5 Easy Ways to Market Your Business

Too many small business owners think marketing is like a trip to the dentist — something you just have do every six months or so. But when marketing is continuous and targeted rather than occasional or sporadic, business gets easier. Ongoing marketing works when putting the right message in front of the right person at the right time.

Here are 5 ideas for doing that

Social Networking
Social networking is a marketing tool that spreads the buzz, spreads the love, and creates a sense of community. Participating in a social networking mix by sharing your experiences, help create that community and build trust with your customers. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace & LinkedIn allow a business to offer “friends” only discounts and promotions. As American Express is fond of saying, “Membership has its privileges.” so does social networking. Reward your friends and fans with gift basket promotions at the holidays, announce contest winners, promote new products, answer customer questions and more. It’s a great way to keep your business’s name in the forefront of their minds.

Other social networks are more niche related. Posting blogs, submitting articles or creating Hub pages are a way for a business owner to build credibility and share their expertise. They can work to drive customers to the gift basket retail site or they can be ways to develop a referral network for future customers. These types of articles and blogs help business owners establish a connection with consumers by providing trust that they are experts in their field. It is the difference between being a salesperson and a solutions provider.

Referral Clubs
Referral groups and the local chamber of commerce are great places to make professional contacts. Successful referral groups will focus their meetings on highlighting a members business and being a forum to help find solutions to current business needs. Referral groups are also useful to small business owners who often go it alone, in a small office or their own homes, and need advice from others that are in the same boat and may have encountered the same problems before.

The local chamber of commerce is another way to build a reputation in the local community. Many chambers sponsor monthly lunches, local trade shows, and provide members with ways to share their businesses with community members. Membership often adds some credence to a business and can be a plus to their marketing efforts. Particularly in the age of shopping online, sometimes having the endorsement of local community organization can make all the difference.

Newsletters
Email newsletters are a wonderful way to communicate and share information with past and current customers. By asking customers to opt into the newsletter at point of purchase or by offering them a discount for opting in, your email list is easily built and it is a wonderful touch point.

Having a monthly contest or promotion tied to the newsletter is equally helpful. Most customers will only be shopping when they need something, like a birthday gift or a wedding present. A newsletter sent monthly or when new and exciting products are available, can foster the potential for more sales and not just when someone is searching for the perfect basket. A newsletter will also continue to build and strengthen a business’s creditability with their current and past customer base.

It is important to note that newsletters should be used judiciously and sent only sporadically, or customers may begin to treat them like spam.

Trade Shows & Exhibitions
A trade show or exhibition is another way to strengthen not only your business connections, but also your customer base. These venues are like networking groups on a larger scale and often draw businesses from a larger geographic area. A wonderful perk of attending a trade show is industry professionals tend to visit other booths and business relationships often develop.

Just as with networking groups, trade shows are a chance to highlight your business and your expertise by just talking with other business owners. Many small business owners are passionate about shopping and support other passionate and savvy business owners. A trade show is like a cocktail party, minus the cocktails. Talk about yourself and your business, it is the perfect venue to toot your own horn and listen to what the other businesses are there to provide.

Internet Marketing
With the new generation of consumers, radio and magazine ads are not enough. Targeted online advertising can help find a whole new generation of consumer. Cross marketing is the name of the modern ad game. Try being creative with your ad dollars - consider posting ads for gift basket on wedding sites, real estate or baby sites, create fun and informative videos and post them on YouTube, submit your website to online directories, write a press release or post ads on Facebook or MySpace. Effective internet marketing can truly help reach a larger audience and increase your customer base.