ABOUT THE AUTHORVarju Luceno is the founder of Global Office Partners. She holds an undergraduate degree in Library Science and an MBA from the University of Montana in Missoula. She has more than 15 years of customer service experience in conjunction with her work as a reference librarian, banker, marketer, and small business owner. Her expertise also includes Internet research, graphic design, advanced research, and office management.
Many small business owners feel the squeeze due to increasing fuel and food prices. It is time to get creative with marketing. We all try to find new ways to keep our existing customers happy and attract new prospects.
Many small business owners feel the squeeze due to increasing fuel and food prices. It is time to get creative with marketing. We all try to find new ways to keep our existing customers happy and attract new prospects.
1. Start a networking group or a book club at Meetup or Facebook. Encourage participation, organize contests. Have participants donate giveaway prizes.
2. Start or reinvent your blog. Free blogging platforms: Blogger and Live Journal. I am partial to WordPress as it is more than just a blogging platform, it is a publishing platform.
3. Create meaningful PowerPoint presentations. Go to Slideshare for fresh ideas and inspiration and learn how the effectiveness and rules of PowerPoint presentations have changed. You can upload your PowerPoint presentation for free and embed the slideshow to your blog or website.
4. Bake a batch of tasty cookies, package them nicely and take or send to your customer’s or prospect’s office.
5. Buy an affordable digital camera or camcorder at Best Buy and create some useful instructional “How To” videos. Post them to your blog or website.
6. Send a free press release announcing your unique new product or service at PRlog.com.
7. Send handwritten Thank You notes – include free offers or coupons for your products and services.
8. Write a brochure or a book covering topics that interest your target market. Publish it for free on Lulu.com, make available on your website or blog.
9. Give practical gifts to your prospects and customers such as VISA gift cards (they can use them as they see fit) or John Jantsch’s book Duct Tape Marketing that includes money-saving coupons.
10. Use one of WordPress themes to create a new website or redesign your existing website. Themes are search engine optimized, prices start at around $30.00. If you know how to tweak a WordPress theme - you will have your fresh site up and running shortly.
~Earl Nightingale