25 Smart Marketing Things You Can Do for Under $500

24 smart marketing things you can do

for under $500

1. You’re here

2. 2. Go to

http://www.examiner.com/advertising-in-richmond/bruce-goldman

for useful information

3. Measure your potential audience – for free

3. Measure your potential audience – for free

First, define it

Example: tire store

Example: tire store

Average tire life: 40,000 miles

Example: tire store

Average tire life: 40,000 milesAverage driving: 12,000-15,000 miles/year

Example: tire store

Average tire life: 40,000 milesAverage driving: 12,000-15,000 miles/yearSweet spot: Owners of 3-4-year-old cars

Example: tire store

List from DMV

Example: tire store

List from DMVNumbers within X miles of your location (free) and list (a few hundred dollars) from mailing list broker

Example: child day care

Target: Single-parent and two-paycheck families with children 3-4 years old within X miles of your location

Example: child day care

Target: Single-parent and two-paycheck families with children 3-4 years old within X miles of your location

Numbers free from InfoUSA.com or Database101.com databasesLists from $85/thousand names.

1. infousa.com or database101.com2. Follow the prompts (consumer or

B2B) and select your criteria3. Get your results4. Go back and explore alternatives5. Save the results if you’d like

Example: bridal store

Target: Brides to be



Numbers from county license bureau



Numbers from county license bureau

Swap lists with china/silverware registries, photographers, caterers, etc.

4. Before you spend a penny on

advertising, calculate your break- even point

Cost of ad ÷ (Avg. profit/sale

x Conversion rate) = # Responses

4. Before you spend a penny on

advertising, calculate your break- even point

$1,000 ad cost ÷ ($5 Avg. profit x 0.4

Conversion) = 500 Responses

5. Put measurable response

mechanisms into every single piece of marketing

5. Put measurable

response mechanisms into every single piece of marketing

Coupon code



Coupon CodeLanding Page



Coupon CodeLanding PageOffer



Coupon CodeLanding PageOfferE-mail link



Coupon CodeLanding PageOfferE-mail linkPhone number (or extension)



Coupon CodeLanding PageOfferE-mail linkPhone number (or extension)Website URL

6. Track results with this precise, sophisticated

measuring device

6. Track results with this precise, sophisticated

measuring device

Record and track the resultsCorrelate with your ad scheduleRepeat what works

7. Use your website statistics (Free)


Daily traffic vs. marketing


Daily traffic vs. marketingWhere visitors come from


Daily traffic vs. marketingWhere visitors come fromWhere they go onsite


Daily traffic vs. marketingWhere visitors come fromWhere they go onsiteHow long they stay

8. Satisfied customers

are the best new customers

Incenting them for repeat business is cheap



Registering them captures contact info and e-mail addresses



Rewarding successful referrals is a win-win



Use free online surveys to build satisfaction, solicit repeat business and referrals

SurveyMonkey.comConstant Contact



Use free online surveys to build satisfaction, solicit repeat business and referralsInclude open-ended questions for future testimonial use

9. Zag when the competition zigs

Competitor Apparent Audience

Promise Slogan (if any)

You

Competitor Apparent Audience

Promise Slogan (if any)

Tire Store A Car owners who need tires

4 tires for price of 3

Tire Store B Car owners who need tires

25% off

Tire Store C Car owners who need tires

Limited-time sale

You Soccer, etc., moms

Lets us help you protect your kids with a free safety inspection and safe, new tires.

10. Don’t snail-mail when you can e-mail


E-mailing lists are more expensive

and you pay for each use, BUT:



and you pay for each use,BUT:

You save thousands on printing and postage



and you pay for each use,BUT:

You save thousands on printing and postageDelivery is instant


E-mailing lists are more expensive, BUT

You save thousands on printing and postageDelivery is instant

You get same-day bounce notices and next-day

analytics


Give subject lines lots of attention

(for motivation and spam filters)


Give subject lines lots of attention

(for motivation and spam filters)

Always include opt-out


Don’t make your logo the headline

It’s about what you sell, not you

11. Use free media

Online DirectoriesMerchantServices.com

Google PlacesCraigslist

YelpGroupon*

etc.

11. Use free media

Network (get contact info and follow

up)

Online social network media

11. Use free media

Public RelationsRetail business news to

T-DTimely, practical advice

articles to neighborhood papers

12. Think like a customer

Whatyouhave

Whattheywant

13. Don’t bury your message

13. Don’t bury your message

48.2% of website visitorsbounce out after 1st page

14. Design content for how people actually read it


Not sequentially, like books, but skipping around


Not sequentially, like books, but skipping around

So telegraph important information with headlines

and subheads

15. Unexpected visuals capture attention and increase persuasion

Stock photos, $0 to $30 each

Imagination and Photoshop work,

priceless

16. White space increases readership

In digital as well as print media

17. Persuasion beats description

17. Persuasion beats description

Benefits beat features

18. One strong specific is worth

a thousand generalities

18. One strong specific is worth

a thousand generalities

What do you do that youdon’t have to do?

That your competitors don’t?

19. Use your domain to make your business look professional

Domains come with free e-mail accounts

Addresses take about 2 minutes to set up


Which looks more professional?


Which looks more professional?

Gftg8000 @aol.com

Orders @GreatFoodToGo.net

20. The highest sponsored link

ranking doesn’t get you

the most hits



the most hits Rankings 4-7 get more hits than rankings 1-3



the most hits Rankings 4-7 get more hits than rankings 1-3

and cost you less

21. Include Googlemaps in your website

FreeShows people how to find you

22. Blog and update often

(Even if no one reads it, the Google algorithm knows it’s

there)

23. Make it easy for people to respond


The easier to respond, the higher the response rate – and vice versa


Make the response mechanism a visible part of your interface

24. $100 worth of professional

marketing input – free

804.767.7180Bgoldman

@BrightOrangeAdv.com

For complimentary one-hour consultation

25 Smart Marketing Things You Can Do for Under $500

Business

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