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What they don't teach you at Business School

Marketing a business should be a crucial part of any organisation’s growth strategy, even on a limited or zero budget. Here is a check-list of ideas and ‘refeshers’ to help.

Share your expertise
There are always thousands of events needing speakers and publications which need content, so why not offer your expertise? Identify any high-profile speaking opportunities, such as conferences (www.exhibitions.co.uk), local inquiries and public meetings. Call your professional or trade organisations; check your trade media for any events advertised; consult exhibition organisers and business directories. If you are particularly knowledgeable sign up to a media contact agency like www.expertsources.co.uk which puts journalists in touch with experts in particular fields.

Networking is only one letter away from not working
There are endless networking opportunities both online and offline. Services like www.fpb.org/forum allow small business owners to network with other entrepreneurs. As well as promoting your firm, you can also use forums to actually do business. Make sure you have something worthwhile to say though!
Similarly, there are a host of offline networking meetings available. Get involved in local or regional trade organisations such as the Business Club, Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce. The events allow you to network face-to-face with other business owners. Make sure you take along business cards and if possible prepare what you’re going to tell people in advance.

The customer is always right
It may be obvious, but ensuring you offer good customer or client service is essential to building business success. Answering calls and emails quickly or at least having a useful answer phone message is key. In these days of online forums and social networking websites, negative comments about your business can spread like wildfire so it’s vital you stay on top of it.

Testimonials
If you’ve got lots of happy customers, shout about it! Ask them to give you a quote saying why they liked your product or service and put it on your website or promotional literature. Always get these verified by the customers featured first, though.

Directory entries
Whilst you might not have millions to spend on ads you won’t need this to ensure you have at least a basic entry in all relevant directories for potential customers who are looking for the services your business offers. Make it easy for them to find you.

Web Sites that Work
These days a poor or nonexistent website is a reason not to use a new organisation so make sure yours measures up. Look at 10 competitor websites or sites you would rank yourself against and check your site offers the same or similar functionality, is easy to navigate and provides a reason for a visitor to come back to the site.
Test out key search words every month in Google, Yahoo, AOL and MSN that someone looking for your products and services would use. See how you rank against the competition. If you are not happy, there are lots of companies out there to help specialising in search engine optimisation.

Sponsorship
You may not have the resources of Carling to spend on Liverpool FC but you are likely to be able to afford sponsoring a local sports team. Backing an amateur or school football squad for instance and getting your company logo on the players’ shirts can be a cheap and effective way of raising your profile and is great for photo opportunities.

Surveys
With the plethora of news pages both online and offline, journalists are always looking for stories, so carry out some research and send out a press release. Online tools such as www.surveymonkey.com allow you to gather survey data while forums allow paid-up members to carry out online polls. When you’ve got some data, put together a well-written press release that has a story to tell.

Win! Win! Win!
People love free stuff so why not run regular competitions? Organising contests relevant to big sporting events or specific times of the year such as Christmas, Easter and Valentine’s Day is a good way of promoting your company and making people think favourably about it. The local radio stations love to give prizes away and in return will promote your company.

Raising your profile with the media
Regularly send letters to all your target media. Also, publications – particularly local ones – will generally be happy to consider articles or opinion pieces. Find out the name of the most relevant journalist on the publication’s website and get in touch.

Build a relationship with your target media
Invite key journalists to any customer entertainment days you host. Write or call journalists, editors and producers to suggest ideas for radio and television items, press features etc. They do not have to involve you or your company. Always pass on tit-bits of news to your contacts. Invite journalists to lunch occasionally. But remember always to have a story to give them, even though you may see it as a social meeting.

Do an occasional quality control check
Ask your media contacts what they think of your releases and overall service. You are likely to get honest answers.

Circulate your staff newsletter to your target media.
You’ll be surprised how many stories get picked up. There’s no harm in using a highlighter pen to draw attention to particular stories.

If yours is a long-established business, do a bit of research into your company’s history. It might produce enough for an interesting leaflet, which would be useful for recruitment, induction of new staff and media relations. Company’s landmarks (eg 100th sale, 500th customer, 50th year of trading) and new staff appointments often generate useful coverage. Don’t bother with handshaking-style pictures though.

Overseas visitors or new, unusual contracts are always interesting, particularly if they involve far-flung countries. A delegation of Chinese business people visiting a cider factory attracted national TV coverage.

Embrace Web 2.0
Social networking websites like facebook.com, myspacecom and linkedin.com are now being used by businesses to promote their products and services. A group on Facebook, for example, allows you to network with people looking for the very sort of thing your business is offering. Use it to promote your offerings and keep people up to date on the latest content on your website. You could also consider posting promotional videos on sites such as youtube.com.

Blog your business, try twittering
Outdated content can be a real turn-off to site visitors, so ensuring it remains fresh is vitally important. Blogging allows you to do that. As well as writing specifically about what your company is up to, you can also offer your opinion on subjects affecting your sector, your customers or events in the news. Free blogging software such as wordpress.org, which can be incorporated into your website, is available online.
Twittering isn’t for everyone but if you can spend a little time regularly it is an excellent way of staying in front of your key target

AND LASTLY……….
Make sure that you, your staff and your company live up to your own corporate image.

© Marketing Projects 2009

This article also appears alongside Marketing Projects’ new ad in the 2009/10 Chester Business Directory. If you would like a copy of the directory please contact info@marketingprojects.co.uk (See our ad on page 3).

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