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Can You Really Become a Marketing "Genius"?
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Postcard Direct Mail Marketing: 15 Ways To Grab Attention
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It is just crazy. Every time I open my mouth to talk about Internet marketing, it is like I am speaking a foreign language to my audience. My local audience that is.
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Seven Low-cost, No-cost Marketing Ideas
For marketing to be effective--especially for small businesses and professionals--it's something you need to be able to afford, time-wise and resource-wise. You might develop the most effective plan, but if you can't implement it because it's too costly, or because you don't have the time to commit to it, then it will fail.
That said, here are seven low-cost, no-cost marketing ideas you can put to use right away:
1. MAKE MARKETING A SUBCONSCIOUS ELEMENT OF ALL YOU DO. Now, this doesn't mean you should turn into a pushy salesperson (my apologies to salespeople everywhere), but you should develop the mindset that EVERY interaction with someone could be that "big break" for which you've been looking.
2. WRITE YOUR OWN PRESS RELEASES on new products, a new book, new services, awards you and/or members of your staff receive, etc. Don't be shy. These types of news stories always play well in local, weekly newspapers--especially those with business columns or business sections--and even some online venues. Be sure your articles have news merit and are not simply marketing pieces. Quotations from those other than the author and pictures are definite plusses.
3. PROVIDE A LOW-COST, NO-COST WAY FOR PROSPECTS TO EXPERIENCE YOU OR YOUR SERVICES. Offer something for free such as an e-newsletter, a free introductory call, a free teleclass, etc. By giving prospects a no-cost option to meet and/or interact with you, you make it easier for them to consider buying a product or service.
4. ASK FOR REFERRALS FROM FRIENDS, CLIENTS, PAST CLIENTS, COLLEAGUES. If you don't ask, sometimes you don't get. If you do nothing else . . . do this! Without a doubt, word-of-mouth is the most effective means of promoting your business--especially for service professionals.
5. PRINT YOUR OWN DIRECT MAIL POSTCARDS targeted at area small businesses, chambers of commerce, media, or other key influencers who represent all or certain segments of your target audience. Armed with card stock, a paper cutter, and a high-quality color printer, you could
do this entirely yourself. If that's not your style, shop special print promotions. Look for "gang-run" print opportunities where you can have full-color postcards printed at sizeable discounts. If you have two or three specialty areas, consider getting several versions of your postcard printed. Commit to mailing 20 to 30 postcards a month to area business, civic, and professional organizations, libraries, etc. Tell them who you are, what's in it for them, and provide an easy response mechanism (phone or email).
6. USE EMAIL AUTO-RESPONDERS. If your Web host offers auto-responders (many do) set up 2 or 3 that contain articles you've written, a "Top 10" list, etc. Place a link on your site or in your email signature that readers can click to get an article for free. Everyone likes to get something for free (see #3 above)! Make sure your article is content-heavy and that you include your copyright, byline, and a brief 75-word or less bio with a link to your site. A plain text format is best to ensure compatibility with all email programs.
7. ASK FOR RECIPROCAL LINKS on the Web sites of colleagues, clients, associates. The more links "from" your site and "to" your site, the better your search engine ranking, and the greater likelihood of increased traffic through cross-referencing.
Undoubtedly there are many more low-cost, no-cost ideas you can devise and implement. The only limit is creativity and time! The key is to remember that marketing doesn't have to be expensive to be effective.
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Copyright (c) 2004 by Matt McGovern--All rights reserved.
About the Author
Matt McGovern combines a rare blend of creative and technical know-how with years of experience and a balanced and purposeful approach to life. He has authored and edited numerous books, e-books and e-zines. Get "Know-How" his free e-newsletter at www.700acres.com/pages/ad_archive.html or explore life, death and beyond with his novel, "CURRENTS-Every Life Leaves an Imprint" at www.MattMcGovern.com/books.html.
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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 |
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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 |
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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 ... |
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Marketing.org - Home of the Business Marketing Association |
Serves the professional, educational and career development needs of business-to-business marketers. |
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Welcome - American Marketing Association - www.marketingpower.com |
Dedicated to serving the educational and professional needs of marketing executives. |
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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 |
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Marketing Magazine - Marketing News - Brand Republic |
Marketing Magazine - Marketing News - Brand Republic. |
www.brandrepublic.com |
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Marketing (Canada) |
Offers a Canadian source of news and articles on marketing, advertising and media. |
www.marketingmag.ca |
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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 |
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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. |
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Sales Jobs / Marketing Jobs / Advertising Jobs - MarketingJobs.com |
Employment site for marketing and sales professionals. |
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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 |
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Marketing: See what people are saying right now on Technorati |
See all blog posts tagged with marketing on Technorati. |
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Marketing Profs - Marketing Concepts and Strategies: Expert ... |
Marketing knowhow from professionals. Newsletter, articles and how-to's. |
www.marketingprofs.com |
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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 |
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Business Marketing - Small Business Marketing |
Business marketing - Read everything your need to know about small business marketing. |
www.entrepreneur.com |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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