Small Business Marketing Magic
by: Bonnie Jo Davis
Once upon a time, in 1969, there was a young woman who had a
dream of starting her own company. She had ideas, talent and
work ethic to spare but what she didn't have was cash. After
careful research she found that marketing would cost more than
all the other aspects of her business combined. Out came the
credit cards, family loans and savings. After a few months the
woman realized that she had mortgaged her future to the hilt and
she still couldn't make enough money to buy her way out of debt.
Sadly, she closed up shop and went back to a job she hated at an
uncaring corporation.
Fast-forward thirty years and meet a young man working at an
insurance company who dreamed of starting his own small business
as a financial planner. He had the education and experience but
what he didn't have was cash. The year is 1999 and after a few
weeks of research the young man realized that marketing and
promotion were vital to the success of his business. However,
the young man knew about a magical method of promotion that
wasn't available to the young woman in 1969. What was the
magical method he used to start his business part-time and build
it into a full-time thriving practice after six months? The
answer, of course, is the internet!
It's true that the internet seems like a capricious magician
that selectively waves a magic wand over some small businesses.
However, the reasons for this became glaringly clear to the
young man after he completed his research. He discovered that
success is garnered by avoiding scams such as "business
opportunities" that seem too good to be true. In addition to
hard work and patience he stayed away from spam, Free For All
Links (FFAs), pyramid schemes, network marketing, sweepstakes
and investment fraud. He used http://www.scambusters.org to
avoid anything that remotely resembled a scam.
The young man developed a marketing plan focusing on the
internet and after six months he found the following free or
nearly free strategies worked best:
Press Releases - Particularly helpful if the release is tied to
an upcoming holiday or a recent event.
Creating Content - Offering articles and case studies is by far
the most reliable way to find clients and brand yourself as an
expert in your field.
Book Reviews - Some on-line books stores like Amazon.com allow
you to post reviews of books you've read. These reviews will be
tied to an "About Me" page that can include information about
you and your business and your URL.
Forums - Joining forums that cover your area of expertise is a
good move. Help people by answering questions about your topic
and include your URL in your signature.
Testimonials - Wise marketers ask every existing client for
testimonials to be used on their website and/or printed
marketing material.
Newsletters - Keeping in touch with customers and prospects with
an on-line e-zine is a good way to build a steady stream of
loyal clients.
Teleseminars - A small investment in a bridge line allows a
group of people to sign up for a free or fee based seminar on
your area of expertise.
Referrals - Proactively asking clients for referrals works
better if they are offered a discount on products or services in
return.
Solo E-zine Ads - Solo ads are an advertisement or article sent
by itself to a list of newsletter readers. Many solo ads are
competitively priced and offer a generous amount of room for
your message.
The young man learned a lesson that we can all appreciate.
There is no "get rich quick schemes" that work on or off-line.
The only way to prosper hasn't changed over time... build client
relationships with hard work and excellent customer service.
Cultivate patience and find your own internet magic by following
in the footsteps of the young man.
(c) 2005, Davis Virtual Assistance. All rights in all media
reserved.
Bonnie Jo Davis is a Virtual Assistant and Publications
Coordinator. She has been using her favorite marketing
technique, article submissions, for herself and her clients for
over ten years with great success. Let Bonnie teach you what
she has learned and you too can profit from her experience.
Visit http://www.ArticleSubmissionSites.com for more information
today!
Disclaimer: The information presented and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors
and do not necessarily represent the views of Work-at-Home-Business.com and/or its partners.
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