3 Marketing Tips for Entrepreneurs

“3 Marketing Tips for Entrepreneurs”

It seems obvious that if you want more business, you have to do more marketing, right? However, when cash is tight, most business owners look for ways to cut costs, and often the first thing to go is money that is being spent on marketing. Then of course, fewer clients come in, and cash gets even tighter. This becomes a downward spiral that can take you right out of business if you’re not careful.

I’m NOT suggesting that you have to spend a lot of MONEY on marketing. Here are 3 tips for attracting more clients that won’t cost you a dime:

Tip #1: Keep it Personal

When you’re having a conversation, writing an e-mail, updating your Facebook page, or standing up and talking about what you do in front of a room full of people, speak directly to one person at a time.

Remember that you may be sending an e-mail to 50 people, but only one person at a time is reading that e-mail. Instead of writing “you guys” or “Hi everyone,” write as if you’re sending only one e-mail to one specific person. If you can, use that person’s first name.

When speaking to a group, make eye contact with one person and speak to that person for at least 5 full seconds before you switch to someone else.

When you do this, the people that you’re speaking to or writing to will feel more connected with you at a personal level and therefore will be more likely to refer you or buy your services.

Tip #2: Ask for Referrals

My most effective marketing strategy for the last 9 years has been asking for referrals, especially from strong strategic alliances, people who serve the same target market as I do without being in competition with me.

It takes courage to ask for referrals. However, people that are referred to you will be more likely to buy your services and usually more pleasant to work with in general.

The easiest way I know to ask for referrals is to call a potential referral partner and talk to them or invite them to lunch. Here’s a short script you can use (courtesy of Joe Stumpf of By Referral Only):

“I have some time right now to work with two new clients. Before I put an ad in the paper to attract someone that is not referred to me, I thought I would give you a quick call and offer my time to people you know who might need my help. Who is the next person you know who is most likely to need my services right now?”

Tip #3: Create & Maintain a Facebook Fan Page

Did you know that Facebook now directs more online users that Google? Facebook fan pages allow you to get your message, brand or product to more people, faster, cheaper and easier than ever before.

It doesn’t cost anything to create a Facebook fan page. The main advantages to having a fan page instead of only having a regular personal Facebook page is that:

1. You aren’t limited to how many fans you can have

2. You can advertise your business

You want to include Facebook as part of your marketing plan in a way that attracts more clients instead of just creating more busy work for yourself. In order to do that, provide your fans with regular updates that they enjoy, even something as simple as a funny or inspiring quote. Don’t bombard them with sales pitches or they will “unlike” you. Offer new fans a special gift or bonus that leads them into your sales funnel.

Here’s an example: