Filed under: Printing Help | Tags: advertising, marketing meda, print ads, printing, promotion kit
While word-of-mouth advertising is a really great way to get things started, it can be slow and unpredictable. As your own best advertiser, the best – and most economical – tool available to you in building your business is a promotion kit.
Everywhere you go is an opportunity to promote your business. By keeping your promotion kit close at hand, you’ll never have to respond to a request for your business cards with “sorry – I just ran out”. Think of the various locations you visit every day. Chances are, someone around you is in need of the services you and your business provide. Don’t let the opportunity to strike up a conversation with someone about your company’s services. You never know where your next customer might come from.
One of the basic pieces of an effective promotion kit is color business cards – both yours and those of other people you have met. Doesn’t make sense to you to carry other peoples’ cards? Well, think of all the people with whom you have networked since beginning your business. More than likely, they are carrying around at least one of your business cards, as you are carrying at least one of theirs. If they tell someone about your business – and that person tells someone – and so on – and so on . . . well, the worth of that one business card just increased three-fold! Be sure to choose a high quality, reputable company for your business card printing. As your first impression with prospective clients, you want your image to be impeccable.
Another item to consider for your promotion kit is color postcards. Postcard marketing is an effective way to elaborate further on the information included in your business card, while still remaining portable enough to carry without a lot of bulk. But beware of falling into the trap of too much information in a space that doesn’t communicate it well. The purpose of the business cards and postcard marketing pieces are to capture your audience’s attention – not to give them the entire synopsis of your business plan and your long-range goals. Hit the high points; make it colorful, concise and easy to read and they’ll come to you looking for more information before you know it.
The last and most portable item in your promotion kit is . . . you! Be prepared with a few short, concise sentences that best describe your business and what it can provide for them. Don’t get caught up in unnecessary rhetoric. You only need as much time as you’d spend in, say, the average elevator ride. Think about it – how often have you overheard a conversation in an elevator and, just as it was getting to the good part, the story teller got off the elevator? Be the story teller that others chase down to get the rest of the story! You’ll be racking up the revenue in no time!
Filed under: Printing Help | Tags: brochures, flyers, graphic design, marketing, print advertising, printing, small business
One of the many challenges facing small businesses today is effective advertising. Many small businesses don’t make marketing budgets a priority; if they do, it is not typically considered a large part of the overall annual expenditures. Word of mouth is free, but can also be slow, tedious and a bit of a gamble for a new business. With that in mind, there are several tried and true options available that enable a small business to get the recognition and promotion they need for success – without breaking the bank.
First, consider your business and the industry to which you are connected. What do you offer that no other business in your industry can deliver? What are your benefits? What’s in it for the customer? Research has proven that two out of three ads are ignored by consumers. Furthermore, it takes getting an ad in front of a prospective customer nine times before they actually remember your product. With those types of odds, consider concentrating your advertising in one medium at a time and give each one a chance to work. This will keep you from spreading yourself – and your budget – too thin, too fast.
Among the affordable options available to small businesses are yellow pages advertising, newspaper and radio. Some of these options may be more expensive than others, so to get the biggest bang for your buck, purchase the largest advertising space you can afford in each of these mediums. Other options that might be considered more unique:
Partner with local retail establishments
Whether a fast food chain or a discount chain, work with the management staff of a local retail outlet to include advertising leaflets in their “to go” orders or merchandise bags. This is a low cost option that has far reaching potential in your immediate area.
“Big screen” advertising
Contact your local movie theaters to get your ad included in their preview advertising. Many local businesses take advantage of this option to get their business name in front of hundreds of people each day, usually in multiple theater locations. Consider including an advertising flyer or coupon as an additional marketing piece at the theater’s concession or guest services area. Full color flyer printing is typically very affordable and can give you a great deal of impact for not a lot of expense.
Direct mail
While slightly more expensive than the aforementioned campaigns, direct mail postcards are another possible advertising option for small businesses. The majority of the expense surrounding direct mail is the cost of postage, so keep your mailing list clean and concise. Postcard printing can be purchased from many local or online printing companies for pennies on the dollar. With the right design and a mailing list that adequately covers your desired geographic market, direct mail postcards are generally much more favorably received than other direct marketing attempts, such as telemarketing or door to door soliciting.
From the yellow pages to the Internet, the marketing options available to small business are plentiful. Find the one that works best for your business and watch your revenues grow!
