Last year my husband and I opened a small, seasonal business in this hard economy. Using most of our capital to get it going, we had little left over for advertising. In the process, we learned a lot about free marketing. Check out these practical tips.
Leverage Other Local Businesses
One of the best sources of driving business is referral. This can be created by networking with other local businesses in your area. It is as easy as walking in their business and meeting the staff and the owner. Let them know who you are and what you are doing or selling. Your aim is to create awareness. Local convenient stores or small grocers that have a lot of traffic will often get customers asking, things such as “Do you know where I can find ____.” These employees can’t make a referral unless they are aware of your name and location. And that is a simple, happy conversation. Make it a point to go to the busiest nearby businesses at different times so you are sure to personally touch each employee.
Also, no matter what you are selling or whatever service you are offering, offer it free to a local business for a one time shot. Then, they can refer you with confidence because they have experienced how great your product or service is. We work in the food industry and gave free samples out for weeks to all surrounding businesses. Personal testimony works and the employees enjoy getting things for free….we all do. They will not only endorse your product, but they will want to support you as a person because of your thoughtfulness or generosity.
Lastly, in working with other businesses, it might be a great call to ask them to post a flyer in their place of business for a long time or limited time. In exchange, do the same for them. Most businesses, particularly fellow small business owners, are open to shared networking ideas to increase revenue. It is a great place to start.
Use Family and Friends to Coupon Blitz
Enlisting the help of your family and friends is a sure way to saturate a lot of people in a short amount of time. Select a day or afternoon, where everyone will help. In exchange offer free lunch or an after party at your place. Family is usually willing to help and most have a few good friends they can rope into the cause.
Once you establish a time and place to meet, let everyone know your goal – human contact! Equip everyone with coupons or flyers and send them into an area of your community so there is no overlap. Encourage them to talk to people as opposed to leaving the flyer on a windshield or door. That personal interaction makes all the difference!
A couple of hours is about the most you should expect anyone to help for free without growing too weary, so seize that time. Send your help to highly populated areas of the community where there is a lot of foot traffic, and there is no soliciting violation. Also, consider your target customer. If your customer is children, pass the coupons out by a school or park. If it is baseball fans, go to a local ballpark, or stand outside the big stadium in town. Handing things out needs to have impact because paper costs, so does ink and/or printing.
Most people will accept a coupon out of courtesy and you never know how many will need the product or service…and be glad to know they can get it so close, now that you are open. In addition, many people like to be “in the know” and they will listen just to learn what’s going on.
Have your help keep the conversation short; including name, location and primary product. Encourage them to use exciting, descriptive words. And lastly, instruct them not to ask people if they would like a coupon, hand it to them and say, “Hi. I just wanted to share….” and extend their arm for someone to reach out and take whatever is being offered. Trust me, this helps “take rate.”
Best of all, you can gauge the success of your blitz by the coupons that come back. Remember, awareness is is much of the battle. People must know you are open and any way you can get that message out is a good thing. But, it is nice to validate your effort and coupons offer this affirmation that your work paid off.
Use the Internet
Forums
Wow, there are a lot of ways to use the internet to get the word out. For starters, if you are in an area that has a local forum or place many in the community go for local news and to learn “what’s going on,” be sure to get your post in! Let the online community know where you are located and your hours.
Facebook
Second, if you don’t use Facebook, you should if you own a small business. This is a way to shout out to 100’s and remind all your friends, or “friends of friends,” what you are up to and let them know you are open.
Email
Third, A grand opening email isn’t a bad idea at all. One email can be forwarded many times. So, send it to everyone you know and ask them to forward it on for you to at least five of their friends.
Craigslist
Use Craigslist to post a free ad in the proper category. Many use Craigslist to buy and sell, but the site offers categories to showcase goods and services, as well. A simple ad may take one minute to place. Be sure to post a picture of your staff, or establishment if you can. It would be a shame to miss any online “searcher” because they are searching for ads with images only (A common Craig list option.) You never know how many people you will reach. Even if it is one person, that is one person you may not have touched otherwise.
Signage
Some areas can be very restrictive on sign regulations, but most will tolerate a grand opening sign, or at the very least give you a warning prior to a fine. Place signs on every corner in a mile of your business. Signs will drive people to your door.
Even if you are in an area that will not allow a sign on the road or a tree, you may be surprised that they will let anyone hold a sign. Though not many people want to stand, it works and is totally worth the effort. Even if people drive on by, they now know you are open.
Recruit young teens and preteens. Most kids will do anything for a dollar, or a couple. So, think of the children you know. It may be your own kids, or nieces and nephews…neighborhood children work great, too! As long as your area is safe, or an adult is nearby…kids like to work and it teaches them the value of earning. – a lifetime lesson. So, make use of signs. It will help.
Free Samples
If you are going into the food industry, find a way to offer a small sample of whatever you are selling. In your busiest times, samples will lure visitors. People will rarely turn away free food. Your goal is to get them hooked, not offer a full serving. So make the sample bite size and you will have them coming back for more.
Your Customers: Your Lifeline
People definitely talk. When you start to get customers they will share whatever experience they have – in time. Be sure the experience is a great one and say, “You’ll have to tell people about us.” Give them the responsibility of sharing and if they had a great time, they will. Word of mouth is perhaps the biggest and best thing you can rely on. So make every moment with the customer matter. Make them feel special and important, be kind to their children, be patient with the elderly and smile, smile, smile. As the old saying goes, “smile and the whole world smiles with you..” (But perhaps even better, smile and your customer comes back!)
I hope each and every one of these tips – from local networking to savoring every minute of your customer interactions – work for you as well as they did for us. Good luck with your new business!
Reference:
- www.associatedcontent.com/article/2673143/making_the_most_out_of_downsizing_your.html
- www.associatedcontent.com/article/2669793/best_garage_sale_on_the_block.html?cat=7
- www.associatedcontent.com/article/2795134/feed_a_family_of_six_for_100_a_week.html?ca
