Tweet

10 Cheap Ways to Create a Professional Impression with Your Small Business Marketing

Written by: Stacy Karacostas

Article Overview: These days, the Internet has created tons more competition in any field than there was just 5 years ago. So you’ve got to have your marketing ducks in a row before you try to sell a thing. Otherwise someone out there is sure to be making a better impression than you. Thankfully, creating a top-notch impression with your marketing doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.

10 Cheap Ways to Create a Professional Impression with Your Small Business Marketing

I was recently talking with an aspiring copywriter friend of

mine who’s struggling to get his first clients. He thinks he

keeps hitting the wall of not having a portfolio of writing

samples in hand. But really, he doesn’t need a big portfolio of

client work…He just needs to get his own marketing act together.

You see, he doesn’t even have a business card, let alone a Website or other

materials. So he is putting the cart before the horse (which

never gets you very far).

----------------------------------------------------------------

Marketing is all about perceptions…

----------------------------------------------------------------

Right now, because he has no marketing materials, the

perception is that he’s just sort of getting started.

On the surface there’s nothing wrong with that. Except that if

he doesn’t look like a competent professional no one is going

to take him seriously or give him their money. And why should they? With no business card or marketing materials, he looks like a beginner or hobbyist.

He needs marketing materials that convince people to hire him.

Otherwise nobody is going to pay him to write THEIR marketing

materials. On the other hand, if his own stuff seems top notch, most folks will never

even ask to see his portfolio.

Seems painfully obvious, right?

----------------------------------------------------------------

So, what’s this got to do with you?

----------------------------------------------------------------

Whether you are launching a business, event or a new product,

you have to give the impression you know what you’re doing

from the get-go. Otherwise no one is going to spend their

hard-earned dollars with you.

It doesn’t work to just test the waters with a few

homemade-looking fliers and free Vista Print business cards

(or worse, no cards at all).

The Internet has created tons more competition in any field

than there was just 5 years ago. So you’ve got to have your

marketing ducks in a row before you try to sell a thing.

Otherwise someone out there is sure to be making a better

impression than you.

Thankfully, creating a top-notch impression with your marketing doesn’t have to

cost an arm and a leg. Just use my...

----------------------------------------------------------------

10 Cheap Ways to Create a Professional Marketing Impression

----------------------------------------------------------------

1) Having a fancy graphic logo is often overrated and

expensive. But you should have a unique look to your business

name. Try looking at other company’s logos (not your

competitors) for a font that gives the right impression. Then

search the Internet for something similar and download it to

your computer.

2) Design a nice business card and have it professionally

printed. Not sure how to design one? Look at a bunch of other

people’s cards for ideas on layout or use a Publisher template.

You can now get 500 cards digitally printed for just $29.99. If

you aren’t serious enough about your business to at least do

this, you have a long, uphill road ahead of you.

3) Buy a domain name and hosting at godaddycom for about

$50 a year. Then put up at least a single page Website with

your products or services and contact info. Unless you market

to senior citizens, this is a must.

4) Have your email connected to your domain name so it reads

you@yourdomainnamecom. This makes you look professional and

drives people to your Website.

5) Create your own letterhead with your spiffy new business

name and contact info. Then just add it to your documents

in Microsoft Word and print as needed. And don’t pay for expensive envelope printing. Grab a pack of blank return address labels and print them out at home as

needed. Most Avery label templates are already in Microsoft

Word or can be downloaded from the Web.

6) Skip the spendy brochure. One-sheets (IE fancy fliers),

articles, and tips sheets are easy to create on letterhead or

with your logo at the top, and add credibility. Then just print

them up at home. Or turn them into downloads you can offer from your Website.

7) Get yourself online. Social networks offer an easy and inexpensive way to market your business, increase credibility and drive traffic to your Website. Pick a few like LinkedIn, Biznik, or ones that cater to your target market and set up a profile. Then be sure to include a link back to your Website.

8) Make it easy for people to get in touch. Always include your

phone number, email, and Web address on all your marketing

materials—especially business cards. And use either a cell

phone or get an extra phone line at home (often no charge) so

the impression is professional when they call.

9) No graphic design ability? Find someone else who does.

elancecom can be a source of cheap labor. Or, hire a

college student. If you have no other choice, use the templates

in Publisher or Front Page.

10) This should go without saying, but always, always, always

dress the part. If you want people to pay you big bucks, you

better look like you’re already making it. Marshall’s, Ross,

and Macy’s sales are terrific places to pick up designer brands

on the cheap.

Remember, giving people the right impression from the get-go is

critical to making them feel confident in hiring—or buying from—

you. If you look like an experienced professional, you’ll be

treated like one—and that means more clients and sales for you!

Related Articles
  Sometimes, price is an attitude
  A Sales Story That Will Gross You Out
  7 Deadly Sins—Don't Kill Your Business with These Marketing Material Mistakes
  Cheap Promotional Products
  One Last Rule Never Put Everything in Your Advertisement

Article Tags: business card, business event, cart before the horse, copywriter, hitting the wall, marketing materials, money, own marketing, perception, perceptions, putting the cart before the horse, rsquo, top notch



Related Forum Posts
New Small Business Topic - Hello everyone, I'm on the lookout for new topics to add to my site. We just launched a Franchising section and are planning Human Resources section. Do you have any thoughts for a new section? Here's a list of what we currently have: Angel Investors Branding Bank Loans Business Coaching Business Plan Franchises (New) Insurance Legal Marketing Public Relations Sales Small Biz Loans Venture Capital
My entry - 1. The Best Business Books Ever: The 100 Most Influential Business Books You'll Never Have Time to Read - this is a fascinating book about the history of Business theory, and I'd recommend it to anybody. 2. The Big Book of Small Business: You Don't Have to Run Your Business by the Seat of Your Pants, by Tom Gegax. Ditto. 3. PADI: The Business of Diving Book Okay, so this book won't be of use to anyone who doesn't want to start a scuba store, but I did, and this book was of course invaluable to me in reaching that goal.
These maybe the coldest franchises out there: - Here are the worst 15 performing franchises in regards to having the highest Small Business Administration (SBA) loan failure rates. The list is dotted with sub sandwich shops, fitness centers and car shops. WORST FRANCHISE LOAN FAILURES Failure % 1 OBEE'S SOUP SALAD SUBS 55.56% 2 LADY OF AMERICA 41.94% 3 COUNTRY CLUTTER (BED & BREAKFAST) 41.18% 4 COPY CLUB 36.36% 5 ALL TUNE AND LUBE 35.71% 6 PICKERMAN'S 35.71% 7 PHILLY CONNECTION 35.59% 8 ROLY POLY ROLLED SANDWICHES 34.78% 9 COTTMAN TRANSMISSION 34.48% 10 HAIR COLOR EXPRESS 33.33% 11 LEE MYLES AUTOMOTIVE TRANSMISSIONS 33.33% 12 GODFATHER'S PIZZA 33.33% 13 SMOOTHIE FACTORY 33.33% 14 BLIMPIE 31.39% 15 GOLF U.S.A. (RETAIL GOLF EQUIP.) 30.77% Source: Small Business Administration, SBA Loan Performance Within Franchise Code for the Period of FY 2001 - 2005
Exclusive: Interview with Results - Hi Forum Members, I'm helping start up a Business Coaching and Consulting company here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (a Subsidiary of RSC Business in Los Angeles). As a Research and Development Intern I am required to practice my listening and interview skills by surveying Small and Medium Businesses on thier Business. This Survey is designed by RSC Business to also assist the Business being interviewed more insight into their own business. I am looking to interview about 30 businesses across North America over the span of 3 months. At the end of these interviews I will be publishing a report of the results and they will be made available for free to the Interviewees. The Report data will include responses from a minimum of 100 interviews. I would like to extend this opportunity to members of the Forum. If you would like to have this short 20-30 minute interview conducted on your Business and you reside in North America please send me an email or PM. Please contact me at andy[at]jvprosperity[dot]com to arrange our interview and to get free access to the results when they are published.
Re: Biz Plan Competition - i just wanted to say that posting Small Business Events on CanadaOne is a great resource. Thanks Julie!


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

How to Ask for a Flexible Work Arrangement

Selling On Ebay The Good The Bad And The Ugly

Do You Deserve To Be Happy and Successful?

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.