Communications
Don't neglect public relations in your
marketing efforts -- especially on the web. Surveys show that PR is a highly
cost-effective means to establishing product or company credibility and provide
a particular "spin" on your product or service.
Take advantage of free web advertising services to "test" the effectiveness
of different ads. Services such as Link
Exchange allow you to put up —and then change — banner ads.
So if one approach isn't working (give it at least 4-6 months) try something
else. Be creative, incorporate special or limited time promotional deals,
or try out different copy. Use the free services to do trial runs before switching
to paid advertising. With careful tracking, you can determine which approach
works best with your audience(s).
Whether you're a one-person shop or a major corporation, every aspect of your
business needs to project professionalism and quality. This can be difficult
for small businesses on tight budgets, but experts agree image is one of the
most important assets for these enterprises.
When designing ads or promotional materials, pay attention to typefaces, margins,
white space, italics and column widths. Experts say that correct use of these
elements will increase reader comprehension dramatically.
Whenever you come across an ad, brochure, flyer, etc., that interests you,
file it. Even if it's unrelated to your product or service, it will still
give you usable ideas when your company needs to prepare a marketing or advertising
piece.
Don't forget that your internal customers are an important part of your marketing
program. Take time to ask for employee feedback and encourage their involvement!
Many companies find newsletters to be an excellent source of business communications.
Newsletters can help you keep in touch with employees, provide information
to clients and help keep your company's name in front of prospects.For best
results,it's often worth it to have a professional
writer/desktop publisher help you with copy, design and layout. In the
long run, it can save you time and headaches — especially if writing
or design is not your forte.
If you are sponsoring, or involved in an event that will benefit the community,
use public service announcements (PSAs) to get free airtime for your event.
Most radio stations, newspapers and even TV stations will use PSAs, even if
supplied by a commercial organization, if the event has community ties. Think
about ways your company can get involved with a local charity, hospital, non-profit
organization; it's good for business!
It's vital to have a basic media kit that tells customers who you are and
what your business is all about. Make sure your professional identity comes
across and speaks to your target audience.
back to top
Client/Customer Relations
A short, one-page customer satisfaction
survey is an excellent way to determine their specific wants and needs. Without
this kind of feedback, you may be spending time and money on all the wrong
things. To encourage survey response, consider some type of incentive you
can provide after the fact — a coupon, small gift, or entry into a free
drawing for a larger prize.
"Get it in writing" -- testimonials, that is. If your customer or
client is pleased with the work you've done, ask them if they could jot down
a few lines on their company or personal letterhead. You can use excerpts,
or the entire letters, in your marketing materials, sales kits, as references,
or even frame them and hang them in your company's waiting room for other
prospective clients to see.
Marketing doesn't end with the sale. Remember to conduct some post-sale marketing-even
if it's just a simple "thanks for your order." A follow up card,
e-mail, or phone call is always a nice gesture, and one that will be remembered.
Make it easy for your customers to get in touch. Link your email address on
every web page or include it in your navigation bar. Display your phone number
prominently and if you do business with clients out of town, consider getting
a toll-free number. Make sure all your contact information is available on
business cards, letterhead, brochures, and other marketing materials. The
easier it is for customers to reach you, the more likely it is that they will.
One common mistake many businesses that are new to the web make is to "hide"
contact information — or just not include it at all. It bears repeating:
make sure to prominently feature an email or contact link on every page and
display your phone number at least once, where prospects are most likely to
see it (the home page or "about the company" page are good spots).
If you have a toll free phone number, make sure to include that too. If customers
can't contact you easily, you may be unintentionally driving business away.
Make sure your answering machine or voice mail carries a message about your
business or current sale. If prospects call you after hours, it is a great
— and maybe your only — chance to tell them about your products
and services.
Don't ever let callers hear a busy signal! If you don't want to invest in
additional telephone lines, a low-cost subscription to a voice-mail service
may prevent a customer from calling your competitor — but you must check
in regularly and return all calls promptly. Be sure to leave important information
on your outgoing message, such as fax or beeper numbers, especially if you're
out of the office a lot.
Implement some form of regular customer feedback. Ask about how the staff
has treated customers, or if there are ways to improve your service. It will
provide you with real ideas to better serve the needs of your customers and
just as importantly, highlight potential "hot" areas before they
become big problems.
Building good client relations takes work.Stay in touch with your clients
or customers through handwritten notes,telephone calls, birthday or anniversary
cards. Just to say "hi, I just want to thank you for your business. We
really appreciate it." The goodwill will last a long time.
back to top
How-tos
By simplifying your messages and concisely
stating your product's benefits, you can cut through the clutter and "marketingspeak"
to deliver on-target communications geared to the needs of your audience.
Take
advantage of the many free, high-quality marketing and business information
newsletters, discussion boards and chats available. Choose reputable sites
where the owner or an editor participates, such as Inc. Magazine, About.com,
Marketing 1:1, or Working Solo. It's an excellent opportunity to pick up some
expert advice or ideas.
Whenever you're writing marketing copy, be sure to focus on the benefits
to the customer. People don't necessarily buy features — they buy the
product or service that will make their life/job/experience better.
Use local or national observances (Mother's Day, Children's Day, Community
Pride day, etc.) as a means to tie in your product or service. Remember to
inform the media of these events and offer your expertise or input. It could
result in some positive publicity for your company!
Before your next presentation, practice with the equipment you will be using.
Do a run through with a technician at the hotel, or meeting center, make sure
the batteries are charged on your laptop. Don't try to run a laptop or screen
show on an unfamiliar unit -- you may run into a memory or RAM problem.
Hire college students to help with marketing. Many marketing majors need "real
life" experience for their course work. Have them help you with market
research, such as designing, implementing and tabulating customer questionnaires.
For a few dollars an hour, you have the benefit of a fresh perspective and
can reach many more customers than if you did it yourself.
back to top
