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10 Ways to market your web site and have it market YOU.
Once your web site is done, it does you little good to have it sitting static on the net waiting for those visitor clicks. High numbers of visits to your site from potential customers or clients rarely happen by accident. They are a result of a...
DDT: Do, Don't Think. Just market
*Article Use Guidelines* Use in opt-in publications, or on Web sites, but please include the resource box. Please send me a copy, if possible. Many thanks. ** Summary: Your marketing supports your business. Stop marketing, and your business...
Into The Limelight
To stand out in a cluttered world, become a recognized expert
There are millions of small businesses vying for our attention. Yet, because the marketplace is more discriminating and skeptical, it's hard to get noticed. To enjoy the greatest...
Promoting Your Business Offline
Promoting Your Business Offline
Offline promotion for your Internet business is important. Use traditional marketing channels and media. Incorporate your Website URL (web address), phone number, and mailing address into all of your printed and...
The Building Blocks to Effective Marketing
The Building Blocks to Successful Marketing
Its More than Sales and Advertising
By Julie Chance
Whether youre a Fortune 500 company or a one person shop, to be successful, you must have a marketing strategy and you must implement it...
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If there is a Magic Key to Marketing, THIS is it
We're all looking for a magic key to marketing, something that will finally take the frustration out of failed attempts, unreturned phone calls and prospective clients that don't seem to "get it".
I believe we are also looking for more depth, meaning and significance in our lives. Something more than the 10-second sound bites and 30-second commercials that leave us feeling saturated, yet somehow hollow at the same time.
So what does a Magic Key to marketing and more meaningful client relationships have in common?
I'm convinced that a sense of connection, even in the business contacts we make, is what gives us deep, resounding satisfaction about how we spend our time and who we spend it with. And yes, I believe (or rather, I know) that a sense of connection and a sense of relationship with our clients bring us more business.
What I am about to share with you is not wild, exciting, or even amazing - but the results are, and more!
The magic key to flooding your business with as many new customers as you want is consistency. Now please stay with me on this. Remember, I said it wasn't glamorous, but the results will thrill you every week you are in business.
Consistency simply means cycling through specific ways to create and deepen your relationships with your clients/prospective clients. Sure, you can send out the occasional article, call a prospective client back when you get the time, or hand out business cards at a networking meeting. But that is not consistency. It's just potshot marketing, and the results you get will be sporadic at best.
Consistency is built on understanding what keeps your client up at night. What is the "rock in their shoe"? What are they trying to accomplish and can't seem to make much progress on? With that information, you can easily stay in touch, offer something of value and create a real working relationship that pays off for both of you.
Here are some simple, low or no-cost, creative ways to consistently stay in touch with your clients and prospective clients:
Send an article you found that applies to their business. Include a cover letter telling them why you thought of them when you saw the article.
Send an article you've written about a specific problem they are
experiencing. Keep it short (400-600 words is fine), with bold headlines and your contact information at the bottom. Pick a topic that profiles a problem/solution situation that matches your expertise. Include a live client example to make it even more powerful.
Send a thank you note for any kind of referral, recommendation, tip or new business you receive from a client. Hand written thank you notes are worth a zillion times their weight in gold!
Produce a newsletter, or purchase a pre-made newsletter for your industry. These are increasingly easy to find on the Internet. You can also purchase articles for as little as $15.00 (IdeaMarketers is a fabulous resource for articles of all subjects).
Offer to give a free, or low cost, 45-minute "lunch-n-learn" presentation for their employees. Choose a topic that matches their interest and your expertise.
Call and ask for a resource referral you need for another client's project. Your request goes something like this, "I'm working on a project for xyz company. I'm helping them reduce/improve/increase blah, blah, blah. I need a resource for abc and immediately thought of you. Is there someone you can recommend?"
Ask your favorite client if they can recommend a non-profit organization that needs some volunteer help. Send a birthday card.
Send a follow-up survey after your project is complete. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. If appropriate, include a $10 gift certificate to Starbucks as a thank you for their time.
Send a note with a link to a website that offers useful information to your client/prospective client.
Imagine being in the shoes of your client/prospective client. Would you appreciate receiving an article, note, thank you card or phone call? Of course you would! This is just a starter list. Use it, or create your own ways to be consistent.
Remember the saying "Out of sight, out of mind."? If that is true, then I am offering a new saying - "Consistency keeps you in mind at the right time."
About the Author
Weekly Marketing Wisdom **Marketing wisdom you can use right now!** Free chapter of marketing workbook when you subscribe! subscribe@kendallsummerhawk.com archives: http://www.kendallsummerhawk.com/free-articles.html
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