Marketing ideas for the shoestring bourgeoisie.
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Marketing Idea #83: Tradeshow Giveaways

August 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Marketing Ideas Tradeshow Giveaways

The best and most obvious reason for visiting some tables at trade shows is for the free giveaways. You will find that many people will make the rounds to collect the free stuff. In some cases, the booths without free giveaways may experience lower traffic as a result. It’s a cheap ploy, but the right giveaway can gain you exposure you wouldn’t have had without it. Of course, you have to question the quality of your traffic if it’s only coming over to steal another one of those great metal pens…

Tip: Have fun with your giveaways! After all, if it’s really good, it will likely end up in the hands of their kids.

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Marketing Idea #46: Throw a Party

May 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Marketing Ideas Throw a Party

Whether a holiday or a “client appreciation” party, getting your clients together in the same room and collectively thanking them for their loyal patronage can help you make clients (and friends) for life. Depending on the nature of the organization you operate, you may also have key staff members available to assist with mingling and mixing.

Variation: If you have a large organization, you may separate the employee party from the client party, but certainly both are worth having. Employee parties offer the opportunity for internal marketing; client parties, external.

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Marketing Idea #54: How to be Arrested for Fundraising

May 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Marketing Ideas Arrested for Fundraising

A number of good causes offer a “lockup” program to enlist members of the community in raising funds. The idea is to publicize a mock arrest and jailing (though you may really be handcuffed and driven to the local jail in a police car) in exchange for “bail” (contributions to the cause). The arrested then contacts the members of his own network to solicit for a set amount of funds in return for his freedom. Once bail has been made, you’re set free. If you can’t be away from your job, there’s often a “house arrest” option. Sign yourself up, and publicize it as widely as you can. You’re gaining a life experience, a wonderful story, and good karma.

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Marketing Idea #52: Join an Art Hop

April 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Marketing Ideas Art Hop

Participate in a local gallery hop, where local artists bring their wares to display at a collection of stores and businesses. Maps of participating businesses are provided, and the event is advertised throughout the community. Businesses may serve appetizers and beverages to visitors on the tour, and artists may be present to talk about their work. This may be done for free (for the exposure, sharing the expense for printing the maps, posters, and so on), or you might charge a small fee as the maps are handed out. (You would charge hoppers only once—not at each location.)

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Marketing Idea #56: Conduct a Seminar

April 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Marketing Ideas Hold a Seminar

Offer an adult education class or seminar. This may be something you conduct through a local school or university, or it could be offered through a local business association or group. Your intent is to bring value to the attendees and the program hosts and to become known.

Variation: Spread the wealth. Invite other professionals in the area to speak as well. By doing so, you offer more value to the seminar and improve your referral network. Other professionals will also be able to help in the marketing of the seminar by reaching out to their own networks.

Variation: Find a professional or celebrity speaker, and bring him in to talk about a topic that is relevant to your audience. Partner with a local hotel and business associations to provide the venue and help cover the costs.

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Marketing Idea #49: Community Day

April 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Marketing Ideas Community Day

Hold a Community Day. Offer your goods or services to your local community at a free or reduced cost. Work with other local businesses and the media to promote your event. This is a great way to give back to the community and bring in new customers who have not visited your business yet. It is also a great way to get to know your neighbors. Work with them to make Community Day a larger event, offering even more value to the community!

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Marketing Idea #51: Window Display Contest

March 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Marketing Ideas Window Display Contest

Conduct a window display contest (instead of a sidewalk sale). Make voter cards available, and encourage participants to vote on their favorite display. Offer free samples to entice voters to try your product or service. Maintain a guestbook to track traffic and build your contact database.

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Marketing Idea #50: Hold a Cooking Contest

March 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Marketing Ideas Hold a Cooking Contest

A restaurant might have a cooking contest for newly graduated local chefs. During the event, the restaurant would charge ten dollars per person to sample all the showcased dishes. Attendees must vote on which dish is the best. The dish that wins gets on the menu (which should tell the story about how the dish came to be). To make the stakes higher, the restaurant might even hire the winning chef.

Tip: This idea also works when you need an event catered and don’t have a large budget.

(Image source: Heinz.)

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Marketing Idea #47: Host a Competition

March 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Marketing Ideas Host a Competition

Host and promote a competition. You can call it “The Great ____________ Race.” Set up a small number of teams, each with a small number of participants. One team wins upon accomplishing the appropriate task you set before them. The entry fee may be the cost (or reduced cost) of your service. The grand prize can be more of your product or service, or you may find a sponsor to provide the prize(s) in exchange for promotion through the event.

Variation: Donate your product or service to a charitable cause in the winner’s name.

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Marketing Idea #48: Hold a Children’s Art Sale

March 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Marketing Ideas Childrens Art Sale

Hold a children’s art sale. It may be as simple as having a local class draw on gift bags then selling those original artwork pieces to raise funds to sponsor a needy family for Christmas.

Better: A less labor-intensive way to get the same thing done would be to scan the artwork, and then create iron-on transfers of it. This allows you to sell more copies of each piece, realize greater profits, and maintain happier artists (and parents.)

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