17 Savvy Marketing Ideas

Sometimes, you just need some cheap, savvy marketing ideas. Well, here you have them!

CARDS

Send everyone in your database a greeting card for birthdays, anniversaries, and even the anniversary of when they became your client or customer. A great resource is Hallmark Business Services where you just upload your mailing list, pick the card, put in a message and they take care of the rest.
http://hallmark.businessgreetings.com

CHARITY

Get involved in the community by volunteering for a local charity. Spread the word on Facebook and invite people to participate as well. This is great PR, but also gives you a way to give back to the community that has helped you become successful. http://www.charitywatch.org and http://www.charities.org are great resources to help you find something in your area.

BUMPER STICKERS

Bumper stickers are cheap and people love them. Keep it fun, but link it to your business some how. Qdoba use to have some that read “I got naked at Qdoba”, referring to their naked burritos.

MEET UP

Get out of the house and start meeting people. These groups range from business-centered to book clubs. Join a group to meet new people and network. Visit http://www.meetup.com to see what is going on in your area that is absolutely free!

GET SOCIAL

If you haven’t yet, create business pages on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and be ACTIVE. Follow your company brand and use this platform to educate, not sell.

REFERRALS

Referrals are the best type of leads since the trust is already established. One of the best ways to do this is offer exceptional customer service and then ask. If you are only getting a handful of leads, make it your goal to increase your referrals by 25% over the next year. Then establish how exactly you plan to ask.

LEAD GENERATOR

Change your website from an online brochure to a lead generator. Add in more content, update it regularly, and add call to actions and offers. Use your website to establish credibility and capture leads. If you are not taking advantage of the web fully, then you should be. It is powerful and some of the least expensive marketing out there.

EMAIL THEM

Capture EVERYONE’S email addresses then add them to your database. Implement an email marketing campaign. This can be as simple as a monthly e-newsletter. Keeping constant contact with clients and leads allows you to build trust and make referrals much easier.

USE YOUR BUSINESS CARDS

Business cards are more than a way to give someone information to reach you. Use it to distinguish yourself from everyone else. Leave the back with some blank space and write a personalized note on it. Get creative.

PAY IT FORWARD

Create some word-of-mouth advertising by paying for the couple’s tickets behind you at the movie theater or the person’s cup of coffee behind you in the Starbucks drive-thru. Ask the cashier to give the recipient your business card. There is no telling if they’ll call, but they will never forget it and will share their experience with your company to friends, probably on Facebook or Twitter as well.

BECOME DISTINGUISHED

Take the time (and slight membership fees) to join the Better Business Bureau, your local Chamber of Commerce and any other accreditation that would help establish your company. Then slap the logos everywhere – brochures, business cards, website and social media.

SOLVE PROBLEMS

Don’t try to sell a product or service, sell the why.  One of the simplest ways to show that you understand where your customer is coming from and can help is giving away your knowledge for free. That could be speaking in front of a group or sharing a white paper. Whatever you do, make it educational not salesy.

GET COMPETITIVE

Launch a competition where you give away your product or service. This will get people talking about your company and include publicity online and in your area.

FREEBIES

Pens are boring and what everyone does. Think of something unique that people will remember you for that are also related to your business. Look at the swag that you are thinking of giving away from a prospects point of view. Would you keep it? Would it motivate you? Would you remember where it came from?

GET STICKY

Everyone notices sticky notes, so use them! Put them on doors, cars, mailers, etc.

STAMP IT

Everyday people get tons of mail and it is hard to get noticed out of the pile that is sitting on their desk. So, instead of using one stamp use enough 1 cent stamps to pay for the mailing. Cover the envelope in the stamps and you are sure to get them to open it and probably bring a smile to their face.

HOWDY PARTNER

Partner up with another local business that isn’t a competitor but work with the same customer that you want to capture. If you are a wedding planner, partner up with caterers, bakers, venues, florists, etc.