10 Effective Tips to Market & Grow your Business

10 Effective Tips to Market & Grow Your Business:

Marketing your business is the key to your success; however marketing can be costly if you try to do everything at one time. We all need to talk about our business, passion and vision because who knows it better than we do? This article will give you effective ways to get you business out there in the public’s eye without draining your checkbook.

Marketing is much more than running an ad or buying time on a billboard. Marketing is engaging with people and giving back to them. We are responsible as business owners to connect with people, find out their needs and then meet them. People do not care what you do or what you know until you show you care or are interested in them. So let’s get into the 10 Most Effective Ways to Market and Grow Your Business!

Website: Don’t spend an arm and a leg getting one started if you do not already have one. Websites can run you anywhere from $199.00 (and it looks like $199) up to $6000 +. The key to an effective website is one that generates you traffic, ranks you on Google and Yahoo. Most companies will charge you additional money to get this pre-web page, it can run you an additional $2000. We have found a cost effective and quick company to help you get up and running in as little as 2 days, www.ticklemewebsites.com you can fill out a questionnaire and be on your way to an inexpensive marketing tool that will rank you on the major search engines, you own the website and it can be up and running in as little as 2 days.

Statistics are that 97% of new business is coming from the internet.

Networking: If you want people to know what you do you have to tell them. You have to connect and show-up at different networking events and talk to people. Be sure you bring your business cards and handouts. The key to the success at large networking events is asking what they do first. Show interest in their business which gives you the okay to share yours. This will help you engage in conversation and see what they need that fits your business or a strategic business partners business. Be sure to get their business card and make notes on the back so you will remember their needs. Follow-up with an email telling them it was a pleasure meeting them…

Email Campaign: Again electronic is where the money is right now, however don’t just send an email step it up with a contact manager program. Our favorite is www.contantcontact.com it is FREE for 60 days so you can try it out. Create a newsletter so you can keep your name in front of those contacts on a monthly basis. Be sure when you create the newsletter it contains more than just a “Buy Me” from you. Include in it a story about the holiday of the month, a recipe or a household hint. Maybe add a testimony from a recent client. Make your newsletter something they can’t wait to receive. Constant Contact also allows for them to opt out if they do not want to receive the newsletters anymore and it has a SPAM check so you can see if your content is high risk.

Affiliate Programs: Look for other businesses that have products that will enhance what you do. For example we have signed up as an affiliate for the Goal Guru. They take what we teach to the next level with tools. As an affiliate your name will be linked to them and you will receive a percentage of whatever you sell. You sell their product by having a link on your newsletter and the client goes to buy, you get a check. This cost you nothing to participate and if you select your affiliates to complement what you do you will appear to be more of an expert in your field.

30 second elevator story: You need to develop a story to capture a potential client’s attention in 30 seconds or less. The way to think about this fantastic and powerful tool is, you are riding in an elevator and the person next to you says hello, now you have 30 seconds to pitch your story can you do it? This takes practice and practice and still more practice. A few key elements to a successful elevator story: start with a question or a quote to engage their mind. Second, who are you; state your name and business name. Third, what problem can you solve regarding the question or issue.

For example here is one of my 30 second stories (yes I have more than one depending on the crowd and my attitude for the day) “Do you know that 97% of people will never reach their true potential?” I am Robin Hardy Certified Professional Speaker and Life/Action Coach. I engage your mind to help you reach your dreams and goals, What may I coach you on? I am Robin Hardy President of The Moosey Group.

Try writing your own and practicing it, you will be amazed at the results next time you network!

Write an Article: This is a fantastic way to become the “Expert” in what you do. You can publish your articles on websites like Amazines.com and Ezines.com for FREE. They allow you to link your website to your article so you can generate business from people searching for your topic.

Write an E-Book: Okay do not panic, it can be an e-booklet or article. Take your expertise and start writing you will be amazed that you can create an e-book in as little as 30 days. The key to this is write the time in your calendar to sit and write. Once you have written your e-book print it for a friend to read and comment on before sending it out to the public. Then you can create your newsletter to announce the new book or a press release. Save your e-book as a PDF so you can email it to the person. You can do e-books as a free gift or sell them on your website. You can do this even if you are in a MLM or direct selling business, you would do them as your name recommending the product. Yolanda Levy (membership chair in Murrieta For You Network) is a great example of this, she has overcome some great health issues and is now representing Isagenix. She has also written a book that started as an e-book and is now published. The key is just do it!

Press Releases: I thought those were for big events in the newspapers…wrong. A press release is a way to announce something new; a new business, a new book, a new product… Once you have created your e-book or articles go to www.prweb.com and submit a press release. Be sure you have your website mentioned somewhere in the press release (hint this will also move you up on Google/Yahoo). If you are creating product you need to boast and get the word out, this is a free and effective way to get it out.

Create your BLING: What is a BLING? A BLING is something that catches the interest of an individual that makes them want to look for more or search your website. We were asked this question recently and I could not answer I did not have the BLING. This is where “Follow The Moose” came from, I guarantee people are hitting our website quite a bit right now wondering what is this about. Then we created stickers like you see below and when they ask what is Follow The Moose we respond you’ll have to go and see. They are intrigued and will go to the website. So what is your BLING? There is a computer repair man who uses “The Computer Doctor, the Doctor is IN”. So start thinking now, what can you do?





Ask for the Referral: The biggest thing most forget to do is ASK. If you have taken care of your client and they are happy you are the hero right now so ASK. Who do you know that I could provide the same service/product for? You will find most clients are willing to talk about you if you ask. Send them a gift card if you get a close on a referral, guess why…they will send you more business. It is all about just ASKING.



Robin Hardy
Certified Professional Speaker
Certified Action/Life Coach
www.FollowTheMoose.com
Robin@TheMooseyGroup.com
951-789-6648