In 1970, the average person was exposed to somewhere between 500 and 2,000 ads per day. Today, that number is between 3,000 and 5,000 ads per day. So, how do you, as a small, locally owned business get noticed? Well, it's not easy but here are two ideas you can start using today.
Instead of handing your clients a plain old business card after an install, hand them a card that will literally stick around a while. Most any office supply store carries a set of business card magnets. These magnets have adhesive on one side and a magnet on the other. Simply peel and stick your card onto the magnet so your customer can leave it on their office file cabinet or refrigerator. Better yet, give them two so they can pass one along.
An easy way to find more residential customers is to use what I call the 3-Leaf Clover Marketing Method. I'm amazed how few people use this and I'm even more amazed how well it works. The idea is that when you do an install at a customer's house, you need to let the neighbors know you were there. Think of your customer's house as the stem of the clover. With your back to their front door, go knock on the door across the street and knock on the doors on both the right and left of your customer.
So what do you say? Simple, just let them know you are working on their neighbor's house and that your trucks will be in the street for the day or that you might be making some noise with saws and you just wanted to let them know.
Then, say, "By the way, our designer (or owner or estimator) will be coming by to make sure we deliver what we promised. While he's here, would you like me to send him over for a free estimate?"
Using this method, you'll get about 30% of the people who are home to let you quote and 30% of those will likely go ahead and buy from you. Have a brochure and "neighbor's discount" coupon to leave behind if they are not home. Aside from these two very effective marketing ideas, you can also make use of the different forms of technology. Online marketing is now used by most businesses because people, even in remote areas, are connected to the Internet.
Consider these facts:
- About 97% of all consumers now use the Internet when researching products or services in their local area.
- Roughly 55% of all local searches are done with intent to buy.
- Eight out of ten consumers who research online call or visit a local store or business- and 60% of those consumers end up buying from that store or business.
Below are some web elements you can use which are considered effective small business marketing.
Create a website for your company. This is an easy way for you to interact with your target audience. Make sure that you include your brand name and your address and contact details. You should also provide a list of the services that you offer.
Get listed in local search engine directories. Almost every household with a personal computer searches for things on the Internet. If your business is listed in the Yahoo! or Google local directories, you will appear in the search results.
Small business marketing takes many forms. All you have to do is make sure that you use them the right way to avoid wasting time or money.
Sean McCool is a nationally known direct response copywriter and marketing consultant. He writes advertising designed to get a specific response for his clients and customers. You can learn more about Sean and his work at www.SeanMcCool.com where you'll find a FREE report entitled "27 Reasons NOT to Hire a Freelance Copywriter."
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