THE 13 BEST MARKETING TIPS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

THE 13 BEST MARKETING TIPS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

1. The most valuable sales tool in marketing is the internet. In fact, the most valuable tool in marketing at any cost is a website or blog. It can be a sales tool, an information tool, and build brand loyalty. It's a powerful tool, learn about it and use it Now.

2. The best formula in marketing is 'New product offers benefit, benefit, benefit." Use this to create the headline of your press releases and advertisements, for envelope teaser copy, and for the beginning lead of your brochure. Example: "New lightweight tennis racket makes your swing faster, more powerful, and more accurate." Or 'New keyboard offers faster typing, greater accuracy, and is less tiring."

3. The most valuable single sheet of paper you can create in marketing is a press release. You should be sending press releases every month.

4. The most effective trick I've learned in 25 years of writing is this: When you are having a tough time writing, just start anywhere. Start writing anything, then go back and cross out your first sentence. On really bad days, go back and cross out your first paragraph. This immediately pulls you into the heart-and the electrifying part-of your copy.

5. Send more than one piece of mail or email to follow up serious inquiries and sales leads. Remember, a campaign is not a single letter or brochure, but a sustained effort over time. And you if really want to make a sale, call that person within 24 hours of getting the inquiry.

6. The 12 most valuable words to get any press release published are, "Are you the person I should be sending this press release to?" Before sending any important press release, call the magazine or newspaper editor and say these 12 words. Even if you know darn well he or she IS the correct person, you should still call and ask this question. Asking this question positions your call as 'Can you help me?' which invites most editors to do just that. Then send your release-they'll be looking for it, and will try to help you further by publishing it.

7. For Business to Business create a blog series-in advance-to get new business. Up date your blog on a continual basis. I call this 'multiple exposure marketing,"

8. Always use a thank-you letter to acknowledge when something nice is done for you. No, a call is not the same. A thank-you call is forgotten in a day, but the impact of a written thank you can last a lifetime. A small gift works very hard if sent with this letter, but it's not necessary.

9. Write your objective first. When you start to write any business communication, always figure out and state in writing what you are trying to accomplish. For example, an ad objective may be to generate maximum direct orders, or to get as many leads as possible, or to generate retail store traffic. If this document works exactly as you wish, what would you like to have happen? Write this objective in the upper right-hand comer of your paper so you can refer to it often. Compose all of your material specifically to fulfill your objective. Writing the objective first clarifies your writing, defines your purpose, and gives it more focus.

10. if you'd really like a response from a personal letter, include a return envelope in it with a live stamp on it. It's amazing what this does! Your recipient will either send it back right away or keep your stamped envelope on his desk for days trying to figure out what to do with a letter addressed to you with a live stamp on it. It'll increase your response or it'll drive them nuts.

11. Test an the variables anytime you run a web marketing campain. Test everything, although not all at once. Whether your responses and profits-are up to your expectations or not, as your campaign runs longer and longer, test higher and lower prices, copy style and approach, smaller, multimedia formats, lists, and list sources.

12. Take your time writing any material you use, print or web or radio/TV. No one will ever know that the one-page letter they received took you three weeks to write. Just make sure that when you use it, it's perfect. When you are done creating, have several people look at it, and get their opinions. Remember, there's a big difference between a friend saying he would buy your product and a stranger seeing your marketing communications and sending you a check.

13. Don't be afraid to ask for the order-several times-in a direct mail solicitation. While I usually don't repeat myself unless well juiced, I make an exception to this rule when it comes to asking prospects to call and to send in their order. If the recipient doesn't call or send an order, the piece fails. For best results, be very explicit and tell the reader exactly what you want him to do-twice in the body copy, and again in the PS.