Smart Marketing

Getting your business name out there is just as important as quality work. Use these tips to market your services and gain more customers.

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There’s a big problem regarding marketing and most businesses: They don’t do any, experts say. Large brands, like Black & Decker or Whirlpool, spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually marketing their products to buyers. But they are the exception. “Most companies do no marketing. They sit around waiting for the phone to ring,” says Kathy Peterson, a Florida-based marketing expert who specializes in DIY issues. Trouble is, that phone may be ringing less and less. “There is so much competition today. You have to market to make yourself stand out,” she adds.

Smart marketing accomplishes a great deal. Done right, it puts you top of mind in customers’ heads. And it makes people want to do business with your company. Selling is about moving goods and services, while marketing is more subtle but also more fundamental: in lots of ways, marketing is the preparatory work that lets the sale happen.

Smart marketing, on the cheap, is within easy reach of every company. Marketing experts are quick to offer a medley of tactics, but take note: Marketing without a thoughtful analysis of your business, the competition, and your customers and prospects is a total waste. “The first, essential step is to analyze who you are and what you do. Who are the target customers? How do you differ from the competition? Before you pass ‘Go’ and launch a campaign, define how you stand out,” cautions John Jantsch, a Kansas City, Mo.-based marketing coach who operates the DuctTapeMarketing.com Web site.

“Plan a year’s marketing campaign in advance,” says Larry Mersereau, a Valparaiso, Ind., marketing consultant and author of STAND OUT! - How to Position and Grow Your Business with a POWERFUL Brand Identity. “Branding a company is about having your name out there constantly. What actions will you take over the next twelve months? Outline the plan before you start.”

What specific activities belong in a marketing plan? Big businesses throw big budgets at marketing. Smaller businesses need to be more creative—and when they are, big results can follow. Tactics recommended by the marketing gurus include:

Position yourself as an expert, says Sandra Beckwith, author of Streetwise Complete Publicity Plans. Get your name in print by contacting local reporters and trade magazine writers who cover the real estate beat and itemizing your expertise. “Show what you know and this can attract new customers,” Beckwith says. Understand, too, most reporters are hungry for sources who get back to them ASAP with useful comments. Don’t be shy, speak up and you may start seeing your name in print.

Create a company Web site, urges Andrea Hoffman, a New Jersey marketing consultant who says that a Web site has become as essential as a business card. Many Internet users begin—and end—their search for information and contacts on the Web. Don’t miss out because you lack a Web site. Lack the expertise to create a site? Hoffman suggests putting up a free ad on CraigsList, a giant online bazaar.

Involve yourself in local, professional networking groups, Hoffman says. From the Chamber of Commerce to apartment owner associations there are multiple networking opportunities available. Pass out business cards and shake hands.

Market yourself to current customers in particular, advises Jay Lipe, author of The Marketing Toolkit for Small Business. Lipe says a happy customer can become a repeat customer. But, just as importantly, a satisfied customer can become a prime source of referrals that result in more business for you. Use e-mail and postcards to remind customers you value this relationship. Because you heavily rely on word of mouth to grow your business, ask for any referrals they may be able to provide.