1 High Speed Growth: Marketing Strategies

2 2 The SCORE Foundation would like to thank for showing their support of America’s small businesses by sponsoring this series. The content provided in the Simple Steps for Growing Your Business materials is intended as a business resource only and does not guarantee a successful outcome when applied to individual business use. To find additional resources on growing your business, visit and

3 Identify Your Marketing Goals 3

4 Target customers Existing customers New customers Product or service mix Price point Budget Sales channel Have Your Business Needs Changed? Andrew Dunn

5 Understand your target market: Size Income level (consumer) Sales (business) Purchasing habits Demographics Purchasing channels Geographic location Market Research John Christakos, Maurice Blanks & Charlie Lazor

6 Market Data Sources Indirect Research from Others: Trade associations Census data American FactFinder ( EconomicIndicators.gov Fedstats.gov National Bureau of Economic Research ( Harris Infosource ( Hoover’s ( ThomasNet ( Your Direct Client Research: Customer surveys (SurveyMonkey.com, Zoomerang.com) Internet research Social media Focus groups Conversations

7 Is Your Brand Clear? Branding is not the same as marketing Branding is the image, logo and positioning of the product or service Martina Arfwidson & Gun Nowak

8 1. Identify unique selling proposition 2. Understand target market 3. Communicate brand consistently 3 Steps to Brand Creation Mark Pascale

9 Analyze the marketing methods used by your competition Would similar methods work for you? John Blancher Competitive Analysis

10 Social Media Marketing

11 Social media can help you: Increase sales Drive traffic to your site or store Learn about competitors Find potential partners Before using social media, know: What social media tools your customers use What you hope to achieve Social Media and Your Business Steve Sulkin

12 Marketing With Facebook Users: Biggest social network – over 500 million Wide age range of users Majority women Good for: Consumer businesses Products that inspire “fans” Building community Targeted ads

13 Marketing With LinkedIn Users: Professionals Focused more on individuals, less on companies Good for: Business-to-business (B2B) contacts User groups for market intelligence Getting known as an expert Prospecting for customers

14 Marketing With Twitter Users: 8 percent of U.S. Internet users* Young, affluent, urban Influencers Good for: B2B and B2C Timely news/deals Mobile users Brand building Promotions *Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project

15 Social Media Tips Get personal Engage with others Be helpful Update regularly Keep learning Use analytics Understand time commitment Kris Wittenberg

16 Marketing With a Website

17 Creates awareness Helps customers find you Builds credibility Drives sales Enhances customer service Provides additional sales channel (e-commerce) Gives you national/global reach Peter Argondizzo Benefits of a Business Website

18 Determine goals Overall business strategy Overall marketing strategy Development requirements to include: -Ease of use -Sales -Customer service -Branding -Search Marta E. Maxwell Developing an Effective Website

19 Elements of Your Website Domain name or URL (www. yourbusiness.com) Web hosting service Website design Many providers offer package options that include all three: GoDaddy.com IMSMB.com NetworkSolutions.com Web.com

20 Principles of Website Design User-focused Consistent with your marketing message Simple to navigate Direct users to take action

21 Search Engine Optimization SEO = driving traffic to your site via organic search results Create quality content Use targeted keywords Measure results

22 Web Analytics Web analytics can measure: Number of visitors Number of page impressions Average visit length Most popular site entry pages Where users come from (sites or search engine phrases) Number of inquiries, leads or sales generated Conversion rates Total sales volume online Average purchase per online customer Use analytics to determine if your site is achieving your goals

23 Online Marketing

24 Ratings & Review Sites Feature customer reviews and ratings of businesses Bing Local CitySearch Google Places Insider Pages Local.com Merchant Circle RatePoint.com Yahoo! Local Yelp! Don’t forget niche sites for your industry, region or city

25 Claim your listing and optimize it with: - Photos - Description of business - Maps/directions - Special offers Monitor accounts Respond to negative reviews Convert users to buyers Learning tool Maximize Ratings & Reviews John Christakos, Maurice Blanks & Charlie Lazor

26 Group Deal Sites Groupon LivingSocial SocialBuy Local sites in your community

27 Collect addresses Post a privacy policy options: - Newsletter: Monthly, weekly, daily - Sales or specials: Weekly or as needed - Announcements - Event invitations Marketing Jennifer Behar

28 Resources Visit the FTC website ( for information on the CAN- SPAM Actwww.ftc.gov/spam Services: Benchmark Campaigner Constant Contact iContact Microsoft Office Live Small Business Marketing service (smallbusiness.officelive.com)

29 Online Advertising Options Link exchanges newsletter advertising Pay-per-click (PPC) Banner ads

30 Traditional Marketing

31 Do your marketing materials need a makeover? Do they still reflect your brand? Logo Signage Business cards Brochures Website Marketing Materials

32 Low-Cost Resources: 99Designs.com CrowdSPRING.com Elance.com Freelancer.com Guru.com Inkzoo.com Logoworks.com Marketsplash.com VistaPrint.com Marketing Materials

33 Advertising Options Print (newspapers, magazines, community publications) Radio Cable TV Direct mail (postcards, letters)

34 Public Relations Create press release following standard format Target to specific media outlets Distribute your release Follow up

35 Writing press releases: PR Newswire’s PR Toolkit ( Distributing press releases: FreePressRelease.com PR.com PRLog.org PR Resources David Lomakin

36 Good promotional tool for businesses with local customers Sponsor an event or host your own Tips: Set goals Make it relevant Promote Gather customer info Follow up Karen Bevels Event Marketing

37 Customer Loyalty Programs Keep customers coming back with loyalty programs that can include: Loyalty cards Geolocation websites Discounts and special offers Events Giveaways

38 Is It Right for You? In evaluating marketing options, ask: Will this help achieve my goals? Will this reach my target customer/s? Does this fit my budget? (Typically 3% -10% after 1 – 3 years) Do I have adequate staff to implement?

39 For More Information SCORE SCORE (Local Chapter) American Express Open Forum