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All businesses need marketing strategies, even those with cutting edge processes and innovative leaders. Marketing is the way in which businesses introduce themselves to potential customers and make their business known in a regional area. Marketing strategies are the pivotal efforts made to clearly reach the demographic audience of the business on a sustained basis or in a specific time-focused campaign. There are numerous ways to market a business with several strategies being complex and tech-focused, and there are time-tested strategies that have proven to be winning campaigns over the years. In this article, we’ll take a look at both the time-tested and the newest forms of strategic marketing efforts for successful entrepreneurs.
1. Create an emergency card app for smartphones.
A digital app with a card design that holds the emergency numbers for police, fire, hospital and other services will be a constant reminder of your business, due to the brand, image and text about your business on the outer margin of the digital card. A fairly straightforward digital card isn’t expensive to create in an app format. Ensure your card works with iphones, tablets, and android phones.
2. Volunteer for a charity as a business team.
It isn’t tough to find a charity in need of volunteers in these economic times. Ask your employees if they’d like to help out; chances are most of them will. Whether it’s offering sandwiches in a park or cleaning up a community room, this is one way to give back to the local area residents and market your business name.
3. Ask current clients for referrals.
This is so obvious, but so often ignored. It is quite simple to ask clients to refer friends or associates to your business. It is also easy to forget about clients when they aren’t in contact. Try contacting at least ten clients per day with this request; you’ll possibly be quite surprised by the response.
4. Create video clips to market your entrepreneurial spirit and your business.
Use short, informational videos to engage with customers and use humorous clips to use on social media outlets. If needed, hire someone to help with your script: make it tightly scripted and entertaining.
5. Attend networking events for your region and your industry.
Although you may meet several others who are also marketing businesses or business applications, use networking events to meet people who may want to collaborate or support your business in a compatible exchange. The more people you meet; the more opportunities for business you’ll find.
6. Publish a newsletter and send via email.
There are several layout designs you can use to craft a newsletter. For material, use announcements about your business products or services, create Q & A sections, introduce or highlight a member of your staff and the role they play. All of these items can bring interested customers to your door.
7. Build relationships by going door-to-door.
Arrange to visit industry vendors, wholesalers, competitors, and other associated parties to meet and discuss recent industry developments or the idea of creating alliances. Sitting with representatives of other businesses can lead to new ventures and increased return on investment. If you do not have a solid business plan in place, use this business plan template pdf to obtain new ideas for working with partners or collaborators within your industry.
8. Sponsor a golf tournament or a car collector’s show.
Align your company with the sport or interest of your industry’s choice, often either a golf tournament or a classic car show. These are easy to sponsor and include visibility for your business when you present trophies or other awards.
9. Hire a public relations agency to distribute press releases and hold press conferences when your business experiences breakthroughs or enters into an alliance within the industry. A public relations agency isn’t always prohibitively expensive. Hire a writer on an hourly basis to write copy and engage a public speaking expert to deliver your message.
10. Offer to speak at universities and other institutions.
By speaking at universities and other governmental or civic institutions, you are signaling that you’re an expert on more than one subject. Use your business success as a backdrop to further success by sharing your story or a specific thought with audiences. The increase in your visibility will be significant and new business opportunities will come your way. If one of the suggestions is to open a partnering business, you may want to consider how to start a cleaning business or another business that supports your core mission and objectives.
These ten marketing tips may or may not reach your audience specifically as you would choose; however, they do suggest that there are a wide variety of ways you can reach your audience. Engage with them by using unique methods, hand out gifts, help your community or try one of the many tips offered here. Marketing strategies work best when you know your own products or services quite well, you know your staff and their gifts, and you know yourself. We wish you the best of luck!