Home: Message List - Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession

Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession

CommunityTeam — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:43:10 GMT

Janine thank you for taking the time to share your expertise today. Community if you would like to market your business smarter, for more information please visit Tivoli Partners at www.tivolipartners.com

Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession

jrtivoli — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:04:29 GMT

You sound like a talented and creative individual. Here are a few suggestions:
Be creative and resourceful. For instance, social media – Facebook and Twitter – have become great free tools for getting your message out. For example, you can easily set up a Facebook Page (not to be
mistaken with a Facebook Profile) using the available applications to create a
viral presence. Ask your friends to help you spread the word virally through these online social media tools.
Also consider using traditional methods as well as Linked In and other online services to locate event planners, local bakeries and caterers to organically grow your business.
Get out there in the community - offer free samplings at charity races, farmers markets or other events to spread the word about your product.
Consider offering a rewards program to your loyal customers - like buy 6 loaves get the 7th free.
Good luck to you!

Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession

jrtivoli — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:57:29 GMT

My best advice to you is to ask your customers! Staying close to your customers, while always important, is even more so during tough times. Since it cost 5 -10 times more to get a new customer than to retain one, now is the time to focus on your existing customer experience. There are several ways to do this:
*Use an online service to conduct a survey to both previous and current customers. Be sure to offer an incentive for participating (free class, water bottle etc).
*Have an open comment box where your clients can give you open honest feedback every day.
*When someone calls to cancel, be sure to ask why they are leaving and be prepared to take the good with the bad. If you know the reason, you can better address it (offering a finance plan, discount if customer is laid off until they are re-employed, shorter class options, etc)
*Ask your existing clients to be your advocate. Offer then an incentive for bringing in new friends or old clients who have left.
*Get out in the community to publicize your name and services - offer to speak at local churches and schools on health and wellness, volunteer to host a Girls on the Run site etc.
*In your marketing and sales materials, be sure to focus on why in tough times it is more and important for your clients to focus on their most important asset, their health. Let your customers know you care in your everyday actions and this should come back to you!

Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession

doughboy — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:00:37 GMT

During the day I'm a pattern maker for a large fashion house. By night & weekends I practice my true passion - baking artisan bread. Word quickly spread, first through my apartment building, and then with my network of friends that I was baking bread. Soon enough I'm lugging over 15 pounds of floor to my NY apartment and whipping out over 10 loaves of bread a night and can't even fill all the requests I'm getting in.

I'd like to save enough money to open a bread shop. Need to keep my day job right now, but want to increase my part time bread making business. Any low cost marketing suggestions?

Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession

jrtivoli — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:47:22 GMT

Get connected! Use sites like Linked In to utilize your
own contacts to introduce you to property managers. You can easily search people
on Linked In in your area with �property manager� or �property management� in
their profile. You�ll be surprised at how quickly you build a
network.

Check your local paper or Business Journal for news
about new properties or property managers coming to
town.

Use your existing client base as a source of referrals
to property managers. Existing customers who are pleased with your work will be
your best asset. Consider offering a referral fee for good
leads.

Have you looked into a mail list of property managers in
your area? There are many lists available through list brokers. If you purchase
a list, I would recommend you investigate creating a simple oversized postcard
(10� x 6�) that highlights your services and directs them to call you or visit
the Web site. Perhaps even a discount to try your
services?

If you have a web site, be sure to include this target
market of property managers in your company�s description of services. Be sure
to include key words such as Property Managers, property management resource,
etc.

Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession

jrtivoli — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:43:30 GMT

It is true that many consumers are cutting back on non-essentials such as antiques and home furnishings. Have you actively reached out to the Interior Design community?
Perhaps stage an open house specifically for the trade. We would recommend buying a list of Interior Designers in a 60 mile radius and trying an announcement postcard about your store. You should also be considering Social Media - Facebook, Twitter and Linked In - both to create a buzz about the store and to build your network of loyal customers.Don't forget to use your existing customers as advocates - ask them to reach out to friends and coworkers to tell them about the store. Consider offering a discount to customers who bring in friends or coworkers. Lastly consider targeted advertising in select pubs to draw in traffic

Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession

jrtivoli — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:45:30 GMT

No doubt - non-profits have been hit hard by the
recession. Here are a few ideas to consider:

*Investigate partnerships with other non-profits. Could
you share physical, resources, ideas and expertise?

*Bottom line � in hard times, you are going to have to
ask more often. Keep marketing and asking for donations. In your materials, be
sure to boldly define that you are doing something important and especially now
need their support.

*Help your corporate donors redefine donation. With
donors forced to rein in spending, pursue other �gifts� they could contribute.
For example, are there unsold products or excess inventory that could be
donated? Unused tickets to local baseball games donated to a homeless children�s
group, home improvement store partnering with environmental energy conservation
group to share trade show booth space, shopping mall opens early so that a
Senior
Center can walk in safety
and warmth.

*Be creative and resourceful. For instance, social media
� Facebook,Twitter and Linked In � have become great free tools for getting your
message out and even raising money. For example, you can easily set up a
Facebook Page (not to be mistaken with a Facebook Profile) using the available
applications to create a viral presence. The Causes application even allows you
to raise money for your organization.

Have you looked into GoodSearch � a search engine that
donates money to causes based on how often people search? Be sure to post a link
to GoodSearch on your web site and Facebook page to let your supporters know
about it.

*Reinvigorate your communication channels � get out
there and speak to local churches, associations, groups, papers, publications
etc.

Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession

jrtivoli — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:46:29 GMT

We would recommend that you not undercut pricing during
a recession �this is a common mistake that small businesses make during hard
times. Instead, make sure that your sales and marketing materials clearly
outline the value your service brings to the table � especially in these
economic times. It is important that you set yourself apart from the competition
and offer added value that your competitors do not. You want your clients to
focus on the value you offer not cost. Your clients aren�t buying something �
they are buying into a great relationship with you!

In general, we are firm believers in integrated
marketing campaigns � meaning you utilize complementary channels to get your
message across to your target audience. Direct mail is quite effective �
provided your message, offer and targeting are in line. Many of our clients lead
with direct mail then follow with email marketing or a phone call. You should
always give responders the option to call or visit your web site for more
details.

Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession

jrtivoli — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:44:49 GMT

Congratulations on your new product! It would definitely
be helpful to know more about the product because the development of effective
marketing strategies are contingent about many factors. Questions I have
are:

Is the product marketed business to business or business
to consumer? Tell me a little more about the target
market.

What are the product’s unique and competitive
advantages?

Are you first in the market with this
product?

Is the product competitively
priced?

Are you already selling a similar product line? Are
existing customers good prospects for this new
product?

With that said, in general, we are firm believers in
integrated marketing campaigns – meaning you utilize complementary channels to
get your message across to your target audience. Direct mail is definitely not
“overrated” and in fact remains quite effective – provided your message, offer
and targeting are in line. Many of our clients lead with direct mail then follow
with email marketing or a phone call. You should always give responders the
option to call or visit your web site for more details.

Re: Event Apr. 14: Market your business smarter in a recession

fitnessclub — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:57:34 GMT

I've been running a fitness studio and have no problem getting customers to sign up, but keeping them is another story. New customers drop out within 3 months on average. I don't understand why? I've asked a few of my regulars why they think people leave and they've offered up many different type of solutions - monthly fee too high ($120 for unlimited classes), workouts too long (classes are 2 hours), workouts are too challenging for a novice. With summer approaching it's a good time to start thinking about a new marketing campaign but I realize that I have bigger problems - keeping my customers. How do I find out why my customers are leaving?