Tips to Move Your Business Forward

In this tough economic climate, you need to capture the attention of your customers --- current and potential ones --- more than ever. However, your
marketing budget probably hasn’t increased to pay for more advertising.  If you are like most businesses, that budget may have shrunk. We would like to share a few low-cost, imaginative tips that can help. By putting in a little more thought into your marketing efforts, you will attract more customers to your business.

• Hold a drawing either at your place of business or on your website. Award the winner a new product you are pushing or a service that won’t cost much to give away. Then feed the new contact information into your database, and with the respondents’ permission, send them regular e-mail offers in thefuture.
• Send out special occasion cards. It’s nice to receive a Christmas card from a business, but it isn’t an unexpected gesture. Receiving one, for say, Groundhog Day or Cinco de Mayo would be. Surprise your customers with a special occasion greeting card. To reduce costs, send e-cards to let customers know that you are thinking about them in a fun, non-threatening way.
• Hook your reader. If you use direct mail, feature any offer at the very beginning of your letter or card --- before your reader loses interest and chucks the card in the trash. Examle: “Respond today for 15% off your next visit to ABC Co.” or “To receive a free copy of our new product bulletin, with updated performance data (or ways to save) just complete and mail the enclosed business reply card.”
• Dare to be different.  Before your recipient even opens your mailer, grab his attention. Print it on brightly color paper and include an offbeat teaser, such as “Three Wishes Granted Inside.” Or include a riddle, joke or memorable quote in the body of your promotional material that will stand out in the customer’s mind.
• Sponsor a contest.  As a printer we might challenge customers to guess how many pieces of paper we used in 2010. Tailor a question to your business. The prize can be something nominal, such as a free sample of your product. Or feature the winner’s name or the name of his business on your
  website or in your shop that month. Make it fun. Get people talking.
• Pay it forward. Here’s a twist on that good karma concept that could reap business for you down the road. Next time you travel on a
  tollway, pay the toll for the car directly behind you. Then hand your business card to the booth attendant and ask him or her to give it to the driver along with the fact you paid the toll. Sounds like a long shot, right? Maybe. Even if that driver doesn’t call you, he could pass your card along to someone who does. And if you do this at enough tollbooths, you will get a call. When you consider most tolls run $1 or less, this is cheap and outside-the-box advertising!