Effective MarketingEfficient Marketing Can Be Easy and Cheap

The huge majority of business owners (and it seems marketing consultants) seem to think that marketing consists solely of advertising and PR. Advertising (if you test and measure its effectiveness and focus on benefits and not features and not your name in big letters or a bigger advert than your competitors) can be effective but is very expensive and more often than not, is the quickest way to burn money.

I have often ben tempted to start an alternative AA, not for alcoholics but advertisers. Every time a client gets the urge to advertise, they could phone us, get a reality check and henceforth save 90% of their cash.

More often than not, the most effective forms of marketing are virtually cost free. Consider, for example, referral strategies, testimonials from real local business owners, case studies, an emailed newsletter to keep in touch with your customers, networking or meeting your customers face to face without trying to sell to show them you care.

Another great low-cost marketing strategy is to give away stuff for free - you could offer free advice or a free trial, or you could try these:
  • If I had a coffee shop I'd be giving free coffee
  • If I had a clothes shop a free T-shirt
  • If I had a laundry/dry cleaning shop I'd offer $10 worth of cleaning
  • If I wanted a job, I'd offer to work for nothing for a month
  • A restaurant could offer a 'Free Main Course' or an open $5, $10 or $20 voucher
New technology is making a huge difference to the way we can advertise efficiently today. Here are a few articles and tips to get you started:

A FREE, genuinely good marketing book: The Ultimate Marketing Plan

Last but not least, have you considered updating your marketing skills through a course? Do you know that the NZTE will fund 50% of it and that through the Accountancy + Business Advice Centre, you will get an additional 25% off?
Check it out here: NZTE Voucher Scheme
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