Get your business cards to anyone who can help you find new clients -- Call your friends and relatives and inform them that you now have a business. Visit them and give them a small stack of business cards to pass out to their friends and acquaintances. Even your neighbors can help you in this.

7. Sign up for an email service -- Send out an email newsletter and/or promotional offers to customers and prospects for your business. Make certain you ask for permission to send email before placing any person's email name on your list. One great way to create a permission-based email list of people who want to receive your mailings is to give something away. Perhaps a free ebook, or maybe a free tip sheet on how to do something related to your business. Free always attracts potential customers. 

8. Attend meetings of various professional groups, such as the Chamber of Commerce, or civic associations -- Keep your business cards in a pocket where you can easily reach them. Ask what the people you speak with do, and really pay attention to what they have to say. They'll be pleased by your interest and remember you because of it. You help them gain customers and they'll be happy to do the same for you. It's that old saying, "One hand washes the other."

9. Talk to all the vendors from whom you buy products or services -- Give them your business card, and ask if they can use your products, or if they know anyone who can. Don't be shy, it never hurts to ask. If they have a bulletin board where business cards are displayed (printers do, as do some supermarkets, hairdressers, etc.), ask if yours can be added to the board.

10. Pay for membership in those groups that attract your target customers -- If the group has a website and publishes a list of members on the site, be sure that your name and website link get added. Once it is added, double check that your contact information is accurate and your website link isn't broken.

11. Become actively involved in two or three of these groups --That will provide you with more opportunity to meet potential prospects. Just keep in mind that nobody likes an opportunist, and acting too much like one can even hurt your business. It's understandable that you won't want to become involved in a whole lot of organizations that require a lot of your time, but for the ones you do join you can -- and should -- make real contributions to all of them by offering useful ideas and assisting with projects when possible.

12. Find something unusual about what you do, and publicize it --Send out press releases to local newspapers, radio stations, cable TV stations, magazines whose audiences are apt to be interested in purchasing what you sell. Also post the press releases on one or more online press release services, too, making certain to include likes to your website. To increase your chance of having the material published, send along a photo (but not to radio stations of course) with your press release. You never know what might happen until you try.

13. Write an article that displays your expertise in your field -- Send it to noncompeting newspapers, magazines, and websites in your field that accept submissions from experts. Place your name, business name, phone number, and a reference to your product or service at the end of the article. If the editor uses the article, you get your name in print, and maybe even your contact information too.

14. Publicize your publicity -- Whenever you get any type of publicity let your business feed off of it. Get permission from the publisher to reprint the article containing the publicity. Make photocopies and mail the copies out with sales letters or any other literature you use to market your product. The publicity clips lend credibility to the claims you make for your products or services.

15. Put videos of your product on YouTube and other video-sharing and slide-sharing sites -- This can really give your business a huge boost.

16. Send out sales letters to everyone who might be able to use what you sell -- Be sure to describe your business in terms of how it can help the prospect buyer. Drop a business card in every letter you send out. Follow up periodically with postcard mailings.

17. If you use a car or truck in your business use it for advertising -- Just have your business name and contact information professionally painted on the side of the vehicle. So now your means of transportation has become a vehicle for advertising your business as well. 

18. Make "cold calls" -- These are calls to people who you would like to do business with. Briefly describe what you do and ask for an appointment to talk to them about ways you can help them meet a need or solve a problem.

19. Give out samples of your product to as many people as you can -- Doing this can work wonders, and you might find that the person you thought would be the least helpful to you is the very individual who can help promote your business the most.

20. Ask for referrals -- Ask existing customers, prospects and casual acquaintances for referrals. When you get them, follow up on the leads.

21. Use other people to sell your product -- Rather than (or in addition to) selling your products yourself, look for affiliates, resellers or people who will generate leads for you in return for a commission on sales. Be sure your pricing structure allows for the fees or commissions you will have to pay on any sales that are made.

22. Test buying Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising on the search engines -- If you are not as yet advertising on search engines look for offers that give you $50 or $75 in free advertising to begin with. Read the directions for the service you intend to use, and very carefully watch what you spend on a daily or more frequent basis until you are comfortable using PPC ads and see that you are getting an acceptable return on your investment.

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Mitch Carson has been a pitchman on Home Shopping Network, CBS Radio host, and is the CEO of Impact Products Marketing in Los Angeles, CA. Reach him at [email protected] or https://www.mitchcarson.com