Eight Free Marketing Ideas for Savvy Mompreneurs
By Adam
May 26, 2010
Small Business & Entrepreneurship
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By Jan Marie Dore
Promoting your small business can be expensive at times. However, there are strategies available to smart entrepreneurial moms that cost little or no money—just an investment of some time. These strategies can deliver results that are immensely satisfying for your marketing efforts. Prospect and client response will indicate which of the following free or low-cost ideas is the right choice for your business:
1. Make customer service a priority
Providing exceptional customer service will keep your clients coming back, along with their word-of-mouth referrals. When you meet potential clients, follow up by phone or email. Adhere to a policy of response to all inquiries within 24 hours. Touching base by phone and putting the customer's needs first makes your service personal.
2. Add value
Giving away value that serves your customers is a great way to cement your relationships. Create loyal fans by over-delivering on value and meeting the key needs of your prospects and clients. This doesn't mean giving away more of your time or products. Think creatively about what customers will really like to get from you, over and above your time or your product.
3. Expand your database
Create a targeted list of people who would be interested in hearing from you. This objective should be first on your list to make it easier for you to promote your expertise and expand the reach of your business. Treat every encounter as an opportunity to expand your network.
4. Keep in touch
Designing a 'keep-in-touch' strategy is crucial to your business growth. On average, it takes at least seven to nine contacts before people are ready to do business with you. You should keep in touch with email on a regular basis, using items such as ‘tips’ lists, articles, checklists or coupons, to keep your services and products top of mind.
5. Ask for testimonials
Clients are happy to say nice things about you if you ask. Place their comments in a prominent place in all your promotional materials (with their permission, of course); at your website, in your brochure or ezine. Ask clients to be as specific as possible and to write about real results they achieved or a valuable difference you made to them, rather than just general, vague comments.
6. Write and submit articles
If you like to write, article writing is a very effective promotional tool for service-based entrepreneurs. Send articles filled with valuable tips to trade publications, online article directories and specific online sites that your target market would read, with links back to your website.
7. Write testimonials and comments for others
Writing testimonials for people you do business with, or for authors whose books you have read, may get you noticed if they put your comment on their website, ezine or blog. Posting to other people's blogs or in forums and discussion lists related to your target market also works well. Adding a link to your posts will drive traffic to your website.
8. Send a press release
Sending a press release makes good business sense. Create a list of media contacts that you can use repeatedly. Write your press release and connect it to a current event in the news or a holiday season to attract more attention. Send it directly to the specific editor in your area of specialty. Don't make it too sales-oriented or promotional—that would be an ad, not a press release.
Choose any of these ideas, then take action to expand upon your current marketing objectives and promote your expertise for free.
Jan Marie Dore is the Founder of Femalepreneurs.com, an online learning center for women worldwide who want to create a more profitable business and live a great life. Jan is a small-business authority whose passion is inspiring women to achieve new levels of success and fulfillment through her coaching programs, teleseminars, workshops and retreats. She has made it her mission to teach women simple, effective marketing strategies that will attract more customers and grow substantial profits with much less effort.
Promoting your small business can be expensive at times. However, there are strategies available to smart entrepreneurial moms that cost little or no money—just an investment of some time. These strategies can deliver results that are immensely satisfying for your marketing efforts. Prospect and client response will indicate which of the following free or low-cost ideas is the right choice for your business:
1. Make customer service a priority
Providing exceptional customer service will keep your clients coming back, along with their word-of-mouth referrals. When you meet potential clients, follow up by phone or email. Adhere to a policy of response to all inquiries within 24 hours. Touching base by phone and putting the customer's needs first makes your service personal.
2. Add value
Giving away value that serves your customers is a great way to cement your relationships. Create loyal fans by over-delivering on value and meeting the key needs of your prospects and clients. This doesn't mean giving away more of your time or products. Think creatively about what customers will really like to get from you, over and above your time or your product.
3. Expand your database
Create a targeted list of people who would be interested in hearing from you. This objective should be first on your list to make it easier for you to promote your expertise and expand the reach of your business. Treat every encounter as an opportunity to expand your network.
4. Keep in touch
Designing a 'keep-in-touch' strategy is crucial to your business growth. On average, it takes at least seven to nine contacts before people are ready to do business with you. You should keep in touch with email on a regular basis, using items such as ‘tips’ lists, articles, checklists or coupons, to keep your services and products top of mind.
5. Ask for testimonials
Clients are happy to say nice things about you if you ask. Place their comments in a prominent place in all your promotional materials (with their permission, of course); at your website, in your brochure or ezine. Ask clients to be as specific as possible and to write about real results they achieved or a valuable difference you made to them, rather than just general, vague comments.
6. Write and submit articles
If you like to write, article writing is a very effective promotional tool for service-based entrepreneurs. Send articles filled with valuable tips to trade publications, online article directories and specific online sites that your target market would read, with links back to your website.
7. Write testimonials and comments for others
Writing testimonials for people you do business with, or for authors whose books you have read, may get you noticed if they put your comment on their website, ezine or blog. Posting to other people's blogs or in forums and discussion lists related to your target market also works well. Adding a link to your posts will drive traffic to your website.
8. Send a press release
Sending a press release makes good business sense. Create a list of media contacts that you can use repeatedly. Write your press release and connect it to a current event in the news or a holiday season to attract more attention. Send it directly to the specific editor in your area of specialty. Don't make it too sales-oriented or promotional—that would be an ad, not a press release.
Choose any of these ideas, then take action to expand upon your current marketing objectives and promote your expertise for free.
Jan Marie Dore is the Founder of Femalepreneurs.com, an online learning center for women worldwide who want to create a more profitable business and live a great life. Jan is a small-business authority whose passion is inspiring women to achieve new levels of success and fulfillment through her coaching programs, teleseminars, workshops and retreats. She has made it her mission to teach women simple, effective marketing strategies that will attract more customers and grow substantial profits with much less effort.