Existing Marketing Opportunities You May Be Missing

Existing Marketing Opportunities In Your Business

Most business people focus on promotional opportunities outside of their business, overlooking the less expensive and more effective opportunities that exist on the inside.

One advantage of implementing the ideas in this article is that once you have your promotions in place, they don't require a lot of money to keep them working for you.

The second advantage is that you are promoting to already interested prospects and current customers - that's already half the battle.

One very powerful way to promote your business from within is to educate your customer. It gets them thinking and interacting with you and they become comfortable doing business with you.

More importantly, when they have information about your product/service they feel they are in control of the buying process.

An Example of Promoting From Within:

Just the other day I was getting an oil change at one of those quick-change specialty shops. While I was in the waiting room, I noticed many car magazines on the table and race car photos on the wall. I then noticed how they used handwriting on a white bulletin board to promote their specials.

I thought to myself, "This is a nationwide franchise, I think they can do better than that!" Why don't they use a video system and create short video clips explaining the importance of maintaining your vehicle? The clips could show the importance of changing your engine oil, transmission fluid, and engine coolant, etc. Most drivers don't know the importance of all this stuff.

Promoting Your Advertising Message

Let me ask you this:

If you were waiting for an oil change, to what would you be more likely to respond to?

1. A message on a bulletin board that says Special - Cooling System Flush $39.99

Or

2. A short video clip explaining how a cooling system works, how a poor cooling system will drastically shorten the life of your engine, and how, in traffic, you could have a breakdown because that's when your system works the hardest.

Near the end of the short video clip, the host could tell you to ask the automotive technician for a free inspection of your cooling system and urge you to ask for any specials that are currently in effect.

If you chose the second scenario, you are like most people. This small idea doesn't cost millions of dollars to implement. But, if done tastefully, it will increase customer responses.

The customers in the waiting room is already doing business with the shop and are there to maintain their vehicles. Their minds are already on what is being promoted. All this company would have to do is take their promotions one step further than they already have.

What I realized from this experience is that business people miss out on a lot of very effective low-cost promotions that exist within their business. They just have to be aware that they exist, and start focusing on them.

What Could You Do In Your Business To Gain Exposure?

Image of Advertising Message

Here are a few examples to get you started.

Phone
Instead of just having the radio on when someone is on hold, create a message about benefits, products, services, or special announcements and promotions.

Booklet
Create an information booklet related to your industry and be sure to educate your customer about your product or service. Avoid an obvious advertisement about your business. Instead, have a blank area in the booklet where you can include an offer of some sort.

Audio & Video
Create a free informational audio or video about your industry or business. Be specific, clear, and focused.

Pamphlets
If you have a brochure or plan to create one, make sure it is easily accessible. In other words, don't have your brochures stacked away where people can't get to them.

Mailing List
Give customers the ability to sign up for a newsletter or mailing list so that you can inform them about new products, services, and special announcements.

Web Site
Your business should have a website, even if you don't plan to sell from it. Websites are essential for getting any message out. Be sure to include your website address on all your stationery, and in all of the promotions mentioned above.

Promotional Products:
Create promotional products such as pens, mouse pads, pins, T-shirts, etc. that will advertise your name, USP, and your website address. Promotional items such as T-shirts are particularly effective because when people wear them they are increasing your exposure.

Promotional opportunities may be closer than you think. Keep an open mind. Your current customers are your best prospects for more business. The habit of looking for and implementing ideas to promote your business from within will bring you profits for years to come.

That's The Way I See It!
Acey Gaspard
A Touch of Business.com