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Whether your company is still feeling the pinch of these brutal (and frankly confusing) economical conditions, or whether there are personal factors affecting your bottom line, one thing is certain: to succeed in business you have to keep on marketing.

Don’t market your products or services . . . and your business will fail. And that goes for ANY business in ANY economy.

Here are five low-cost ‘no-brainer’ marketing tools you can use right now to help break out of a sales slump and boost your revenue — and therefore your staying power. In fact, it’s a strategy that has been proven to work irrespective of which direction the economy is heading.

1. Reactivate ‘Stale’ Clients

It’s a well-known fact that it is 5-7 times more expensive to acquire a new client (or customer) than it is to get a repeat sale from an existing or even ex client. Yet still, business-owners are all too often so busy chasing new clients that they completely overlook what they already have: a gold mine of neglected sales. And even if they don’t ignore their former clients, most companies never properly implement or even consider a follow-up strategy.

There are numerous ways to  ‘mine’ lapsed clients. Here is one of the quickest and perhaps easiest methods:

Simply pick up the phone (or write to them, if you prefer) and ask how thing are going. Apologise for it being a while since you last were in contact. Check how they’re doing, and what’s going on with their business, etc.

The purpose of the call is NOT to sell your new product or ask for more work, but rather to remind them that you exist. You’ll be surprised how many ’stagnant’ clients will say, “Hey, while you’re here, I’ve got a need for…”

Don’t feel like contacting them? No problem! But you can be sure that when you are not talking to your former clients on a regular basis, your competition will be.

2. Have a Referral System

You’re probably like a lot of people; you think that as long as you do a good job, then you’ll get recommended. Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but that doesn’t quite cut the mustard. Sure, you’re bound to receive a few referrals here and there, but to really leverage your good work, you have got to be more proactive and have a referral system in place.

The next time you finish a job (or deliver a great product) — and each time after that — pick up the phone or email your client and ask for a referral. (I know this can be hard, but the more frequently you do it, the easier it can get.) However, don’t use the R word itself: for many people the word “referral’ has negative connotations. Instead, simply ask, “Who else do you know that would be interested in my services/product?”

Another great way of generating more referral business is to give an incentive to compel customers to happily provide their friends and colleagues’ names and addresses to you. A gift certificate or a discount on future orders are two popular incentives.

It’s a good idea to personally thank people when they recommend you. They are more likely to remember your gesture, and will acknowledge the weight the referral carries. I usually send a thank-you note and a small gift.

3. Leverage F.R.E.E. Publicity

It’s difficult to beat public relations as a marketing tool. It’s free, believable (when your story is published in a newspaper, for example), gets you noticed, helps spread the word about you or your company, helps establish your identity, gives credibility and, best of all, it can generate quality leads.

Journalists and news reporters are always looking for good stories. So commit to writing at least one press release every month or so, and aim to get it published in places where your target audience is likely to see it (or hear it, if it’s a radio station). Sooner or later, your release will be picked up, and then it’s “Bingo” all the way!

The trick with getting your media release into newspapers, magazines, and television and radio stations is to make sure they’re newsworthy or at least have an interesting hook, write a compelling headline that sums up the story AND grabs the reader’s attention in as few words as possible, use active verbs and stick to facts (no fluff allowed in the domain of news releases).

4. Hold a Prize Drawing

A great way to get noticed and generate new leads is to host a sweepstake or contest, with a prize that hits your ideal customer’s ‘hot buttons’. Make it desirable enough that people will play again and again, or invite others to play. Promotional materials such as T-shirts, mugs, bags or pens inscribed with your logo and web URL also help spread the word.

5. Give Something Back

Finally, be charitable. Sponsor an event — a local photography competition, for example — or a youth sports team (you could provide T-shirts for them with your logo on the back, for instance), or team up with one of your local charities and help with fund raising. All of these are terrific ways to position your company in a positive light in your community.

Variety is the Key

So whether you are suffering from a seasonal downturn in business or are feeling the consequences of the larger global economic meltdown, don’t let these valuable opportunities pass you by. Get going with one new tactic today and introduce another every month or so, if that’s what it takes. Just make a start! Your business will thank you for it in the long run.

By Tracey Dooley, Creative Consultant | PR Doctor | Marketing & Alliance Strategist

If you want to learn how to systematically implement a simple-yet-powerful reactivation strategy that adds 10-30% to your business profits with little time, money or effort on your part, and at absolutely no risk to you, then please get in touch for your no-obligation complimentary consultation by visiting my sister site: www.traceydooley.com

Please be aware that I am offering this service to just one company at this time. This company will learn just how easy it is to implement — and execute — this sustainable 2-step profit technique . . . and it WILL gain an incomparable competitive advantage. All places are on a first-come, first-served basis.

(Why struggle needlessly when you can get expert affordable mentoring and have fun attracting clients easily?) 

(C) 2009-2011 T Dooley, All Rights Reserved

Want to use this article (or any article, tip or post on this blog) on your website, blog, a message board or in an ezine? Not a problem! But please give credit where it’s due. You MUST include copyright info above, along with the following:

Tracey Dooley is a freelance copywriter, editor and marketer. She has spent 18 years crafting compelling concepts and copy that successfully sell, inform, educate or entertains. Her expertise runs across many different sectors and her client list includes marketing agencies, a leading supplier of personal computers, semi-conductors and telecommunications equipment and the UK’s largest TV and interactive production company. =====>  www.mediaminister.co.uk.

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One day it’s pay-per-click (PPC) advertising . . . the next it’s Social Media . . . then it’s a new variation on SEO (search engine optimisation) . . . and the list goes on. While these tools can help a business, not one has proven to be the ‘magic bullet’ to catapult your business to success and really set you apart from the competition.

However, there is a single, often-overlooked tool that can and does.

Many top business-owners and marketers from around the world use it. It has the power to make everything you do for your own business work better — from product launches right through to traffic strategies to customer service.

By disregarding this tool, you run the risk of letting your competition take full advantage of it . . . and so accede to them not only getting better results from ANY marketing technique or strategy they use, but also gain a significantly better market share than you.

So what is this essential business tool?

Copywriting.

“Yes, but I already know how to write,” you’re thinking. That’s great. But while we can all ‘write’, copywriting involves SO much more than simply penning a few well-crafted words. Before she or he writes, a good copywriter will spend a considerable amount of time researching the intended audience. They’ll make sure they understand buyer behaviour and how to craft your message in such a way that it really makes a splash.

The Key to Your Success — Online or Offline

Good copywriting can make confusing policies crystal clear. It can keep inter-company communications running smoothly through the careful use of words. And it can build relationships, be positively persuasive and ethically ’sell’ a company’s products or services.

In short, it is the MESSAGE that you present to your target market — at every stage of the sales process. And, as any top author, business-owner or marketing expert knows, WHAT you say and HOW you communicate with your prospect means everything to your business.

Considering Cost Effectiveness

The problem is that most entrepreneurs and SMEs lack either the time to do justice to their ‘business words’ or they lack the necessary skill sets in order to communicate their company’s message effectively.

There is no doubt that copywriting is labour-intensive and time-consuming. Let’s say you’re a small business-owner and you’re spending at least several days per week writing the copy for your sales letters or your blog posts. How much money could you have earned in that time? Would your business suffer more or less by continuing to write your own copy when you have one-hundred-and-one other things you need to do, as opposed to hiring a copywriter to take care of it for you?

No Short Cuts, Now, Please!

Okay, so let’s assume you have the time and you don’t mind that hiring outside will probably save you a lot more than your time is worth. You can always learn to master copywriting yourself through an assortment of educational tools.

What you need to do here is make sure you ALWAYS carefully choose the right words for the right audience and in the right context. If you don’t adequately explain how you differ from your competition . . . If you can’t convey all the relevant benefits you bring to your prospect . . . or the credibility you have . . . or you don’t know what response triggers to use . . . and more, then you are putting a very low ceiling on your overall business growth.

So don’t be tempted to cut costs or give short shrift to copy development. Instead, make sure you are doing everything possible to optimise the performance of the words you use for the benefit of your company. Believe me, your business will thank you for it.

By Tracey Dooley, Creative Consultant | PR Doctor | Marketing & Alliance Strategist

Better Writing Skills 101 — Write Your Way to Blockbuster Results and BOOST Business to Boot explains the ins and outs of good, effective business writing and shows you how to work within the ‘rules’ (or, indeed, when to break them) to write persuasive or professional emails, letters, brochures and more that are clear, convincing and make an impact. Find out more here:

http://bit.ly/BizWriting101

(C) 2010 T Dooley, All Rights Reserved 

Want to use this article (or any other entry on this blog) on your website, blog, a message board or in an ezine? Not a problem! But please give credit where it’s due. You MUST include the following:

Tracey Dooley of MediaMinister (www.mediaminister.co.uk) is an experienced copywriter, editor and marketer. She has spent 18 years crafting compelling concepts and copy that successfully sell, inform, educate or entertains. =====>  www.mediaminister.co.uk.

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The following article is one that I first wrote last year for my ezine subscribers, but is as relevant now as it was then.  So I thought I’d post it here. I hope you enjoy it!

.    .    .

As the decade draws to an end, every publisher and producer is turning their head towards the “top ten of ” … well, everything, it seems — films, books, TV shows, gadgets, it all makes for a good top ten list. Everything, it seems, but the top ten marketing insights for business.

So here are my top ten for 2010. They come from some of the insights I’ve had or come across about marketing to date that I believe will still be just as influential for your business in 2010.

1. Social Media

Hoping to become firm favourites with their target audiences, a lot of brands jumped on the LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter bandwagon that rolled in and has since dominated cyberspace over the past few years. The problem is, despite their keenness and swiftness, they really didn’t invest enough time or resources to leverage either one. Worse, some businesses chose to ignore social media altogether. Big mistakes…

For these Web 2.0 tools are here to stay — at least until they’re replaced by Web 3.0 or something even more sophisticated. With that in mind, savvy marketers will make the most of them by building direct relationships and developing conversations with the very people they want to reach. Not only that, they will make sure they are being as authentic and credible as possible by being prepared to listen, share information or valuable resources and respond fairly quickly.

Further reading: “Reach a Wider Audience With Less Effort” – http://bit.ly/4BLXkA

2. Joint Ventures

One of the best ways to market a business — especially if you’re just starting out — is to set up joint ventures (JVs). This is where you partner with other businesses to sell your services or products to their customers or prospects.

There are two main ways of doing JVs: a) let your JV partners introduce what you’re selling to their customers for a set price, or, b) let them join your affiliate programme and earn commission for each service or product sold through them.

(PS Tried-and-tested JV Programme coming in 2010)

3. Honesty

Over recent years, there have been more and more ‘tell-all’ consumer-created TV shows and websites, thus signalling a new era of honesty and transparency.

By being authentic in everything you do or say, always delivering what you promise, being upfront about the small print and being as genuine and good to your word as you can, your customers are more likely to sing your praises, rather than badmouth you. Therefore, your reputation will grow and so will your market share. And, as Comcast found out, honesty can even transform a PR nightmare into an industry-leading customer service.

Further reading: http://comcastmustdie.com

http://twitter.com/comcastcares

4. The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

A lot of freelancers, entrepreneurs and businesses don’t have a system for determining which prospects would turn out to be good clients and which ones would not.  Others simply cast their net too wide. Rather than focusing on a niche or core client base, they are trying to be everything to everyone. This kind of marketing hardly ever works in your favour.

If clients are less than ideal, chances are they will end up draining your energy, productivity and overall enjoyment. So set up a system for recognising the warning signs of ‘toxic clients’ — it will save you time, energy and resources in the long run.

Further reading: “Engage the ‘Right’ Clients & Watch Your Business Grow” – http://bit.ly/8sGPDb

“Stop Working With Deadbeats! Attract IDEAL Clients & Knock Out The Competition Instead” toolkit — http://mediaminister.co.uk/products.htm

5. It’s Not What You Sell it’s the Way that You Sell It

How a business sells to consumers is just as important as what is being sold — indeed, it is more significant than ever before.

With today’s consumer more firmly in the purchasing driving seat, advertisers and marketers alike are having to change the way they communicate their message.

What sets apart a business in today’s shifting landscape boils down to one thing: Does the marketing message identify and appeal to customer ‘hot buttons’? That is, is what you are saying likely to trigger your prospect’s hidden psychological buying triggers?

You have to truly understand your target market. You need to know what makes them tick … what makes them buy. And then you use proven methods to ethically turn casual browsers into qualified leads and buyers.

Further reading: “From Cold to Hot - How ‘Buttons’ Can Drive Up Sales Like Nothing Else” – http://bit.ly/75mVvf

TO BE CONTINUED … Catch Part 2 in the next Issue!

By Tracey Dooley, Creative Consultant | PR Doctor | Marketing & Alliance Strategist

Psssst . . .  Not sure where to start? As well as offering worksheets and home-study tools, I can give you profit-multiplying advice and pointers on things you can do straight away to attract new business with my Powerfully Effective Marketing sessions. 

(Why struggle needlessly when you can get expert affordable mentoring and have fun attracting clients easily?) 

(C) 2009 T Dooley, All Rights Reserved 

Want to use this article on your website, blog, a message board or in an ezine? Not a problem! But please give credit where it’s due. You MUST include the following:

Tracey Dooley of MediaMinister (www.mediaminister.co.uk) is an experienced copywriter, editor and marketer. She has spent 18 years crafting compelling concepts and copy that successfully sell, inform, educate or entertains. =====> To receive your F.R.E.E. Audio CD  and sign up for her freebie business-building tips, marketing and publicity pointers, visit www.mediaminister.co.uk.

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People do business with people (or ‘brands’) they like and trust, and social media provides the bridge between companies and consumers. But what are the other compelling reasons for using social media? Here are the top 10:

1. It allows you to reach your target market by simply engaging in the right conversations with the right people. This can be much more effective (and a heck of a lot cheaper) than advertising.

2. You can create and build relationships with people who might not otherwise know about your products or services.

3. At least half of Facebook and Twitter users admit to being more likely to do business with a brand that uses social media than one that doesn’t.

4. You can drive high-quality traffic to your homepage/blog/other online sites via call-to-actions, and SEO (the Google search engine loves Twitter updates.

5. It allows you to learn more about, and tap into the wisdom of, your market — which ultimately leads to better positioning and therefore sales.

6. You can listen AND respond to what’s being said about your business (and your competition).

7. Social media allows people to gain a better insight into the company persona - it makes you ‘real’ to consumers.

8. It’s a tool that your ‘fans’ can use to spread positive word of mouth about you.

9. Offering help and advice related to your area of expertise/your products in a spontaneous fashion gives you authority.

10. Because your customers and competitors are using it.

Originally published in the newsletter, Communiqué for Success!

Copyright, T L Dooley. All Rights Reserved.

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Fellow blogger Brad McCarty has a very interesting and useful post on social media, sparked by TWiT’s Leo Laporte anti-social media rant. It’s worth a read, especially if you are a fan of social media, as Brad defends its corner in a tight way.

But I think his last sentence is the key: “It’s your time, so spend it how you choose.”

Social media will work for the right people in the right circumstances, but there’s no denying that it can take time. Not just in terms of learning as much as possible about how to use each social media outlet, but also taking the time to ‘know’ your audience and give them what they want as well as work out how best to deliver it via social networking.

Moreover, I think it’s worth asking yourself what you want to get out of social media. Far too often, people jump on the bandwagon that’s carrying the latest craze without stopping to work out WHY they’re joining up in the first place.

So, if someone were to ask you what you want to get out of social media, would you know instantly?

Once you are clean on your objectives, then surely you are better placed to come up with a strategy for a better return on your investment … of time.

What do you think — is it time to re-think your own approach to social media?

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Despite the official end to the recession, the UK’s economy is still wavering and the immediate future looks anything BUT bright. So it’s little wonder if you’re feeling like most people in business; looking over your shoulder, wondering if you’re next in line to lose your job. If you own a business, then it’s likely you’re worried about the latest ’sales slump’. One thing is for sure; you can’t afford to be complacent right now. You absolutely MUST continue to market … perhaps more aggressively than ever before. (See my blog post, Business Survival Tools: Don’t Get Left Behind: http://TwitPWR.com/au6/)

The lead article in MediaMinister’s latest newsletter, Communiqué for Success, shows you how you can promote yourself in new, creative and low-cost (or F.R.E.E.) ways to bring customers through the door in ANY economy.

To read the full article and gain *hidden links* to recent CfS newsletter editions, you’ll have to become a subscriber. (That’s a good thing, by the way, or so CfS readers tell me!) As well as being FREE, you’ll receive a business-building report and audio CD that can dramatically improve sales simply for signing up and trying it out.

Subscribe here.

(You can unsubscribe at any time, and I NEVER abuse my subscriber’s email address. Your details are safe with me.)

Recent CfS newsletter issues cover:

Subscribe here.

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According to internet marketing master Marlon Sanders, the top six ways to drive traffic to your websites are:

1. Getting affiliates to promote your products to their lists.
2. Article marketing — see http://bit.ly/9eMN3j and http://bit.ly/9KpIfn for more information.
3. Buying ads in other people’s ezines.
4. Search engine optimisation (SEO) — to generate more organic traffic.
5. Google Ad Words — and other pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.
6. Banner advertising — once dismissed, now making a comeback.

Here are a few others you might want to try: joint ventures (JVs) … co-registration … social media/networking … PR … postcard marketing … blogging.

Source: Bob Bly email, 1/7/09

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When I used to work at the largest consumer-magazine publishers in the UK, the one thing that used to really grind away at the section editors was time-wasters. Specifically, people who would send in long, meandering, non-newsworthy or just totally unfocussed press releases. Rather than try to make sense of the tens of releases like this they would receive each day, they simply went into the ‘reject’ pile…

So if you truly wish your release to stand out and make sure it has a future, take note of the the ‘press release wish-list’:

1. Do your homework. Get to know your editor’s audience, and make your release appeal to that audience. How? By studying at least several of the latest issues of the publication in question.
2. Make sure you have something newsworthy to say. Although it sounds obvious, you’d be surprised to learn of just how many releases I saw that did not make this crucial grade.
3. Place your news at the beginning of the release, preferably in the headline or at the very least in the opening sentence.
4. Provide nuggets of information the scream “must be interviewed”. Be fresh, be original.
5. Include a short yet compelling bio (aka boilerplate) at the foot of your release. Ideally, your USP, or point of difference, should be here, too.
6. Finally, proofread your release for errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar. On the magazines I mentioned earlier, if we spotted more than one error in the first paragraph, we’d throw the release in the bin (unless it was a REALLY great story). If people couldn’t take their work seriously, why should we have?

Need more structured help in finding the right story angle, hook, even publications for your release? Powerhouse Publicity – How to Profit from the Media and Get FREE Publicity is a step-by-step system offering ‘tried-tested-and-proven’ techniques that, when followed, can give you the tools to publicise you, your company, your product or service! It’s packed with facts and tips that you can start applying straight away, too.

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The lead article in MediaMinister’s latest newsletter, Communiqué for Success, shows you how to get the ‘X factor’ for your business and ensure that YOUR products or services stay in demand. To read, please sign up first. (You can unsubscribe at any time, and I NEVER abuse my subscriber’s email address. Your details are safe with me.)

Subscribe here.

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If you’re about to pitch a news item or a article idea to a newspaper or magazine editor, then you really need to stand out from the crowd. Journalists are tired of seeing the same old stories. So aim for the offbeat and more unusual angles. Just a small ‘twist’ on an otherwise ‘everyday’ idea can be enough. For example, if you’re a fitness coach, try sending out a list of the “Seven Worst Things You Can Do While Exercising”, instead of the seven best.

(Originally published in Communiqué for Success, a bi-weekly newsletter published by MediaMinister. Subscribe here for your free copy and business-building gifts.)

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