14 Top Tips to Market Your Business Even on a Shoestring

Preview:

Citation preview

14 Top Tips to Market Your Business Even on a Shoestring

Introduction: Marketing on a Shoestring• You can market your business on a shoestring, as long as

you're willing to put in the time and effort.• There are many totally free, or very cheap, ways to make a

big impression in spite of your small budget.

• Try one or more of the following methods, and track and test your results. Then do more of the ones that work best, to take your traffic and profits to the next level.

http://eternalspiralbooks.com/category/categories-series/marketing-matters

2

1-Put Your URL on Everything

3

• Social media profiles, bios, signature lines, business cards, letterhead, your URL should be everywhere.

• Use your website as your base of ALL marketing operations.

2-Create a high-quality website with great content

4

• Be sure your site is the kind of blog or site that people will want to visit over and over again because the content is so interesting.

3-Make Sure Your Site or Blog is Mobile Friendly• How does your site render on the small

screen?• If it looks like a garbled mess, update it

with a more mobile friendly design. A fast way to do this is a WordPress blog.

• If you have one and it still looks bad, try changing to a mobile friendly WordPress theme, or use the Dudamobile plugin, which will convert mobile-friendly versions of your pages for free.

• There is also a very cheap paid version of the plugin that will convert the whole blog.

http://eternalspiralbooks.com/category/categories-series/marketing-matters

5

4-Facebook Pages Are a Must

• Facebook is the main social network in the world. Create a local business page and map, and special offers.• Announce every new

blog post, every new bit of information.• Always link back to

your blog.

• Facebook also allows you to market events and run ads for $5. They get better results than Google Adwords, for less $.

http://eternalspiralbooks.com/category/categories-series/marketing-matters

6

5-Tweet Regularly

• Open an account on Twitter and tweet what is new on a regular basis. • Tweet sales, special offers, new products and more• Don’t forget to ask for a retweet.• Follow others to get followers yourself• You can also keep an eye on your competition• Twitter offers a similar ad program to Facebook, to

promote your account or a specific tweet, and is even cheaper than Facebook, which is cheaper than AdWords

http://eternalspiralbooks.com/category/categories-series/marketing-matters

7

6-Join and Create Groups on LinkedIn.com

• Find groups of both your audience and direct competitors.• Do not self-promote, but be free

and open with your answers and questions.• Create one in which you can

pose and answer questions, as well as promote your site or blog.• LinkedIn now also has cheap ads

you can try. 8

7-Host a Google+ Hangout

• Google+ is trying to give Facebook a run for its money and seems to be trying to attract a business type crowd• Hold a Q&A.• Host a webinar.• It can be a great way

to get new connections. 9

8-Interview Top People via Skype• Record an interview both

in video format and audio format.• Post recording on

Youtube.com, your site, and other main video sharing sites.• Use the audio as a

podcast, giveaway, and more. • We are judged by who we

know, so impress people with your expertise by hanging out with experts

10

9-Offer Your Speaking Services Locally

http://eternalspiralbooks.com/category/categories-series/marketing-matters

11

• Speaking locally can get you written up in the paper.

• Give you plenty of blogging material.

10-Give and Ask for Testimonials• When you give a testimonial, you

usually get a nice link back to your site; sometimes you get your picture published too.

• Getting endorsements and testimonials is a good way to boost your business.

http://eternalspiralbooks.com/category/categories-series/marketing-matters

12

11-Send a Thank You Email for Purchases with an Upsell

• Your thank you page or thank you email is the perfect place to pitch a discount on another item, or even promote an affiliate product or service.• We call this the leap frog order

flow. Use every email to connect and offer them more help with their pressing problems in your niche or industry.

http://eternalspiralbooks.com/category/categories-series/marketing-matters

13

12-Become a Go-To Expert for the Press

• Your local press needs people they can call on regularly for quotes. Be that person.• Contact them any time there

is a story in your local paper that would benefit from your expert commentary.• Register at HARO-Help a

Reporter Out.

http://eternalspiralbooks.com/category/categories-series/marketing-matters

14

13-Encourage & Incentivize Word-of-Mouth• Ask friends, relatives, and customers

to tell everyone they know about you and what you do.

• Give discounts or cash to those referrers when you get a paying client.

• Give them business cards to hand out, with their name on the back to help keep track.

http://eternalspiralbooks.com/category/categories-series/marketing-matters

15

14-Publish a Kindle Book• Simple to do.• Compile and edit your old blog posts

into an eBook.• Sell it for 99 cents for a short book at

35% royalty, or $2.99 for 70% royalty.• Need to match a bank account to it to

get paid electronically each month.• Being a book author gives you instant

credibility.• You should blog regularly anyway, so

make the most of the content you are creating by turning it into a book! 10 blog posts=a 10 chapter book.

16

Conclusion• Even small businesses with only

one person working in them can starting killing it online as marketers if they make the most of these simple but effective techniques• They are free, quick, and easy

enough for almost anyone to do them if they are willing to learn• Be the ‘town crier’ for your

business and see what a difference it can make to your sales and profits.

http://eternalspiralbooks.com/category/categories-series/marketing-matters

17

Inspired yet? Or do you need more help?

Visit:http://eternalspiralbooks.com/category/categories-series/marketing-mattersfor more information.

18