For small to medium-size company, these tactics are more than just low-cost; they are also very effective. They will provide you with a steady flow of incoming business year after year. They include personal contacts (or networking), face-to-face contacts, classes, free speeches, publicity, circulars, signs, and small ads. These tactics work for manufacturers, engineering firms, day-care centres, retailers, and every other type of business.
SIGNS AND CLASSIFIED ADS
Signs
A sign is a good way to alert people to your business and a good way to remind them of your company. You should put signs in as many places as possible – on your store or business, on every product, on advertising speciality items, at locations where you are working, and in any other crucial spot.
You should also use banners whenever possible, as they are something different that people will notice I use banners all the time at trade shows, especially when I have a new product. They don’t cost much, and they do make people take notice. Keep your signs simple, All they are trying to do is to make people remember your name and what you do.
Classified Advertising
For many businesses, classified advertising is an effective tool for finding customers, You might run a classified ad in a newspaper, a consumer magazine, or a relevant trade magazine. The three key points are to have the right type of product for classified advertising, have the right type of heading in the magazine or newspaper, and follow the five rules of classified advertising.
The right type of product
The types of products that work best are those that people can’t find anywhere else, such as unusual industrial products or services, and easy-to-understand products that are hard to find,
Other products that work well are those that call for an immediate action, such as an auction or some other event that is coming up. For example, an industrial supplier might run classified adverts if it is running some special event attached to an upcoming trade show.
Right heading for your product
Before you advertise, watch the heading for a few weeks and see how many ads keep repeating. You can also call up advertisers who might tell you how many responses to expect. Don’t advertise under a heading unless some companies advertise there in every issue.
Five steps to successful ads
- Find a newspaper or magazine that would be appropriated for your business.
- Find a heading that makes sense.
- Offer free information or low-cost products that will motivate people to contact you.
- Design your ad to be different from others around it.
- Have follow-up products to sell to people, especially if you are offering a low-cost product.
Commit to running a magazine ad at least three times and a newspaper ad for at least five days, Ads rarely pull that well the first time they are run.
