5 simple marketing ideas that you can do without leaving your desk
How many of you have a day each week or month that you dedicate to marketing?
Monday maybe bookkeeping and sorting out your accounts. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday you spend with clients and dealing with the day-to-day part of your business. And perhaps Friday is your marketing day.
It feels easier sometimes to break your week down and allocate fixed times to ensure you spend the time on marketing your business.
But marketing is not an activity that is put in to your diary on a fixed day or written on your to-do-list as "Do Marketing".
Marketing at its most effective should happen each and every day.
"But", I hear you cry, "I haven't got time to do marketing every day!" You are just too busy dealing with your customers, answering emails and making sure your admin is sorted, aren't you?
"Do Marketing" doesn't have to take hours each day. If you are clear on your overall marketing objective and what it is you are promoting, marketing can happen any time, any place and any where.
Here are my 5 top marketing ideas that should take less time that it takes to drink a cup of tea and you can do without even leaving your desk:
1. Decide to phone rather than email. Email is an easy way of communicating with people. A quick click of the button and your message is sent. But nothing beats a real time interaction with someone. A phone call allows you to ask questions that could lead to a possible business lead. So rather than follow up on your next enquiry with an email, pick up the phone instead.
2. Add an email signature that features something that you want to promote. If you have a special offer or you are marketing an event, set up an email signature that highlights your offer as a P.S. Make sure you include a direct website link to the relevant page on your website and, with each new email, you are automatically telling the world about your offer. People are curious creatures. A quick click through could grab their attention.
3. Phone up a past customer. Too much time can often be spent chasing new customers and yet these tend to be the most expensive and most time consuming to attract. Pick out a customer who bought from you 6 months ago and find out how they are. People love being remembered and they may even decide to place another order or book another appointment with you.
4. Send a card. Who would you most like to pop a card in the post too? It could be a past or present customer or even a networking contact - you choose. There is nothing like a handwritten card that says "Thank you for your business" or "How's life?" is there? And you could just help that person to remember you at the right time.
5. Invite 5 people to be your friends. Whether you like to use LinkedIn, Facebook or Ecademy, set the kitchen timer and give yourself 20 minutes to invite 5 new contacts to be part of your network. Have a look at your top networking contacts and see who they are connected with. Send them a message, tell them how you have found them and who through and ask them if there is anything you can help with.
© Karen Skidmore, 2009
Monday maybe bookkeeping and sorting out your accounts. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday you spend with clients and dealing with the day-to-day part of your business. And perhaps Friday is your marketing day.
It feels easier sometimes to break your week down and allocate fixed times to ensure you spend the time on marketing your business.
But marketing is not an activity that is put in to your diary on a fixed day or written on your to-do-list as "Do Marketing".
Marketing at its most effective should happen each and every day.
"But", I hear you cry, "I haven't got time to do marketing every day!" You are just too busy dealing with your customers, answering emails and making sure your admin is sorted, aren't you?
"Do Marketing" doesn't have to take hours each day. If you are clear on your overall marketing objective and what it is you are promoting, marketing can happen any time, any place and any where.
Here are my 5 top marketing ideas that should take less time that it takes to drink a cup of tea and you can do without even leaving your desk:
1. Decide to phone rather than email. Email is an easy way of communicating with people. A quick click of the button and your message is sent. But nothing beats a real time interaction with someone. A phone call allows you to ask questions that could lead to a possible business lead. So rather than follow up on your next enquiry with an email, pick up the phone instead.
2. Add an email signature that features something that you want to promote. If you have a special offer or you are marketing an event, set up an email signature that highlights your offer as a P.S. Make sure you include a direct website link to the relevant page on your website and, with each new email, you are automatically telling the world about your offer. People are curious creatures. A quick click through could grab their attention.
3. Phone up a past customer. Too much time can often be spent chasing new customers and yet these tend to be the most expensive and most time consuming to attract. Pick out a customer who bought from you 6 months ago and find out how they are. People love being remembered and they may even decide to place another order or book another appointment with you.
4. Send a card. Who would you most like to pop a card in the post too? It could be a past or present customer or even a networking contact - you choose. There is nothing like a handwritten card that says "Thank you for your business" or "How's life?" is there? And you could just help that person to remember you at the right time.
5. Invite 5 people to be your friends. Whether you like to use LinkedIn, Facebook or Ecademy, set the kitchen timer and give yourself 20 minutes to invite 5 new contacts to be part of your network. Have a look at your top networking contacts and see who they are connected with. Send them a message, tell them how you have found them and who through and ask them if there is anything you can help with.
© Karen Skidmore, 2009
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