THE OTHER DAY at a café, I noticed a waiter wearing
a T-shirt imprinted with the words “WE DO BUSINESS
CATERING.” I immediately texted my office manager,
telling her to order from this café for our next staff
lunch. They got an order from a T-shirt! This small
business knows something many forget: Traditional
marketing works.
In your small business, do you feel pressured to
tweet on Twitter? Post on Facebook? Pin on Pinter-est? In the frenzy for new digital ways to market
your business (and those can be great), it’s easy to
overlook tried-and-true marketing strategies.
Business cards. Your business card is your
smallest, but most important, marketing vehicle.
Customers and prospects hold on to them. Make
sure your card includes all your vital contact info
(including social media handles). If possible, add one
brief line describing your business. Carry your business card with you always.
Signs. Whether it’s a sign over your front door,
on your van or on a billboard in New York’s Times
Square, signs get people’s attention. Signs can be
effective inside your place of business too, like the
sign in a restaurant near me that says, “HOST YOUR
NEXT PARTY HERE.”
Brochures. Customers like to get a succinct
overview of your business, including your services
or products. Brochures are great to give out at business mixers or trade shows, but they also work with
current customers.
Advertising specialties. I’ve got a magnet
from my dog’s vet, a calendar from my banker and
a pen from my email service. All of these freebies—
known as advertising specialties, promotional items
or swag—serve as constant ads and give me useful
contact info.
Sales materials. Price lists, sales sheets and
catalogs help you close deals. They’re primarily used
at the time or point of sale to provide the information and details prospects need to make purchasing
decisions. Sure, these may be boring, but they work.
Newspaper ads. You thought newspapers
were dead? Look around at any café and you’ll
see people reading them. Newspaper ads are still
effective, especially when you announce sales or
offer coupons. Try hyperlocal neighborhood newspapers that target exactly the people you want to
reach: local customers.
It’s natural to be excited about new marketing techniques, such as social media, but don’t
forget proven tactics that can grow your business right now. C
RHONDA ABRAMS: STRATEGIES
WHAT SETS YOUR business apart from the rest?
Colorado-based Costco member Fred Berns, personal
branding coach, copywriter, speaker and author of Sell
Yourself! 501 Ways to Get Them to Buy from You
(Select Pr, 1998; not available at Costco), says, “One
word can help you dramatically differentiate yourself
and your company, make an instant impact and make
yourselves memorable. The word is ‘only,’ as in ‘XYZ is
the only company in the area that….’ ”
Berns offers these questions to help you find
your “only.”
Credentials. Is yours the only company … that
has been in business for ___ years? Whose employees have ___ years of collective industry experience?
That has expertise with a certain product, service or
key technology?
Honors. Is yours the only company that has
received … a specific award? Recognition by an organization? Recognition in the media?
Products and services. Is yours the only company that offers … these products or services? The
quantity or variety of these products or services? This
guarantee or warranty?
Clients. Is yours the only company around that
works with … these customers? This quantity or variety of customers?
Location. Is yours the only company (in your
industry) … based in this city, state or region? With
branch offices in ________?
Share your “only” whenever and wherever you
can. For more information on Berns and more tips, go
to whatsyouronly.com.
Rhonda Abrams’
newest book is
Entrepreneurship: A Real-World
Approach. Register for
her free business-tips
newsletter at planning
shop.com.
More in archives
On Costco.com, enter
“Connection.” At Online Edition,
search “Rhonda Abrams.”
FRESHviews
Differentiate
your business with one word
Traditional small-business marketing
that really works
SUMMER IS typically a time
when many businesses see
a drop-off in customers, so
many small-business owners
look for ways to keep them
coming. Why not pick a
wacky “official” day, easily
found by searching the
Internet, around which to
build a promotion, such as
contests, games, special
sales. Here are some ideas.
June 1
Dare Day; Flip a Coin Day
June 3
Repeat Day
June 4
Hug Your Cat Day
June 5
National Doughnut Day
June 8
Best Friends Day
June 10
Iced Tea Day
June 12
Red Rose Day
June 14
Flag Day
June 15
Smile Power Day
June 18
National
Splurge Day
June 19
World
Sauntering Day
June 21
Finally
Summer Day
June 23
National Pink Day
June 26
Take Your Dog to
Work Day
June 27
Sunglasses Day
June 29
Camera Day
If you come up with
any special promotions
tied to one of these days,
please share it with us by
sending a short write-up
explaining what you did,
and how it benefited your
business, to connection@
costco.com with “Fresh
Views promotions” in the
subject line. C
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Summer fun days
