Cost Effective Ways to Promote Your Business
Author: Marijana
Author: MarijanaBusiness promotions are marketing activities that create awareness of your business and product/service. These activities serve to inform your potential customers about what your company has to offer. Business promotion is used by many successful companies and it helps increase visibility in the marketplace, builds credibility, enhances your company image, and brings in new business. Small businesses usually have limited budget for marketing, so they need to develop cost-effective promotional campaigns that will help them increase sales. There are many methods to promote your small business, and the type of promotional activities you choose will help create and establish your company image. Small business owners often overlook the simple and inexpensive options to promote themselves. Here are some low-cost ways to promote your business that you might want to consider. Newsletters are a good way to promote your business and they demonstrate your knowledge about your field in a very informative way. They are helpful in keeping your company high in the consciousness of your prospects. You can hold demonstrations of your product to attract people to your place of business and generate more sales. Demonstrations are very valuable and effective in introducing new products. They will show your customers how to best use your product, and also establish your credibility. Seminars are a great way to share your expertise with other people and promote your business at the same time. If you decide to hold a seminar you should follow a few basic guidelines for success: Schedule the event at a time convenient to most attendees; Be specific in the invitation about when the event begins, and ends, and what the agenda is; Follow up the invitations with personal phone calls; Charge for the seminar to give it a higher perceived value; Follow up after the event to get peoples reactions. Premium is a gift of some kind that is aimed at building name awareness among prospective customers. Anything that lasts and will be used by customers can be effective. There is a great variety of premiums or specialty items to choose from, such as, key chains, coffee mugs, refrigerator magnets, baseball caps- almost any item that can be engraved, imprinted, or embroidered with your company name and phone number. Make sure that your premium or gift differs and is better from those used by your competition. It is always good if there is an actual logical connection between the premium and your company. Another grate business promotion technique is to write an article for a trade journal which will position you as an expert in your field. Good articles can provide free advertising and create a positive buzz for you and your business. When writing an article, make sure to add a short note about you and your company. You can also send your articles to E-zines as they provide excellent advertising value. It is important to find the right e-zine for your target audience. Coupons are very effective promotional tool used by many small businesses. Most commonly they entitle a customer to a price reduction on a particular product, or reward regular customers for their business. To attract customers attention and increase sales, coupon should be good for 15 percent off the retail price of the product. This is one of the least expensive ways to promote your business, but still make sure that your pricing supports the cost of this type of promotion. Donating your product or service can benefit to a worthy cause and result in positive exposure to community leaders, charity board members, and civic groups. Giving samples of your product to potential customers is an excellent way to draw attention and make a positive impression. If your product is too big or expensive to give away outright, you can offer a free trial to qualified customers instead. Smart companies go out of their way to make customers feel important and appreciated. One of the best ways to let customers know you value their business is saying thank you in letters, mailers, surveys, receipts, invoices, and in person.About the Author: The Benefits Of Using Marketing Recruiters Search Engine Optimization - A Tool For Internet Marketing Small Business and Product Development Your Business Can Stand Out By Using Unique Promotional Products How Your Business Can Make a Big Impact in 2010 Buy Kopi Luwak And Indulge Your Taste Buds How To Find, Prepare And Enjoy Civet Coffee Green Your Small Business and Encrease Bottomline A Look At The History Of Kopi Luwak Points To Be Considered While Choosing The Roofing Contractor 8 Tips On Building A Business Warren Buffet Would Buy Why Mobile Applications Will Change Your Business For Good And For Better Protect Your Small Business Financing: How to Assess the Risk of Your Bank Calling Your Small Business Loan