Always offer fresh, high-quality coffee or tea. Make sure it’s good. It’s this kind of touch that shows you care about your customers. You might also want to offer bottled water for those who don’t care for coffee or tea. There is nothing worse than a company that cares so little about … Read more
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 … Read more
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. … Read more
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 … Read more
Offer to be available for comment or interviews on your effort. Television or radio news programs are always interested in talking with local experts who can speak to the issues faced by the community, especially during rush-hour radio broadcasts or early morning/late evening TV programming. The broader your topic, the more appealing … Read more
Are you in the business of helping small business owners market themselves? A good place to start could be hair salons and spas. They tend to be a little more “cutting edge” (heh.. pun intended..) and may see the vision you paint more clearly. Before introducing yourself through a form letter, cold … Read more
Send greeting cards to mark social events, such as holidays, wedding anniversaries, or birthdays. This adds a personal touch that will be remembered. Tip 1: Too busy to fill out all the cards? Hire it out. These services are available. Tip 2: You know those custom cards you had printed out? If … Read more
One of the best ways to stay in front of your audience or market is to provide value first. One of the best ways to provide this value is to deliver great information, especially important in today’s information-based society. Pulling together information and knowledge for people accomplishes a few things: First, it … Read more
If you aren’t doing so already, casually survey all clients before they cash out. Kindly request their permission to ask them basic questions about their occupation, their use of time, the reason why they’re in front of you, what they like (and would improve) about their experience, and so on. This will … Read more
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.
Conduct exit interviews anytime you have an employee submit his resignation. In conducting this survey, you begin to determine where you’re falling short in keeping your people. Often, you’ll find that money isn’t the top issue. What you’re looking for is how you are able to improve your internal marketing. How do … Read more
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 … Read more