Getting Endorsements for Your Small Business

Getting Endorsements for Your Business Can Increase Business Drastically:

Endorsements are easy to obtain for your small business, and provide a company with credibility that helps bolster a marketing campaign.

Get Out of the Celebrity Mentality:

As a small business, it's important to spend your time wisely. Trying to get a big shot Hollywood celebrity endorsement probably won't be worth your time and effort. Think outside the box when you're trying to obtain endorsements. 

Ultimately, the same effectiveness happens with the "friend of a friend" or "recognize that name" scenarios.  Consider contacting the following for product or service endorsements to market your small business:

1. Local "celebrities."
2. Ordinary customer endorsements.
3. Experts in your field.
4. Friendly faces with an amazing story or relationship with your product/industry.
5. Public speakers.
6. Local authority figures or members of well-established organization.

 Ideas for Endorsements:

1. Photo Wall - Post some pictures of customers using your products, eating at your restaurant, etc. Ask customers to send the pictures in, or take them yourself. When guests see people they recognize, they'll get excited.
2. Comment Board - A simple chalkboard, whiteboard, or bulletin board can be a fun, engaging chance for customers to publicly endorse your business.
3. Followers/Fans - Join Facebook or put up a blog and watch the positive comments and wall posts come in quickly!
4. Partnerships - Get another business to endorse you by allowing you to use their logo on your marketing literature or join a membership organization.

How to Publish Endorsements:

There are many ways to publish endorsements. The days of the "celebrity spokesperson" are long outdated for small businesses. Instead, try varying the marketing venues for product endorsements from local celebrities or customers. Here are some possible venues:

1. Website - Use your blog page, social media, or other websites to promote your products and services.
2. Photo Wall - Many sites like Blogger or Facebook actually publish your followers, fans, and their avatars or faces. Alternatively, you can physically create a photo wall (common in restaurants and cafés).
3. Brochures - Whatever great things customers are saying about your products, publish a few in your brochures.
4. "Other customers have purchased" Widgets - If you operate an online store, take advantage of the "related products" feature and upsell or market to customers by popular items that are validated by past purchases.
5. Ratings/Reviews - One of the most effective marketing strategies, especially for Internet purchases or high-dollar purchases, is publishing actual customer ratings or reviews of specific products, or a company in general. Some sites publish a rating or review with nearly every product. If you operate a brick-and-mortar store, you can also frame customer letters or reviews and post them next to physical products or at your service desk.

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What's Next

Next In This Guide
Part 22:
Joint Venture Marketing - Providing extra resources and connections, joint ventures are a smart marketing strategy for small business owners looking to expand.

Previous In This guide
Part 20:
Give Free Samples - Often, customers don't know what they're missing unless they try it out for themselves. Offering free samples is a great small business marketing strategy for obtaining new customers.

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