Take Advantage of Every Opportunity to Practice Effective Marketing
February 15, 2010
So you have an opportunity to showcase your business for FREE. Maybe it’s a tabletop display at a networking event or a new member table at a Chamber of Commerce mixer. What are you going to do with it? The biggest mistake you can make is to do nothing. 
But you think it’s a big hassle and you won’t sell anything anyway. Well, I have great news for you – you’re probably not going to sell a single thing; your job is not to sell- your job is merely to collect information. Now doesn’t that take the pressure off?
Although it would be nice to sell something every time we come in contact with people – that’s just not reality; and since most of us live in reality, we have to resort to Marketing. Instead of thinking a display table or booth is a big hassle and you won’t sell anything anyway, think of it as an opportunity to collect information – to build your email list. Building an email list full of people who have said, “yes, I want to receive more information from you, because the information you are offering is interesting, educational, and fun to read” is crucial to an effective marketing strategy.
Build your list by collecting cards. You can do this by giving away a free report, a free consultation, or even have a drawing for a Starbucks gift card. You can make a little inexpensive sign and put a fishbowl on your table inviting people to drop their cards for a chance to win and to be signed up for your newsletter, monthly tips emails, special offers ,etc. Offer a demo of your products or services, or simply ask the people you meet if they would like to receive your very educational and informative newsletter.
Whatever you do, don’t waste an opportunity to showcase your business, collect information and build your “know, like and trust factor”. Please click here to leave your comments.
5 Easy Ways to Build Your Small Business Email List
December 27, 2009
Congratulations! Your New Year’s resolution is to get serious about marketing your small business. 
And you’ve been reading my blogs, so you know that email marketing is a fun, effective and inexpensive way to do it. So now you’re tasked with building your email list. Where do you start? Here are 5 tips to get you started.
1. Put a Guest Book in your store, office and/or on your website and ask people to sign it. Put a space for their email address with the message, “Would you like to receive offers and special members-only discounts from us? Join our mailing list!”
2. When you are networking and people hand you their business card ASK if they want to be included in your newsletter and/or special offers email list. Don’t put everyone who hands you a business card on your email list – believe it or not, that’s illegal.
3. Give something away for free. Either in your store, office or on your site; offer a free report, a free gift, a free session, for example. It can be a raffle or something you give to everyone who signs up (if you do this, make it easy and inexpensive, a white paper is perfect). It doesn’t have to be much, something educational, like a report or a free consultation – or anything a client or potential client will consider valuable and useful. Make it clear that when they agree to enter the drawing they will also be agreeing to receive emails from you.
4. Put an opt in form on your website and Facebook page to sign up for a newsletter or special “members only” events and offers and drive traffic to it in your email signature, business card, signs in your office or store and in your social media accounts like Twitter.
5. Go through your outlook list or rolodex and contact each person one by one, asking for permission stay in touch via email more often. You can let them know that you publish a newsletter or send out special members only deals and you would hate for them to miss out.
Remember – as a small business, there are laws governing email. No matter how tempting it may be, never add people to your list who did not give you permission. Not only is it unprofessional and impolite it’s illegal.
If you have any questions about email marketing, list building or marketing in general, we’re here to help. Don’t hesitate to contact us at info@FortuneMarketingCompany.com
Please click here to leave your comments.
Happy New Year!
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+Carolyn Higgins, President of Fortune Marketing Company
- Carolyn Higgins, President of Fortune Marketing Company specializes in helping small to medium sized businesses get the customers they need to sell more, increase profits and achieve all of their business and personal goals. We do this by implementing and managing marketing systems based on data and strategy - there is no guess work. For more information visit us at: FortuneMarketingCompany.com. We'd be glad to help!
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