Home
>
Small Business
>
Marketing Your Small Business - The Top 10 Brilliant Ideas

Marketing Your Small Business - The Top 10 Brilliant Ideas

A Brilliant Marketing Idea... sounds great but what is it? Is it the idea that results in the mailman ringing your doorbell, signaling in a caravan of postal workers with mounds of letters (all in response to your latest advertisement)? Is it the idea that brings a 20% response rate on your direct mail campaign?

Surely these ideas would be considered brilliant marketing ideas...right? Well, maybe. It depends on the costs incurred generating the response. If the cost of the marketing was greater than the income it generated, it doesn't matter how great the response, it's not very brilliant.

The following ideas will get you started marketing brilliantly in no time!

BUSINESS CARDS

Print (or stamp) something on your business card that will prompt the holder to contact you (and/or to keep the card). Examples: "Return this card for a FREE loaf of bread" (baker), "10% off on next purchase" (retail store), "Send for your FREE copy of our Special Report: Brilliant Ideas for Marketing Your Small Business" (small business marketing specialist).

VALUE-ADDED SERVICES

Success means standing apart from the competition. This is done by developing (and promoting) your value-added services. If you don't think you have any, think again...and then if you still don't, develop some! (Sometimes it is something you are already doing/offering, but you just haven't recognized it as a value-added service or product.) Example: With each printing order, you also get free design consultation services.

BUSINESS FORMS AND STATIONERY

Use all company forms to promote your business--it costs no more to design them with promotions than it does to design them without! Examples: On your stationery, list your services or products, your value-added features, and/or the benefits of doing business with your company.

ENVELOPES

Use the left-hand side of the envelope to motivate the reader to open it and to read what's inside. Example: What's inside for YOU? 10 Tips for Marketing Your Business!

FAX COVER SHEETS

Design and create a FAX coversheet that not only identifies the person who is to receive the FAX, but also promotes your business. One brilliant idea is to include your current promotion. Example: A hotel could promote a "$66 Weekend Ski Package."

VOICE MESSAGE

Your voice mail recording should market your business. Example: "Thank you for calling The Rocking Chair ? Mountain View's largest antique and collectables shop. At the corner of Main and Sylamore, we're open 10-6 seven days a week. Please leave a message, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can."

INTRODUCTION

Business professionals are frequently asked "what do you do?" Practice your 10 second answer to this question; be sure it includes the benefits your business provides to your customers. It should also identify the customers you are looking for. Example: "I work with small businesses, sales professionals, and entrepreneurs. I provide them with inexpensive ideas for promoting their businesses and for serving their customers so they promote their business too. I do this through workshops and through my website http://www.brilliant-marketing-for-small-business.com."

DATABASE UPDATE

On a regular basis (every 6-12 months), contact "old" customers. Let them know you are updating your database and need to confirm the information you have. Although this is not a sales call, it is common for lost customers to begin doing business with you again simply because you contacted them.

24-HOURS VOICE MAIL... for your convenience

If you have 24-hour voice mail (or an answering machine that is not also your home line), advertise that it is available 24 hours for your customers and prospects; include for your convenience. This is especially effective since many people review the mail and newspapers early in the morning, late in the evening, or on weekends!

STORIES SELL!

When telling people what you do, use examples. Example: "I help people protect their property; I'm an insurance agent. In fact, last week I wrote policies for newly married couples needing renters insurance."

Anyone can promote a business with an unlimited marketing budget, but it takes specialized knowledge and commitment to get the same (or better) results on a shoestring. These brilliant ideas are only a fraction of the thousands available in the Brilliant Marketing! ? System. Look for future editions of this e-zine for more Brilliant Marketing Ideas!

Alex Barrington, developer of the Brilliant Marketing! System, has worked with thousands of small businesses providing them with low-or-no-cost marketing ideas for maximizing respone and minimizing results. The entire Brilliant Marketing! tutorial is online on Alex's site: http://www.brilliant-marketing-for-small-business.com

shuttle to Midway Beardstown .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare

In The News:

Kurt the CyberGuy breaks down whether it’s better to remove your personal information from the web yourself or use a data removal service.

Google’s scam detection features, powered by artificial intelligence, are a significant step forward in safeguarding Android users from fraud.

The FBI has issued a warning that scammers are impersonating doctors, police and banks using spoofed numbers as "smishing" texts surge nationwide.

Communities with unreliable internet service stand to gain after Amazon's Project Kuiper launched its first full batch of satellites into orbit April 28.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says unsubscribing from spam might actually backfire. Learn when to avoid it and stop junk effectively.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how the first nonstop beating heart transplant, called zero ischemic time, at Taiwan hospital changes surgery.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson: FBI warns of "time-traveling" hackers.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about a soft, vine-like robot called SPROUT that aids safe survivor rescues in collapsed buildings.

Health insurance giant Blue Shield of California confirmed it had been sharing private health data of 4.7 million users with Google for three years without even realizing it.

Delta and JetZero’s blended wing body aircraft marks a meaningful step toward a cleaner, quieter and more efficient future for air travel.

Recent reports show many common passwords can be cracked in literally seconds. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to strengthen your passwords.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Iron, a robot that stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 154 pounds, combines advanced artificial intelligence with human-like movement and exceptional vision.

Hertz, the rental car giant, recently confirmed that customer information was exposed through a cyberattack on one of its software vendors.

There are a number of features with AirPods you may or may not know about to take your listening experience to the next level. Kurt the CyberGuy explains.

These 35 Chrome extensions have privacy and security concerns. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says to delete them now.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says 329,000 mph fusion rocket promises to be fast, disruptive and enable deep-space missions.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a new autonomous AI is a game changer that also raises privacy risks. Is your data safe?

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says robots and drones are revolutionizing fruit farming with faster picking and smarter handling.

Landmark Admin revises May 2024 cyberattack scope to show twice as many people were affected. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson gives tips to help stay safe from an insurance data breach.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how Yamaha’s hydrogen outboard motor could revolutionize boating with zero emissions.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how to memorialize or remove a deceased loved one’s Facebook account and protect their digital legacy from misuse or scams.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says an Apple Watch saved psychiatrist Amanda Faulkner by detecting deadly leukemia early.

Scammers and fraudsters are increasingly targeting the most vulnerable, especially nursing homes and the personal data of their residents. Kurt the CyberGuy has safety tips.