Marketing a business can be exciting, creative, and fun. It can also be extremely frustrating and costly if one is unsure of the desired outcome or how to evaluate cost-effective marketing methods.

Over the years, I have developed a reputation for developing low-cost and no-cost strategies for marketing and promoting a business, product, or service. Strategies that have generated extraordinary returns.

Among my accomplishments are the following:

– Prior to the publication of my most recent book, I pre-sold over $8,000 worth of books.
– In less than two weeks, over 250 people registered for a recent seminar at a cost of less than $25 – One company used my strategies to promote a career expo and earned over $180,000 in consulting fees – One speaker sold over $23,000 in product sales back of the room during a two-hour seminar using strategies outlined in my program.

I share this not to impress anyone, but to demonstrate to you that by employing the appropriate strategies for your market, you can achieve some incredible results.

Additionally, I have developed a reputation for being a stickler when it comes to system implementation. My marketing successes are directly related to the systems I have put in place.

With a little forethought, planning, and determination, you can market your business very effectively.

The following are seven tried-and-true strategies for increasing visibility, leads, and sales.

1. Visitor Cards

Business cards are frequently one of the most underutilized marketing tools.
Utilize both the front and back of your business card to maximize your exposure. Depending on your market, you can include some extremely useful information on the back, such as a sports schedule, emergency numbers, or important dates.

Maintain a supply in your wallet, automobile, on your desk, and at home. Carry them with you wherever you go and be prepared to distribute them whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Distribute your card creatively. When dining out, you can leave one as a tip.
If you borrow a book from the library, use one as a bookmark. Distribute them to store clerks who may know others who could benefit from your product or service.

When someone hands you their business card, make a note of it and enter it into your database. Within 48 hours of meeting them, send them a brief note or email to keep your name fresh in their minds.

2. Send a photograph

Sending a customer a photo of themselves when they purchased a product or service from you is an excellent way to keep your name fresh in their minds.

Create a beautiful calendar with a photograph of a buyer’s automobile purchase. Almost certainly, the vehicle’s proud owner will display the calendar for the next 365 days.

When a customer makes a significant purchase at a specialty gift shop, have a photograph taken with the shop owner. Arrange the photograph in a frame and send it to the customer.
The likelihood is that the photograph will be proudly displayed for friends and family to see.

A dentist who specializes in smile makeovers can easily arrange for a professional makeup artist and photographer to capture the patient’s new smile in all of its glory. Without a doubt, the patient will be overjoyed to show off their new appearance.

3. Organizations

Associations that are specific to your market are an excellent marketing resource. There are associations for almost every industry, job type, and business. A quick internet search will almost certainly reveal how much is available.

The opportunity to network is a significant opportunity in many organizations. Additionally, to present. Along with presentations, publications are produced.
Frequently, when you give a presentation, you will be acknowledged in the association’s newsletter, Ezine, and/or website.

When an organization publishes a newsletter or Ezine, they frequently invite the presenter to write a press release for them. It saves them time and frequently ensures that your information will be included in the publication.

Additionally, they may invite you to contribute an article to their publication or website.
This enables visibility prior to the presentation. Additionally, you will establish your expertise and increase your credibility.

The majority of organizations offer the following opportunities to increase visibility and conduct highly effective marketing:

-Newsletters -Internet listings -Links to your website
-Prospects for networking
-Referral services for businesses
-Events of special recognition
-Seminars on education
-Directories of businesses and organizations

In many cases, membership in the association is required to take advantage of the numerous marketing opportunities. In other instances, membership is not required.

4. Committee Participation

Committee participation is an excellent way to give back to the association or community while increasing your and your business’s visibility. In some instances, you may even wish to join a committee in which you lack experience or knowledge. This will allow you to stretch yourself and meet and network with individuals you might not have met otherwise.

5. Drawings and contests

Many businesses, such as restaurants or those with a high volume of foot traffic, enjoy contests. Contests are an excellent way to rapidly grow your database.
When you hold a contest with people who have previously visited your business, you generate extremely hot leads. The trick is to focus on back-end marketing. Numerous businesses hold contests, collect a large number of names, and then do nothing with them. In this case, holding a contest is a complete waste of time.
You can promote a contest to increase foot traffic to your establishment.
Trade show booths are ideal locations for contests. Pre-show marketing assists in increasing foot traffic to your booth. Invite people to stop by booth # (or whatever your booth number is) to enter. Additionally, creative contests can generate free publicity.

6. Cross-promotional activities

Collaborate with other businesses that offer complementary products or services and promote one another. Assume you own a massage business. You could collaborate with a candle manufacturer to sell their candles to your massage clients. They might be able to distribute coupons for your massage business. Alternatively, the candle company could collaborate with a gift basket company. The possibilities for cross-promotion are only limited by your imagination.

This significantly reduces the cost of business promotion and enables each business to utilize promotion techniques that would be prohibitively expensive to implement on their own.

7. Additional benefits

Obtain special offers from a variety of businesses that wish to compete in the same market as you. When a customer purchases a minimum amount, they receive a bonus packet containing various vendor offers. This is a win-win situation on every level. Other vendors gain visibility, you add value to your customers’ purchases, and customers receive incredible value for their money.

Keep an eye on who you cross-promote and partner with. You want someone who is as committed to a campaign as you are.