We both know marketing needs to be straightforward, measureable and cost effective for small – medium sized businesses. During busy times (which is always!) and times when finances are stretched (which is always!) Marketing can be something that gets pushed to the side. This creates a cycle though. It’s these times that successful marketing can grow your business and customer base and create a more stable and flexible environment. The times you are most likely to ignore marketing is often the best time for it. How do you find the time for quick marketing? We’ve put together the following marketing ideas that are next to free and can be slotted into your everyday functions.

Be careful of carrying on with business as usual this year. Don’t just carry on, especially if that’s what you’ve been doing for a while now. So set aside a small portion of time and money follow these easy tips to get fresh business and to thrive rather than just carry on.

Make the most of your downtime

Use your free time to plan an aggressive new marketing strategy. Take a step back and look at your business from a distance. Consider things like repackaging your services to accommodate smaller clients, how your market has reduced or expanded to reach new areas. Take a step back to navigate the best position for the future of your business. When you’re thinking about your marketing strategy consider where your business is. Keep in mind that your reason for being there is to ask people to buy what you are offering, as often as you can!

If you need help or advice on planning and implementing any of the above in your business, call 03 376 6060 or email us today.

Feed your relationships

Be in the habit of capturing the details of EVERY SINGLE person that comes into contact with your business. You can build a relationship with them via networking, email, your website, newsletter and other media, sometimes one medium may be more appropriate depending on who they are or how you met.

Use the details to get in touch. Once you’re in touch, stay in touch!

This applies to dormant accounts and old leads too. Do you have records of someone you used to do business with before but are not actively working for now? Do you have leads that are waiting but that that you haven’t converted to sales yet?

Think of ways you can re-ignite your relationships with these people. Phone would be the number one choice but you could also email, send a letter, some marketing collateral, testimonials, a newsletter or card or just invite them for a coffee. If you have made less than 3 contacts with a potential new client, the new business you are seeking could be right there in front of you: 80% of sales are made between the fifth and twelfth contact with a prospect. Despite this, only 10% of people make more than three contacts with their prospects! Bottom line, make putting time into your relationships a continuous thing and don’t let these potential sales get away.

Get online

93% of kiwis look for information about products and services online YET only 30% of NZ firms have a website. So if you're not online, you need to be. If you don't have a website, fill the gap with a business Facebook page until you get one. With a website, your business is open 24/7 (no matter what happens to your building). It also adds credibility to your company. It shouldn’t sound ungrounded but it’s not uncommon for people doubt the security and reliability of a business if they don’t have a website.

No woman/man is an Island

You need to be continuously learning. The trouble with running and owning a business can be that you’re at the top – so who is there to keep learning from? There's no need to go it alone. Develop a "Think Tank" or "Master Mind" of business owners. Get a group of business owners together and meet monthly to exchange ideas on growing your businesses, discuss challenges and even barter your services back and forth. You'll leave inspired with new ideas and things to action and even offered the invaluable opportunity to learn from others mistakes.

Review your prices

Let’s get back to basic marketing that works. Of the 4 marketing Ps; product, place, promotion and price, getting your pricing right is a major challenge. Too low and you won’t make any money. Too high and you risk getting no business. Let's face it; the cost of everything has gone up. But what about your prices? If your prices are still the same today as they were 2-3 years ago, then you should consider raising them. But it's a competitive market place I hear you say. Even small incremental increases in prices can make a real difference to your bottom line and few customers will even notice. So try it and see!