Cost effective marketing Aileen Hunter Little Voice Communications Ltd

Main Challenges Value for money – what to spend and where to spend it Acquiring customers – converting sales (brand, local presence, reach, selling your services, conversion) Making the most of the Web – Marketing and advertising – Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter) – Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Time (and expertise)

Value for money Selling to existing clients is easier and cheaper than finding new ones – Always check for satisfaction – Keep in touch – Personalise special offers – Help them with their business – Test new ideas/products on them (sparingly)

Value for money Promotion doesn’t need to cost the earth – Research is vital – Short run printing can be cost effective – Press releases are free! – /Twitter/Facebook are free – Register with as many free online directories as you can – Also look at Google Maps, Gumtree and reciprocal link swapping with business associates and clients – newsletters are free!

Acquiring Customers Word of mouth is better than anything – so take every opportunity to exploit it (sphere of influence) Be visible – consider – Car graphics (your own and charm your friends) – Web presence is a must – Leave business cards/flyers everywhere – Press releases (new products/services) – Sponsor locally – Voluntary work Remember the number 1 rule of selling – people buy benefits not features Mailshots are much more effective if you follow up by phone or in person

Acquiring Customers Your messages – Know your target audience (continuously check your understanding) – Relate everything you say to a customer requirement/aspiration – Keep it simple, concise and clear – Be true to your values in everything you do/say (and ensure that your employees do the same) – Remember it’s not about you – it’s about them

Acquiring/keeping customers Information is key – Find a way to record everything you know about a customer and review it regularly – Every interaction is an opportunity to learn more – encourage dialogue – Allow them to easily know more about you (social networking – more later)

Making the most of the web A web presence is vital, but a website poorly designed, written and coded is your worst enemy – Design it for the user, not the organisation – Bigger/fancier isn’t necessarily better – Label information clearly (links, headings) – Don’t write a tome! – Keep it up to date! – It must work properly across a variety of browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera and, increasingly, mobile)

Making the most of the web Don’t spend a fortune! – Do you need site wide content management? – Don’t buy expensive SEO Pick your key words carefully Make sure your key words are prevalent throughout the site (in text and in the background code) Exploit any free directory or link Google free tools – analytics and maps are vital

Making the most of the web You can’t ignore social networking – Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin – It’s free – It’s immediate – It’s easy to update – It can massively extend your reach – It humanises your organisation

Time (and expertise) Marketing takes time and knowledge – You need to make that time and you need a level of expertise – If you can’t – you need to get help – Find someone you trust and who is on your wavelength – If it frees you up to make money – it’s not money wasted – If it gets you more customers it’s a good investment! – No-one can be good at everything!

Useful Links benefits%20of%20audience%20driven%20co mmunications.pdf benefits%20of%20audience%20driven%20co mmunications.pdf