15 Ways To Promote Your Business

Promoting your business has never been cheaper or easier than it is today. We are not so much a global village but a giant neural network interconnected through social media.

You…yes little old you, has the ability to be seen by millions….who wudda thunk it!

Trouble is…so does everyone else, and they’re all clamoring for their 15 minutes of fame.

Promotion is the crossroads between success and failure and we all face the same issues:

How do you get noticed.
How do present a compelling reason to buy.

Creativity rules the day…in fact it always has.  Okay, so now you’re feeling all despondent.  Haven’t got a creative bone in your body you say? …Bullshit I retort!

Everyone has the ability to create. Could it be that you’ve squashed it down to fit others expectations….I’ll leave that one with you shall I?

Creativity is like a muscle, if you don’t exercise, atrophy will result…and we can’t have that.

So now that we’ve established that you can be creative how are you gonna do that?

I’m glad you asked!….In this two part series I’ve gathered 15 ideas for you to take for a spin around the block, some may work for you…some may not, it depends on your particular business model. Many of these ideas have the ability to create great relationship building opportunities.

You don’t want to try everything on the list, but I’m sure there are probably one or two that will be the spark of an idea that will integrate beautifully as a way to promote your business…oh and just as an aside, there’s still room for conventional advertising…you don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater…assess what works and what could be done differently, remember:

Unique Attracts Attention.
Differences Buy Distinction.
Discernment Establishes Brand.

So here are my first 7 suggestions to get your creative juices flowing.

NEWS CREATION
Firstly a bit of good ol’ fashioned PR work. Attack your local newspaper, it’s easier that you think. If you don’t have any news to report to the local media, create some. Maybe you’ve taken on a new associate, or you’re selling an unusual product line.  Or maybe you’ve opened a free advice center for the community or recently received an award. Creating news doesn’t automatically bring you sales, but it does raise awareness of your business and can help you attract the attention of thousands of people.

GREETING CARDS
I know it’s an old fashioned tactic, but it still works. Greeting cards create enormous goodwill and keep your name in front of people, providing you do it right.  I shouldn’t have to say this, but I’m gonna… No pre-printed generic messages!  Got that?  Personalization matters…end of story.

Remember birthdays, events, anniversaries, holidays or any other occasion that is important to your client. This can be done just as easily through email too, and is a great method of promoting your business.

EVENTS
You may be able to attract the attention of the media or a crowd by staging a special promotional event. If you run a fitness classes, for instance, you could stage a celebrity instructor day. If you’re selling children’s products then why not run story-time webinars for kids. Get the idea?

CHARITY TIE-INS
Are a great way of increasing your visibility and letting people know what your business and brand stand for. Offer your product or service to one or more local charities as a raffle prize or for use at a fund raising event.

CELEBRATE HOLIDAYS
Everybody does the Christmas sales, the end of financial year sales. Why not be different and celebrate some of the offbeat holidays as well. Almost every business has a few little-known holidays. Ever hear of National Pickle Day, or Cat Lovers Month.  What about Secretaries day, or my personal favorite…Read in the Bathtub Day…yes you heard it right, (not advised for Kindle users).  Once you find the “right” holiday, you can sponsor a special sale or special product arrange special media coverage of a holiday event to promote your business.

CONTESTS
Always a good one and you can get really creative here. First, find a contest theme that tiers into your business. Second, offer a prize that would be killer to the entrants. A restaurateur may offer a featured signature dish from the winning contributor. A photographer may offer a featured exhibition piece for their competition winner.
Contests attract attention, no question. All it takes is to spread the word throughout the community grapevine.

GIVEAWAYS
Everybody loves a freebie…especially items they can use to gain knowledge or improve their lives. You can base an entire promotional campaign around this. Look for complimentary items that you can offer in addition to your core products and services. If you’re running a furniture repair business, you could give away a furniture repair brochure, free furniture planning guides, or color swatches. Examine what would add value to your customers and give it to them for nothing…they’ll love you to death and word of mouth will spread like wildfire.

Well there you have it, the first 7 business ideas to ponder, I hope it’s given you some food for thought… Join me again tomorrow for part two.

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