1.) Social Media: Social media is a must for all businesses nowadays. You don’t have to go all crazy by getting an account on every social media and networking site out there. There are a few tried-and-true sites that you need to have a presence on so that you are able to be searched and found by all your current and future customers. You have all heard of Facebook, Linked In and Twitter. Start there. Post daily. Don’t sell to your customers on these sites because they will “unlike” you faster than you can blink. Talk to them and engage in a conversation with them. I know the social media space seems scary, but this is the new “phone book” advertising; the “necessary evil” of marketing. If your not here, your not anywhere (according to some theories!) And, don’t forget to link to your social media sites from your website and other printed marketing materials. One of my clients posts "Social Media Marketing Minutes" on their YouTube page. For more tidbits about the do's and don'ts about social media, check out their most recent post:
2.) E-mail Marketing: What a great way to connect with your customer’s right in their inbox! If you don’t have your customers email addresses, start asking for them right away. Give a special offer in exchange for their information. If you already have this valuable data from your customers, you are off to a great start. Now remember, this list should consist of current, past and future customers, all of whom are at the different stages of the buying cycle. So, place tidbits in your eblast that will appeal to everyone. Be educational about your industry, give solutions about current issues (share samples!) and tell them why your business is the best at what you do!
3.) Referral Program: By now you should already have a base of “raving fan” customers. Are they telling people about your business? Are you asking them to? These valuable people should be your #1 sales force, bringing prospects into your business everyday. If you haven’t already read the book Raving Fans by Sheldon Bowles, I suggest you buy it. Read it (it’s a fast read). Give it as a gift to all your employees. This is how I run my business everyday, and I have not had to spend $1 in marketing! Sometimes, even if you have raving fans, you still need to incentivize them to bring you business. A simple t-shirt, calendar or pen may do the trick, however, some businesses may need to offer a larger incentive. Test and measure to see what works for you!
4.) Networking Groups: Some people say that chamber memberships and networking groups are a waste of time. Hooey. Take 3 hours a week (including travel time), go to an event and get to know people in your area. Become friends with your competitors and form business alliances with complimentary companies. A key to GETTING great referrals from this marketing avenue is by GIVING great referrals. The one key element to making this tactic work is by paying it forward. Then, most importantly…FOLLOW-UP on the leads that have been given to you, and treat them well. This is your chance to create a NEW raving fan! And, remember to thank the person who gave you the referral. Whether it is a hand written thank you card, or a referral gift, a thank you is very important. One thing you may consider is starting a “referral tree.” At the top, list the person who gave you a referral, and then, like a family tree or organizational chart, plot their referral under them. If the person they referred sends you another referral, put the referral in the appropriate place, but remember to thank EVERYONE above them on the tree. If it wasn’t for the person at the top of the tree, you would never have gotten to the additional referrals.
5.) Public Relations: PR often goes overlooked in marketing plans. This tactic is a tricky one because you have to EARN your media mentions. You can’t just draft a press release about your business, send it around town and get the front page article in the paper. Your press release has to be newsworthy…and a non-sales pitch. We all have relevant, non-sales driven news happening in our businesses everyday. It might not be breaking news, but it is something to be proud of! Perhaps you hired a new employee, won an award, had a sales gain this year, got a new website, donated money to a non-profit or are giving a free seminar. All of these stories have the potential to earn press time.
By now you have 5 elements to include in your overall marketing plan for 2012. Don’t leave them out! They are (relatively) free and will prove to be beneficial to your bottom line. Need help creating that marketing plan? I can develop one for you based on your goals and objectives for your business. Feel free to contact me at anytime at 515-259-0577.
Good luck, and may you have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012!
