OVERLOOKED MARKETING METHODS
Traditional Forms of Advertising Still Work, But Other Methods Can Also Be Powerful in Attracting Steady Customers.
By Kevin Nunley
While the common forms of media advertising (newspaper, magazine, radio and television) can be effective, they often remain out of reach for the small business person on a budget. Let's take a look at a couple of overlooked, affordable methods that can attract new customers to your business.
Postcards are one of the most powerful marketing tools you can use. They're cheaper to mail and, because there's no envelope to open, people read your postcard right away. Postcards have an address side and a "billboard" side, where your ad message is presented.
Begin with a headline that states your main benefit. Follow that with a sub-heading. It's a sentence or two that supports your headline. Below the sub-heading, use bullets to list the features of your product or service. Relate each of the features to the benefit it provides.
For example, one bullet might read: "Chrome plating smooths use and saves time."
Last, but certainly not least, include ways to easily contact and buy from you. Many postcards include a "nudge." Next to your order information, give customers a time limit. Let them know how long the offer lasts or give them an ordering deadline for receiving a special price.
The address side of your postcard should have a phrase in bold that makes people want to turn the card over (a question can work wonders).
The second effective marketing method is cassette tapes. The recording industry has done its best to stamp out the lowly cassette. Executives say it just isn't as profitable as higher-priced CDs and other digital gadgets. But the cassette lives on. It is easy to record on cassettes and just about everyone has a cassette player in their car, office or home.
If you're leading a seminar, speaking at a conference, or giving a presentation to a group of customers or staff, record it on cassettes. Use your cassette presentation to enhance sales materials. Put a nice label on your cassette, affix a price and give it away as a valuable premium.
Any two-cassette boom box will do for copying cassettes. Radio Shack carries a low-priced "dubbing" machines for those making lots of copies. Most towns have a firm that sells cheap blank cassettes of any length you need. They can also make hundreds or thousands of "dubs" for you. Search for these businesses in the Yellow Pages.
While the above methods may be overlooked by many entrepreneurs, they represent a great way to promote a product or service. Don't overlook them yourself.
Get Kevin Nunley's report, "39 Quick Tips to Promote Your Business." Only $1 plus SASE. Write Kevin at:
Kevin Nunley 9699S 2810W S. Jordan, UT 84095
You may reach him by phone at (801) 253-4536 or email him--DrNunley@aol.com
Visit Kevin's web site at http://www.DrNunley.com
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