Marketing on the Fly
by Laura Bell
Everyone is pinching pennies so tight the images are flying off. There isn’t a newspaper or a magazine that isn’t discussing the mess the economy is in. I am sure you’re with me in wishing sometimes they would change the subject.
Despite the scary headlines, if you are a business owner or manager, you have to find a way to market your business regardless of the downturn in the markets. Marketing has to become as important to you as breathing if you wish to stay in business.
When was the last time that you updated your business card and had a new batch run? Yes, I know they cost money. Do you keep a good number with you when you are out and around doing errands, personal or business? Once you get a new order, what do you do with them? Are they sitting on your desk staring at you? They aren’t going to fly off the desk.
I don’t care if you are one person shop or manage a team of 20, it has never been more urgent that you get the brand name of your company out in front of consumers in general. Buying is going to slow way down in the next year. Consumers are always more apt to deal with a brand name they are familiar with. Look for any excuse to keep your name in front of them. Years ago, a sales supervisor for a temp agency I used to work for, had it down. She ordered tiny mementos/perks out of her own pocket. You know notepads, pencils, etc. She stopped by to chat for a few with the receptionist and left a set of them behind.
Take an opportunity to expand your network in your general community. There are a number of ways this can be done. Yes, it takes time. But, it is relatively cheaper than buying ads in local newspapers. One ad these days can cost as much as a membership in a Chamber of Commerce. My local Chamber gives you a voucher for advertising in the local daily paper, a much better use of your money.
There is always Kiwanis’s and Toastmasters. Both organizations give you a chance to meet additional people that will now know you and your business. If you join, it doesn’t mean you have to commit to every meeting. Go just enough to get your face recognized.
Everyone is an expert in something. Hopefully, you have an area of expertise that is directly connected to your business. Check out your local weekly papers and see if you can convince the editor to allow you to write a weekly column. You wouldn’t get paid for the writing, but you will get great publicity. Getting published in the paper or getting a story written about you is better than any ad you can purchase. An attorney I knew wrote columns for two papers and the result was the need for an additional office.
If your business is already a Chamber member, offer to host the next networking meeting. There is, of course, the need for a budget. But it is nothing compared to an ad campaign. This way you have a group that you can immediately network with regarding your business. It also wouldn’t hurt to send a press release to the local newspapers.
If there is a good cause that needs money in your city or region, get involved in the fundraising. Once started, send out press releases to the nearby newspapers until one finally bites and writes a story about what you are up to.
Use an area of expertise to teach a continuing education class. Again, you will have a captive audience. You can interweave stories about your work experience into the class. If your students like you, they will talk about you to others.
Don’t hesitate to call customers you haven’t seen for awhile. If you don’t have a database of your regulars, then you are in more trouble than this article can help you with.
During these times, it will never be more important to remember that all business is selling. Keep that in front of your mind whenever you are out in public. You never know when an opportunity to spread the word may come up.
Market on.
Laura Bell, Bell Business Report
Laura Bell is the author of The 101 Things You Didn’t Learn in Harvard Business School. Laura has a journalism degree with a minor in economics from California State University, Northridge. She has been a published writer for 30 years and has over 400 bylines to her name. Laura writes about business, economics, real estate, personal finance and entrepreneurship. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the San Jose Mercury News, the San Francisco Examiner, Small Business Opportunities, the Los Angeles Business Journal and many more.
