Small Business Marketing Tactic: LIMIT THE USE OF YOUR CREDIT CARDS!

Beyond the valid Dave Ramsey platform of CUT YOUR CREDIT CARDS (which is liberating!), Entrepreneur's blog discloses industry statistics that educate and encourage (hopefully!) small business owners to LIMIT THE USE OF YOUR CREDIT CARDS!

From the blog, the study reports:

- 58% of small-business owners said they relied on credit cards for start up money in 2006

- for EVERY $1000 in additional credit card debt, the probability of the firm closing increased 2.2%

SOURCE: http://blog.entrepreneur.com/2009/08/how-credit-cards-make-your-business-die.php

Small Business Marketing Tactic: Multiple Channel Marketing

Good marketing services your target market in multiple ways:

website,

email list,

direct mail,

clear communication in advertising,

referral programs,

sponsored events,

etc

Your goal is to keep reminding your consumers who you are, what you offer, and WHERE to find you.

Small Business Marketing Tactic: E-Mail Markeing Campaign!

EMail marketing with newsletters that target your specific audience represents an affordable marketing tactic solution to any small business.

WHERE TO START?

1. Create a contest for your target market

2. Provide a high value (inexpensive) prize that appeals to your audience

3. CAPTURE EMAIL ADDRESSES from those who register to win noting the email newsletter will contain tips/advice for your target audience

4. Develop your own email newsletter and service it to your customers on a bi-weekly or monthly basis

be sure to include links back to your website/blog

IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER: Provide a way for people to unsubscribe to your newsletter.

Small Business Marketing Tactic: ONLINE ADVERTISING - banner ads can work!

Research released by Dynamic Logic reveals that banner advertising integrated into the content of the webpage are MOST effective in driving online ad awareness and purchase content. A three-year study discovered half banners and rectangles were more effective than the larger leaderboards and skyscrapers.

What does that mean?

Simply, once you have identified the key websites there that your target market is visiting, these ad sizes are proven to make a stronger impact in their minds simply because they appear to be a part of the webpage content and not the headline - "HERE I AM - SEE ME!":

Rectangle; 180 x 150

Half banner; 234 x 60

Medium Rectangle; 300 x 250

Large Rectangle; 336 x 280

REMEMBER, creative quality of the ads is EXTREMELY important. PLEASE do not simply throw together an ad to spec and post it, your target audience needs you to pursue them, inform them, educate them, entertain them. With today's technology, one could efficiently create a very nice rich media ad with video to approach your online audience. Consider adding your MESSAGE to every frame of the ad for best results.

Preview Examples

Ad Formats By Online Ad Awareness

Small Business Marketing Tactic: Virus Spreads Faster Than A Speeding Bullet!

Viral marketing is simply the process that encourages large numbers of people to spread details on your product or service to their family, friends and even the world!

A prime example, I regularly receive multiple email forwards of the SAME email from my mom, my sister & various friends. As a recipient of 100s of unsolicited email forwards, I understand my family and friends care for me. They want what's best for me. So, why do they send me some email that includes some cute cat dancing around and proclaiming "Life is Short...unless you have 9"? Who knows?

What I do know - something within the email triggers a need to send that email to EVERYONE. And, they do.

So, here's a thought:

If you can come up with something really special that has significant value, there is a HIGH probability that your target audience may just start spreading the news about you, your company, your product/service/sales event.

Applying that to my business:

- What does my target audience value?

- Are they looking for instructions on how to do something?

- Do they enjoy being inspired by a story, a poem, a dancing cat?

Once I know my target audience's dream receipt, I can create and send it onto them noting my contact info (name, website address, etc).

Small Business Marketing Tactic: Banner Advertising - To Be Or Not To Be!

MediaWeek's Mike Sheilds comments, "Whether traditional banner ads - skyscrapers or 350X200 rich media units, Web ads are eminently ignorable, or rarely move one to laugh or cry."

Eminently ignorable - yes, I agree.

Other than the ads I've created for my clients, I do not recall any banner advertising that caught my attention enough to encourage me to click the link. In all honesty, as a consumer, I often ignore website advertisements. My time is valuable. I refuse to make the time to click an ad - any ad!

Today is time that we need to rethink our investment of marketing dollars beyond simple BANNER ADVERTISING. We need to work harder to connect with our target markets in effective & efficient forms of new media.

Question: How?

Answer: They are OUR customers - talk to them!

1. Find out where they are online

2. Go there!

Example:

Rather than create a banner ad for your local newspapers home page, have you given any thought to the possibilities of simply offering your customers an incentive to add your FACEBOOK GROUP page to their profiles? I mean, if they are already your customer and already enjoy your products/services, it seems sensible enough to encourage them to support your business by simply clicking "Add to Group". Then, their friends see your GROUP on their profile, which adds a new level of social interaction that an ignorable banner ad NEVER can accomplish. Just a thought.

Small Business Marketing Tactic: Use Marketing To Generate Quality Leads!

1. Create something of VALUE to your target consumer

2. Give it to them!

- Free information packet (filled with non-compete coupons & resources)

- Workshop where you can demonstrate your product/service

- Survey to complete in order to receive a FREE gift

3. Capture their contact information, so you can stay in contact with them

MarketingBloc : Strategy To Proven Marketing Tactics!

From strategy to proven marketing tactics, Marketing Bloc delivers the advantage to equip and empower small business entrepreneurs to make the most of their small business marketing efforts.

Small Business Marketing Tactic: Great Customer SERVICE is a MUST!

Provide your customers the best gift of the season...

QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE!

Great customer service is a MUST....

- to your customers

- to your vendors/clients

- to your employees....ESPECIALLY, your employees

Quality customer service is an important marketing tactic that many businesses need to reinstate in order to survive. Since the bandwagon days of the 1980's, customer service has drifted further to the back burner. Entrepreneurs can easily gain an edge when they bring quality customer service back and bring it back NOW!

Your customers need it...and face it, you NEED your customers.

Small Business Marketing Tactic: Remain Flexible!

As the economy and consumer perceptions change,

you hold the reins to review and adjust your marketing planning and strategy

as you identify what is working and what is not working.