Marketing Discipline
When you are busy, marketing may seem unimportant. Why do you need to look for customers when you have all the business you can handle? Because you won’t have those customers forever.
Projects end, customers’ needs change, and people move away. You need a constant influx of new customers to replace the ones you will inevitably lose.
The bad news is that you will never stop marketing, as long as you are in business. The good news is that your marketing activities don’t have to overwhelm you.
Schedule time every day to market. Put it on your calendar, and treat the appointment with yourself just as seriously as you would a meeting with a client. Some days you may be able to spend an hour or an afternoon marketing. Other days, you may be lucky to squeeze in five minutes. But do something, large or small, every day in the time you have. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Call customers who haven’t bought from you lately. Your call may remind them that they need to place an order.
Seek links for your web site. Search for sites in your field and ask if they will link to your site. Get listed in online directories.
Update your web site. Add new content to keep the site fresh and keep people coming back. Remove old information, such as notices about events that have already occurred.
Send thank you notes to new customers or those who have referred business to you. Keep a supply of cards and stamps at your desk so you can easily write a note and drop it in the mail.
Check out your competition. Go in person to see what their locations are like. Get online and look at their web sites. Search for them online and see where they appear. Can you identify an edge you have over them? Is there something you can learn from them?
Book a speech. Speaking to groups is a great way to become known as an expert and get the word out about your business. Call a few community or professional organizations and offer to speak at their upcoming meetings.
Clip an article that would be interesting to a prospect. Mail it to them with a note. Or email a link to an online article to prospects and customers.
Write a press release and send it out. Email or fax it to your media list, post it on your web site, and post it to other web sites that accept press releases, such as PRWeb.com.
Go to a networking event. Attend the meeting of your usual group, or check out a new one. Make it your goal to interact with at least a certain number of new people who could become customers.
Mix up your marketing by using the techniques here and others. Some of your actions will have immediate results, while others may take time to work for you. Keep marketing every day, though, and you will see the difference in your bottom line.
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