Anybody who has a product to sell, an idea to promote or a service to offer relies on advertising to get the attention they require. There are so many forms of advertising that finding the correct medium can sometimes be a daunting task. Depending on the type of business, or the reason for your need for promotion you may find it easier to seek some professional advice. Firstly you need to decide who your target market is, whether it is men or woman, older generation, younger generation, companies etc. Secondly you need to ascertain whether your market is local, national or global. This is important, as leaflet dropping in your local supermarket car park is fine if your product or service is a local one, but if your services can be offered world wide or nationally, then you are seriously losing out on the largest percentage of your market. Once you know who you are planning to target, and where they are, you can begin to research the how, which are the options you have available. There is an absolute ton of free information on the internet, and if you are reading this, you must have access to it! If you have a low budget, try doing the advertising yourself, you can knock up some great leaflets from your own pc, (providing your market is local). Making a website has become a lot easier over the years, and if you shop around you can get some great prices on hosting packages and domain names. Try downloading a free html editor, preferably with a wysiwyg platform, (what you see is what you get), there is a wealth of information on the internet to guide you through making a simple website. If you have a bigger budget, then consulting with one of the many advertising companies is an option. These people can advise you, and come up with some fantastic ideas, but be sure to shop around and not just go with the first company you come across. Prices will vary, and their expertise will vary also, so its an idea to ask to see some references, or some of their projects with other clients that they have worked on. Done correctly, and with proper research, advertising will reap rewards. It is after all one of the most important factors in any business. So I personally, would always recommend that you give this area the attention it deserves!
Yes you can do it without being loathsome Parties are times of celebration. They can also be a fun opportunity to network with people you don’t often get to meet or be with. This is the season for weddings, graduations, college reunions and family reunions. At these events, everyone knows why you are there. Take advantage of that connection. They know you in connection to the bridal couple at a wedding reception, the new graduate at the graduation party, your class year at the college reunion, or who is your mother/father, son/daughter at the family reunion. But have you laid the foundation so well and so broad that they all know what you do, what business you are in, and who your market is? Often we don’t see these people enough to keep up. So celebrations are a great relaxing time to get the word out in a low key way and have fun at the same time. And if networking is not usually your cup of tea, this is a safe environment to practice. Obviously, you don’t want to be known as the MLM person cruising the room to recruit everyone within three feet. But, you do want them to know what you do and to become a great referral source for your business when they meet someone who is an ideal prospect for your business. They can’t help you if they don’t know what you do. Here are a few basic guidelines I suggest when you talk about work at social occasions. – Don’t ask for names – rather leave the door open for you to followup with a phone call. – Don’t sell – you don’t want to become persona non-grata. – Don’t book sales appointments or bring out your datebook – followup with a phone call to do that during business hours. – Don’t hog the conversation – If you find yourself engrossed with one person more than 30 minutes, you need to close the conversation and move on. Your listener did not come to the party to hear a sales pitch by you. – Don’t corner anyone – As tempting as it might be to try to hook an ideal client, strategic partner or person of influence. Don’t do it. You’ll burn too many bridges. – Do be specific about who your ideal prospect is, the person, title, company size, industry, niche, etc. – This makes it easy for your listener to relax knowing you are not targeting him. – Do clarify what problem you solve – This will engage your listener in the benefits of your product/service. – Do brag on one or two recent successes, opportunities, or achievements – At celebration events, everyone is in high spirits, so good news will be well received. – Do move about the gathering and meet lots of people – if they don’t know who you are, they won’t be able to tell their friends about you. When they remember you after the party, you want them to still like you and enjoy your company. To be memorable, it is important that you spend more time asking about them than talking about you. It’s that easy to get free advertising among people you know at all the festivities this spring.
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