|
|
Cheap and Easy Marketing
As a small business owner, I know that finding the right combination of advertising techniques and marketing strategies is key to getting the beginnings of a solid customer base. People have to have heard about your business before they can...
How Much Is Your Popcorn Worth?: Powerful Lessons In Marketing And The Psychology Of Selling - Part 4
Let's continue to discuss the various marketing principles that are involved in "popcorn marketing": 4. Engaging the "Senses" You may already know that people usually buy for 'emotional' reasons more than 'intellectual' reasons. You can try to...
Internet Marketing Basics
Internet marketing is an umbrella term for the wide variety of marketing and promotional techniques that take advantage of the online medium. Anytime a company builds a web site, creates an email list, publishes an electronic newsletter, or buys ad...
Six Little Used Online Marketing Strategies
1. Utilize Your Knowledge Do you have extensive knowledge in a particular subject? Offer people free consulting or advice on that subject via e-mail if in exchange they either link to your web site, run your promotional ad in their e-zine or place...
The Take No Prisoners Marketing Strategy
There are more web sites on the WWW than there are people on the earth. And at one level or another, you are in competition with everyone of those billions of sites for your share of site traffic. To maximize your marketing efforts you need a...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Have You Tried Cause Marketing?
To help promote your local business or practice, consider tearing a page out of the corporate marketing playbook. For years big companies have partnered with nonprofits to co-promote their brands. And it has worked well because they keep doing it.
In fact, since 1990, cause related marketing (also called corporate partnering) has grown 800%, according the Cause Marketing Forum. It’s expected to reach $1.8 billion in spending in 2005.
So, could this be something that might help your company?
There are plenty of studies and reports that show consumers will support businesses that support charitable causes. You can see some them at the Cause Marketing Forum website.
But, beyond studies and reports I think it makes sense to partner with a local nonprofit for several reasons.
First (and most important) it’s good thing to do. If it’s something you believe in and they do good work then your support makes sense. Plus it feels good!
Second, word of mouth is the best advertising for most local businesses. Think of the positive word of mouth promotion you could generate by being actively involved with a well-respected local nonprofit.
Third, we are inundated with offers and advertising and all types of marketing messages. People are becoming numb to much of it. And they are making their buying decisions based on more emotional and substantive factors. I think local businesses that show they are contributing to their community have a big advantage over those who do not.
Fourth, it’s a great way to develop a stronger connection with your customers. By partnering with a nonprofit they believe in you can offer your customers more than just your product or service. You’re offering them another way to contribute to the betterment of their community.
And last (but certainly not least) it’s easy to do.
So, how might a small, local business begin partnering with a
local nonprofit?
Before you jump into anything, make sure you’re willing to commit to at least a year (preferably more). This is NOT a short-term project. This should be something you’re willing to do on a long-term and ongoing basis, as long as it meets the needs of your company and your nonprofit partner.
Start by seeing what nonprofits are active in your community. Then pick a few whose missions you strongly believe in. If you can’t be passionate about their mission then don’t put them on your list.
At this point you might want to prioritize the list and focus on only the top choice. Or you might want to meet with several of them before you decide which one you’d like to partner with. Of course, the final decision depends on how interested the nonprofit is in working with your company.
Your message to them is that you’d like to discuss some ways you can work together to help them continue to accomplish their mission. The details of how you do that are up to you and them.
Here are some things you might incorporate into your partnership:
*Co-branding: include the nonprofit logo and message in any advertising and promotions you do. *If you have a retail location, use it to help collect donations for them. *Co-host an event or fundraiser. *Find ways to get your customers and vendors involved with your nonprofit partner. *Use your existing communications (newsletters, emails, website, etc.) to tell people about your partnership.
It’s best if you and your partner establish some goals for the partnership and map out what each organization will do to help achieve the goals. Then you should meet on a regular basis to monitor and adjust as necessary.
About the Author
Kevin Stirtz is the president of Coffee News Twin Cities LLC. He is also a national trainer and mentor for Coffee News USA and an online columnist for AllBusiness.com where he writes "Better Local Marketing." He can be reached at www.BetterLocalMarketing.com or 1-952-212-4681.
|
|
|
|
|
KnowThis: For Marketing, Market Research, Internet Marketing ... |
KnowThis.com offers a wealth of information, forums, and resources for professionals, academics and students in traditional and internet marketing, ... |
www.knowthis.com |
  |
Marketing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
Marketers depend on marketing research, both formal and informal, ... The next big thing is a concept in marketing that refers to a product or idea that ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
  |
Marketing - Marketing Strategy - Marketing Plan - Marketing ... |
Learn about marketing careers, the stages of developing a marketing plan, how to begin marketing research, create a marketing strategy, and how to market ... |
marketing.about.com |
  |
Marketing.org - Home of the Business Marketing Association |
Serves the professional, educational and career development needs of business-to-business marketers. |
www.marketing.org |
  |
Welcome - American Marketing Association - www.marketingpower.com |
Dedicated to serving the educational and professional needs of marketing executives. |
www.marketingpower.com |
  |
Advertising, Marketing, Media and PR News - Brand Republic |
Find the latest Advertising, Marketing, Media and PR news from Brand Republic, the online resource for up to the minute advertising and marketing news and ... |
www.brandrepublic.com |
  |
Marketing Magazine - Marketing News - Brand Republic |
Marketing Magazine - Marketing News - Brand Republic. |
www.brandrepublic.com |
  |
Marketing (Canada) |
Offers a Canadian source of news and articles on marketing, advertising and media. |
www.marketingmag.ca |
  |
BidVertiser - Pay Per Click Advertising On Sites Of Your Choice. |
Pay per click advertising - online advertising directly on sites of your choice, internet marketing solution for online advertisers. |
www.bidvertiser.com |
  |
Online Behavioral Contextual Advertising and Marketing. |
Promote your business with today's most effective online advertising technology, contextual advertising at a cost effective metric of CPC, PPC, CPM or CPV. |
www.clicksor.com |
  |
Sales Jobs / Marketing Jobs / Advertising Jobs - MarketingJobs.com |
Employment site for marketing and sales professionals. |
www.marketingjobs.com |
  |
The Chartered Institute of Marketing |
The Chartered Institute of Marketing is the world's largest international marketing professional body and helps with career support and information ... |
www.cim.co.uk |
  |
Marketing: See what people are saying right now on Technorati |
See all blog posts tagged with marketing on Technorati. |
www.technorati.com |
  |
Marketing Profs - Marketing Concepts and Strategies: Expert ... |
Marketing knowhow from professionals. Newsletter, articles and how-to's. |
www.marketingprofs.com |
  |
Guerrilla Marketing Online - The Official Site |
Guerrilla Marketing Online is anonline magazine for small business, entrepreneurs, sales people and marketers of all kinds. |
www.gmarketing.com |
  |
Business Marketing - Small Business Marketing |
Business marketing - Read everything your need to know about small business marketing. |
www.entrepreneur.com |
  |
All About Marketing |
Adapted from Field Guide to Nonprofit Program Design, Marketing and Evaluation ... Inbound Marketing Includes Market Research to Find Out: ... |
www.managementhelp.org |
  |
Pages tagged with "marketing" on del.icio.us |
USA Network Announces a NASHVILLE STAR Marketing Partnership With ... - Yahoo! ... Direct Marketing Association: Telephone, Mail & Internet Marketing ... |
del.icio.us |
  |
ClickZ Internet Marketing Solutions for Marketers |
Includes columns with commentary and analysis on a wide variety of internet marketing subjects ranging from B2B marketing to search engine marketing. |
www.clickz.com |
  |
Direct Marketing Association: Telephone, Mail & Internet Marketing |
Trade association for users and suppliers in the direct, database and interactive marketing fields, offering seminars and resources, and lobbying for ... |
www.the-dma.org |
  |
|