Tweet

Creative Marketing to do NOW!

Guest post by: Sheryl Nicholson

Article Overview: Often times, marketing and training are the first budgets to be cut when business is slow. It's like shooting yourself in the foot...no...the head! You've got to let everyone know you're still out there - still in business - still accepting money. And your staff is your most valuable asset. You've spent dollars and time to get them acclimated to your business now teach them to improve. So this month's article is on creative marketing and next month we'll talk about creative ways to invest in training your people.

Creative Marketing to do NOW!

Often times, marketing and training are the first budgets to be cut when business is slow. It's like shooting yourself in the foot...no...the head! You've got to let everyone know you're still out there - still in business - still accepting money. And your staff is your most valuable asset. You've spent dollars and time to get them acclimated to your business now teach them to improve. So this month's article is on creative marketing and next month we'll talk about creative ways to invest in training your people.

By now you know I'm bottom-line oriented - so I'm just going to list some ideas for you to pick and choose from - ALL have worked for me.

Business cards are your cheapest form of marketing - make sure you have some for every member of your team and get rid of them! Here are some creative ways....

• When going thru a toll - I always pay for the car behind me telling the booth operator "Please hand that person my card and tell them their toll is my gift." You know they'll read it and keep it because that rarely happens to anyone!

• Whenever I do business with someone - I'm expecting they will do business with me - so I include my business card in every bill I send - yes the power bill, credit cards, and yes that includes the waitress.

• Have card - will travel - I use them (and leave them) as bookmarks in the airline magazines. I have put them inside new purses that are for sale in retail stores - posted them on corkboards where permitted inside companies and businesses.

• Create another grand opening day for your business and offer a discount to new AND past customers.

• Pick up Chase's Calendar of Events and create reasons to do business with customers around those themes. Example? One toy store is holding their first invention contest to honor Edison's Birthday and giving away a free ticket to MOSI to every child that brings in an application (more potential customers in the store). The winner will receive $1000 - who couldn't use $1000 these days?

• Refresh your image. Do you need a new updated logo? Fresh paint on the building? New brochure to announce a new targeted clientele?

• Submit articles all over the internet and to your associations' newsletter or journals or website. This will give your company more exposure. It can't be a sales ad, it must be a solution to a particular problem that you have helped a client with. Remember to think "I am a resource - not a sales person"

• Update your website - adding new articles.

These are just a few tips that work. Don't get overwhelmed - just do SOMETHING. Afterall....Success is always in YOUR hands!

Related Articles
  How to Creatively Increase Your Sales
  The Power of Creativity
  How to be more creative in business
  Making Time for Your Creative Self
  Developing a Creative Strategy
  Are You Right Brain Dead?
  Marketing Losing its Mojo? Not So Fast
  Need to be more creative? Give yourself a “Whack on The Side of the Head”
  Creative Marketing Grabs Attention And Keeps You 'FRESH'!
  Network Marketing? You Can Only Go So Far on "Stretching the Truth!"
  Tips On Marketing Your Online Business Idea
  Rules Suck
  Awaken the creative side in you
  TOP TIPS FOR SURVIVING IN BUSINESS
  How to make a viral video to market your business
  Hey Attorneys! Let Your Funky Side Fly!
  Finding inspiration when the well runs dry
  Online Advertising
  LEADERSHIP IS CREATIVE THINKING NOT REACTIVE THINKING
  Marketing Creativity vs. Analytics

Article Tags: accepting money, budgets, creative marketing



Related Forum Posts
Happy Worker as of Dec 31 2007 - Here's mine... I'm now off to make an offering to the business planning gods for their help in getting to these goals & beyond. To the combined success of Prophets 2 Profits! ----------------------------------------- 1) Corporate a) Retail - Sales reps covering all major markets (1M or more) - Retail product launch plan - 1 more retail release (TBD) b) The Toy Agency - Systems for: o Creative process o Pricing o Manufacturing o Logistics - Marketing agency strategy in place - 1 new customer every 2nd month (5 new customers); 1 of which will be rev of >= 500K/year c) Business - Creative talent pool management strategy & process - Outsourced and/or weekly bookkeeping - Monthly budgeting & forecasting - Better banking organization (Line of Credit, CCs, automate billing for appropriate vendors) - Team total of 5 - Larger office d) Web site - Daily updates - Start of separation of Blog/TTA/Retail 2) Personal - Most weekends “off”! - Entirely separate personal finances; basic personal financing plan - Family….?
Re: What is your Business? - We are running a Online Marketing Firm and we have some good clients to which we are offering a complete Digital Marketing strategy like Search, Mobile Marketing, Branding and Design. I think in Online Marketing company online presence can be a wining factor for the success of the company.
Re: Let’s talk about the ways of marketing your products, servic - I agree with some of the others who responded it depends on what your selling... but to answer your questions here are some of the methods I use. Forum Marketing Yahoo Answers (I need to use more of) SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Bum Marketing or Article marketing P-P-C (Pay Per Click) Marketing Online Directories Hope this helps.
Re: Should Evan add a "Social Media Marketing" category to the f - Hi, Online Marketing would be a great title, and having sub categories would make it even better, there would plenty of categories to choose from, Social Media, SEO, Article Marketing and yes even Affiliate Marketing to name just a few, great looking site btw Jeff, take care, Carol
Kevin's Case Study #11 - A New Forum Category? - Hi Everyone, 2009 is a new year and I'd like to create a new forum category to jazz things up! In the past, there's been some interest voiced about adding a "Social Media Marketing", "Online Marketing", "Internet Marketing" or "Online Promotion" category. I'll implement [u:1g2tv6tf]ONE[/u:1g2tv6tf] of those new categories, but can someone first tell me what the difference would be between the existing "Marketing" section and one of those new options mentioned above? Thanks


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.

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

The Future of Online Marketing

Qualities of Leadership Part 1

If I Were Starting A Network Marketing Company...

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.