Customer Surveys
By creating a survey for your customers to complete, you are actually taking
part in a free promotion and advertising opportunity that allows you not only to collect
information about what your customers think and want of your business and its
products or services, but you are also creating an interaction that maintains
the relationship with you beyond the initial point of sale. It will further
your relationship with each customer that completes the survey, securing your
brand and/or your message in his or her mind. Don’t forget to encourage the
customer to visit your website and share his or her email address so that he or
she will be able to view the results of the survey when you post them.
Email Marketing
Sending an email is one of the simplest forms of free promotion, as well as
one that allows you to reach a maximum number of people with a minimal amount of
effort. If you have a list of email addresses that have been collected from
individuals who have opted in to receive communications from you, then you have
the chance to send friendly reminders about upcoming sales, to provide discount
codes available uniquely to recipients of the emails, to offer updates about
your business or products, or to give useful tips that may complement a product
that has been purchased while suggesting additional products or services that
may allow the customer to increase the enjoyment from a previous purchase. It is
important to note that reputable free marketing and advertising does not include “spam”. This
will never leave a pleasant taste in the mouth of your recipients and will do
more harm than good for the reputation of your small business.
Social Media
Social media is a new and evolving form of free advertising that provides your
small business with the opportunity to engage your current and potential
customers and generate new leads. Social networking sites, such as Facebook,
allow you to use the principle of word-of-mouth, but with the speed, ease, and
efficacy of the digital online age. Spread the word by way of social networking
posts, or build a “like” button into your website or sales page, so that site
visitors are only a click away from sharing your message with all of their
online friends.
Ask Customers for References and Testimonials
Obtaining references and testimonials works as a form of effective advertising
and free promotion in two
very important ways. The first is that it shows prospective future customers
that other people just like them have been satisfied with what your business has
to offer. The second is that it creates a sense of loyalty among the customers
who are providing the kind words. It encourages them to think over their
positive experience in as they put it into words and it leads them to think of
your business first the next time they will be purchasing something that you
have to offer.
Newsletters
An online newsletter is an effective form of free marketing because it allows
you to provide your customers with news and information about your industry and
your products so that they will begin to see your small business as an expert
within that industry. A newsletter also provides a regular reminder of your
company so that your brand will be the first one that comes to mind when you
product is needed.
Local Events and Organizations
If there are local events and organizations that are related to your target
market, get out and support them. Whether this means attending a little league
game, helping to plant trees, or taking part in a community cleanup by picking
up garbage, you have the opportunity to talk about your small business, share
business cards, or even simply wear a t-shirt with your logo and website printed
on it.
Add an FAQ Page to Your Website
Even if your website is highly informative, an FAQ page can actually provide a
surprising amount of free advertising. This is because many visitors to your
site are there to discover a specific piece of information. When they see an
FAQ option, they will instantly click it to dive right into the information they
are seeking, bypassing everything else on the site. But this doesn’t have to
mean that they will miss your brand and message. Simply work it into your FAQ
answers, expressing all of the benefits of what your business has to offer and
how easy it is to make a purchase.
These are only
a few of the free marketing and advertising ideas available to your small business, but by
taking advantage of even a handful of them, you will be giving your brand
awareness and company message a significant boost in exposure
.
