I think that the title of this post says it all – so let’s get straight to the first marketing tip!
Marketing tip number 1:
When you send a marketing email to someone on a ‘list’ you bought or hired, they do not know who you are. Therefore, they are highly likely to consider your message as ‘spammy‘. Not only are they very unlikely to buy from you, they might start Twittering or telling their FaceBook / LinkedIn contacts that your company just spammed them!
Marketing tip number 2:
Learn to identify the difference between marketing activities you can do, and those you can do effectively. Anyone “can” write a marketing letter or email, but a specialist copywriter can get (literally) thousands of percent better response rates than a keen amateur.
Marketing tip number 3:
If you want your business to benefit from word of mouth publicity, it’s essential to give people something worth talking about!
Marketing tip number 4:
Give your clients a call from time to time, just to see how they are. Don’t even think of trying to sell them something, just engage them as a fellow human being.
Marketing tip number 5:
Become famous within your industry for how well you look after your customers. This kind of reputation is gold dust. Offering the best customer service means you will retain your existing clients for longer and find it far easier to win new customers too.
Marketing tip number 6:
Review your current marketing activities and immediately stop anything that is not working. Most small business owners have 2 or 3 forms of marketing, which they stick with primarily because they are “comfortable” with them.
Marketing tip number 7:
The most successful businesses don’t wait until things ‘slow down’ before they focus on marketing. Marketing is an ongoing function within all successful businesses.
Marketing tip number 8:
When was the last time your accountant or bank manager recommended a new client or customer to you? If it’s been a while, meet with them and ask them why. These people have “credible access” to thousands of contacts and could be a great source of new customers.
Marketing tip number 9:
Look outside your industry for marketing ideas and inspiration. When you simply replicate the marketing activities of your competitors, it’s harder and more expensive for your message to be seen / heard / read.
Marketing tip number 10:
Using a genuine, handwritten signature on your marketing letters can increase your positive response rates significantly. Though this can only realistically be used on smaller mailings, it is worth the extra effort.
Marketing tip number 11:
Invest in a book, audio program or training course, on how to handle inbound ‘phone calls more effectively. Even if it only improved your effectiveness by 15 or 20 percent, you could see a real increase in new business over the coming 6 months.
Marketing tip number 12:
Turn your website into a lead generating machine in two EASY steps. Firstly, get the site Search Engine Optimised, so stacks of targeted prospective clients can find you. Secondly, get your website copy written by an expert, so the people who find you are motivated to call you, visit your premises or email you. This is an extremely powerful and cost effective way to generate targeted business and enquiries.
Marketing tip number 13:
Keep copies of any marketing material, which motivated you to buy something or register for something. Then, see what you can learn and apply into your business.
Marketing tip number 14:
Your best ideas can come at any time, so make sure it’s always easy for you to capture them. I recommend you carry a small digital audio recorder. They cost very little and are a lot easier to use than a notepad; especially if you are out for a run at the time!
Marketing tip number 15:
Always look for ways to increase the value of your services. The more value you offer, the easier it is to win new clients and the harder it is for someone to tempt them away!
Marketing tip number 16:
Who is the most successful company or person in your industry right now? Find out and then see what you can learn from their success. A quick study of the least successful people in your industry can be equally valuable, by showing you what to avoid!
Marketing tip number 17:
Make sure your full contact details are visible on every email you send.
Marketing tip number 18:
Can you give at least one really good reason why someone should use your services, rather than any of your competitors? If not, it’s time to add a uniquely valuable dimension to your service. It’s easier, less expensive and the results come faster – when you market a uniquely valuable service, as opposed to an ‘average’ one.
Marketing tip number 19:
Before you take marketing advice from anyone, especially online, check out their background first. Much of the free marketing advice on the Internet is so poor that it could seriously damage a business.
Marketing tip number 20:
Testimonials can be extremely effective, but only if used correctly. Make sure that the testimonials you use in your marketing, are from people your prospective clients can identify with and that they compliment different elements of your services.
Marketing tip number 21:
What do prospective clients see, when they search for your name or your organisations name on Google? Over 95% of people now check a potential supplier out on a search engine, before deciding to use them or not.
Marketing tip number 22:
When writing a marketing message, focus it 100% on your most preferred prospective client type. Unfocused marketing messages do not compel, motivate or inspire people to respond. By trying to appeal to too wide a group of people, you fail to be directly relevant to anyone. Focus, focus, focus!
Marketing tip number 23:
Avoid using address labels on mail shots – it’s what many junk mail senders use. You will get a better response rate if you use window envelopes, with the name and address printed onto the letter; because more people will actually open the envelope.
Marketing tip number 24:
Never moan to your contacts about how bad business is, even when things are quiet. Bad news spreads fast and people avoid doing business with (and recommending) what they think might be a “sinking ship.”
Marketing tip number 25:
Avoid the use of buzzwords in your marketing or negotiations whenever possible.
Marketing tip number 26:
Other then your direct competitors, who already has a great relationship with your prospective clients? Their endorsement of you and your services is gold dust. Now, think of how to motivate them, so that they want to share how brilliant you are with their network. The results can be amazing.
Marketing tip number 27:
People hate being pestered or pursued. If you want to attract business, stop chasing it!
Marketing tip number 28:
I have never paid a penny for advertising, however, in the past 14 days, 3 of the best known companies in the world have asked me for marketing help or advice. This is purely because of my reputation and my online presence. What are you doing, to attract enquiries for free?
Marketing tip number 29:
Start a blog and post new material to it whenever you have something valuable you want to share. Blogs are either free or inexpensive, yet they can be excellent for developing your reputation as an expert and for communicating with people.
Marketing tip number 30:
Does your website have a contact form that people can use to get in touch? If so, make it as easy as possible for people to use, by asking for as little information as possible. Name & email address should be enough for someone to make an enquiry. Asking for their company name, phone, location etc just puts people off!
Marketing tip number 31:
Let your personality come through your business. People find it easier to connect with a business when it has a personality – than when a business feels cold or impersonal.
Marketing tip number 32:
When building your business network, size is far, far less important than quality. Don’t waste your time ‘connecting’ with people, who lack influence or reach. A network of 10, extremely well connected, influential people is USUALLY more than you will ever need! BTW: You won’t meet these people at a typical networking ‘club.’
Marketing tip number 33:
It’s far easier to sell something to an existing client than it is to sell something to a stranger. Find 3 new services, which are profitable for you to provide and which your clients really need – then offer them to your clients. This is probably the fastest way for you to generate a huge increase in turnover and profits.
Marketing tip number 34:
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Jim. Thank you!
These 34 tips are sage marketing advice and I’ve been digesting them since you sent the newsletter last week.
In an age where people are itching for more and more content, and clarity is becoming rarer and rarer, it is posts like this that cut through the fluff and give something worth sharing and talking about.
I’m investing my time into posts that promote action – in my opinion, action being the most valuable human resource. So for me, this post is pure gold.
Interesting, as well, that many of these items take the latest and greatest technology and just apply some common sense to them!
Thanks again, Jim. I appreciate every newsletter and post like this.
How about a marketing tip of headers for each tip instead of bland “Marketing Tip X”? I skimmed over the whole list and only read a few. Lists this long should be at least broken into sections. You might be a good marketer but you need some help writing web content.
Scott,
I’m glad you found the 34 tips useful. Good to see you on the blog!!
Andy,
Thanks for the feedback. As each tip is so short (a few are just 1 line long), I can’t see the need for a description.
Hey Jim,
This is a FANTASTIC post. Thank you.
Thanks for this Jim. There’s so many great ideas here and I have already stared the ones I am going to use first.
Thanks again
George,
I’m glad you found the post useful. Let us know how you get on.
Jim,
Another great post. My favorite here is #33 – the upsell.
Your advice in #12 about web site optimization is also great. That is a big struggle and a big ? for a lot of folks. But you are right, good SEO and great content are really what is needed.
Thanks for the awesome post! As marketers, it is sometimes easy to get tunnel visioned and limit the way we market. Thinking “outside the box” often works wonders. Thanks so much, this gives me food for thought.
Bradford,
Thanks for the comment. Upselling is one of the most overlooked areas of marketing, yet can yield amazing results.
Regarding SEO, I am always stunned how few businesses actually invest in professional SEO. They will waste hundreds of pounds joining networking groups and waste thousands attending these events – yet REFUSE POINT BLANK to invest in something that can literally transform their results.
Both my blogs (this one and http://TheTechNewsblog.com ) are professionally SEO’d. They generate enquiries all day long.
Tess,
You make a great point.
Marketers will often stick with the same marketing mix and miss out on a fortune in new business.
Thanks for the comment.
@Jim: This post is a goldmine of marketing tips, I have probably seen each of these practices in action and I agree with your points..
Address labels vs. printed on the paper — I can totally relate to that.
Testimonials and great online references can get people to buy from you. I know because I put 5 testimonials on a site recently and number of inquiries increased (I don’t think it’s just coincidence).
Great article, I think you make your points very clear. Being visible and available for your clients is a great way to retain them. I also like your tip for actually calling clients, this is something that is often overlooked.
“Marketing tip number 10:
Using a genuine, handwritten signature on your marketing letters can increase your positive response rates significantly. Though this can only realistically be used on smaller mailings, it is worth the extra effort.”
I plan on doing this with a small batch of letters. Probably about 200-300 and I am handwriting the address on the front as well as hand written signature. What type of response rate can I expect?
Great post Jim; You’re absolutely correct about optimizing your site. Absolutely essential in today’s world of business. Another great marketing tip would be to incorporate the well known television ad into the SMB marketing mix. This is a great time to be a business entrepreneur because of the many tools now available to us. You can easily create and edit your own full length video ads with a site called Spotmixer.com; in turn you can take these same Video ads and upload them to sites like Adwido.com which allow users to upload Video Content for free. The site then optimizes their video ad based on the relevant keywords associated with that ad. Its a great marketing tool for any DIY business owner.
Awesome list. I think # 8 “When was the last time your accountant or bank manager recommended a new client or customer to you? If it’s been a while, meet with them and ask them why. These people have “credible access” to thousands of contacts and could be a great source of new customers.”
should be really focused on. Also like how you added the Twitter aspect to the comment form.
Michael,
Thanks for the comment. Glad you found the post useful.
Great list of tips Jim. I really like the personality one.
Seems to me that this is becoming increasingly important, especially leading in 2010.
The BIG BIG rule I play by is that people buy from people they know like and trust. Blogging, Online Networking, Commenting, Videoing, Podcasting… these are all ways of getting your authenticity across.