Promote Your Business for Free

By Sallie W. Boyles
Write Lady, Incl
www.writelady.com
writelady@bellsouth.net

How would others describe the reputation you have you established, or the one you are on your way to building, in business? Is that reputation in line with your goals? Whether you’re dealing with customers or suppliers, competitors or allies, you can pretty much rely on the prediction that your communications and your actions—one-on-one or one-to-many—not only convey who you are today, but they will likely determine where you will end up.
           
While the particular products and/or services you provide impact your reputation, a long list of intangible characteristics—your integrity, your self-respect, your respect for others inside and outside your company, your professionalism, your attitudes towards everyone from customers to competitors, your level of commitment, your attention to detail—most assuredly enhance or devalue your business’ reputation and, consequently, its long-term viability.

Growing up in my family business, a retail jewelry and gift store, I learned early on that a sterling reputation was more meaningful to the business’ profitability and longevity than how well we stocked our cases and shelves with sparkling merchandise. In our small town, my parents were well-liked, respected and trusted.  Their personal reputations, in turn, influenced the community’s support of their business. No matter your station in life, if you entered Dorchester Jewelers, you were treated to hospitable service and genuine courtesy. And you could always count on fine quality for a fair price. We guaranteed our merchandise, valued our customers, and remained true to our name. People developed a certain pride in giving and receiving gifts from our store, and my dad’s tagline, “for gifts you give with pride, let Dorchester Jewelers be your guide,” reflected that experience along with my family’s dedication to running a reputable, quality business.

With an overwhelming abundance of giant corporations seemingly establishing a game plan of lean and mean, sacrificing customer levels for higher margins, small business owners will follow the leader to save money. Besides, with commerce and troubleshooting occurring via the Internet and automated phone calls, the buying-selling relationship becomes less than impersonal—it’s anonymous!  As long as the customer ends up with the product, what’ the problem, right?

The problem is that small business owners don’t have massive PR and advertising budgets along with financial reserves to afford the makeover needed to capture new business when previous customers go elsewhere. Bad press spreads faster than butter-cream frosting on a summer day, so if we treat customers poorly or don’t pay our bills on time, we may find ourselves out of business before we change our ways.  because may not be able to compete on price, quality service becomes all the more

You may have opened your doors among a sea of strangers. Your might operate online enterprise with no association to you, the person.  or the first client receives a call.  Nd lasts well beyond payment and delivery. So while it may seem that since big business can get away with transgressions large and small, the little companies can do the same, that assumption is far from true. Small business can.

While some experience the luxury of launching a business or profession in a town of friendly faces, more often entrepreneurs open their doors among a sea of strangers. Online businesses experience more serious challenges when it comes to establishing personal contact, conveying credentials and a creating purchase comfort level so that browsers are converted to customers. Once we acquire customers, we can begin to build a reputation of delivering super products and excellent service.  Encouraging happy customers to tell others and making the most of testimonials are also means of enhancing your reputation. comprises only a small fraction of the promotional remember my dad complaining about the cost of newspaper and radio ads (television was far too expensive!) and hoping “this time” he’d get a strong response rate. Today, the decision of when and where to advertise can be even more mind boggling because so many choices exist.  Budgets typically determine how much you’ll spend, but is that amount enough?

What if you could expose your business to your target market without taking out a second mortgage? What if you could promote your business without spending a dime? You can! You’ll need only to invest some time and then decide to position yourself as The Expert.

How do you become The Expert?  For the products and/or services you sell, you already are.  Your have information that potential customers would benefit from knowing in making informed purchase decisions. As an authority, you can begin to share you knowledge in ways that make you the “go-to” resource for information as well as for the products you sell. You still have the job of promoting your business, but you accomplish it in some different ways.

One way to establish your expertise is by publishing newsletters and articles on topics related to your business in online and printed media. If you choose the media carefully, you’ll reach your target audience en masse without ever leaving your office. The key is in creating a message that is useful, interesting, compelling and, perhaps, inspiring to your readership. Also, rather than aiming to sell, you your goal is to tell. You might share a tip they’ll hear only from you. You could shed light on new technology, industry breakthroughs or trends. You could even create a two-way forum to receive and answer readers’ questions.  Be creative as you brainstorm the concept that would most benefit your audience. Your readers should appreciate the information and also come away feeling as though you have their best interests at heart. Because you are not delivering a sales pitch, you’ll  and contact information and possibly your tagline is all you need.

Who’ll publish your article? Editors of newspapers, professional journals, magazines and organizational newsletters are often happy to run timely, newsworthy, well-written articles. Do a little research.  Take time to read various publications to see if the article you have in mind is suitable for the media you are considering. You may find that an editor who uses only staff writers. You can still pitch your idea and possibly end up being interviewed. Online and print publications usually indicate submission guidelines within the publication. As a professional, you want to acquire those guidelines and adhere to them.  If it’s appropriate to call or e-mail the editor with a query, then do so. Then give them what they want. If they ask for 500 words, don’t ramble with a 5,000-word story. Submit your piece in their desired format. Note the lead time from acceptance to print. If your article contains a seasonal message, submit it according to the publisher’s calendar.
 
Attaining a reputation as the authority and trusted resource places your business in a highly desirable spot.   Rather than competing on price, you’re in a league of quality and service. Of course, your actions must follow by delivering excellence in your products and all related services.

Advice and topical columns in local papers and professional journals are also terrific for engaging your target audience. One of my clients, a financial advisor, developed an article about a particular investment strategy which will appear in a professional journal read by a targeted customer group. The editor, like many, is happy to fill space with reader-friendly content, while the business owner gets “free” exposure.

Speaking to community and professional groups and organizations is another way to introduce your expertise to key audiences. Clubs and associations are always on the lookout for presenters who can inject fresh ideas, and with a little research, you can place yourself in a room full of ready customers. One of my associates is an independent distributor of an easy-to-wear, interchangeable clothing line. I suggested that she develop a presentation advising women about how to update their wardrobes using items they already own. I advised her to offer her talk to “mother’s morning in” programs hosted by area churches. She did just that and quadrupled her sales within a few months.

Businesses which host “lunch and learn” programs for their employees can also be ideal places to present topics. You might also team up with others who sell products or services which are compatible with yours. A realtor and a mortgage broker I know, for example, create awesome synergy when co-hosting a seminar on how to earn top dollar when selling real estate.   

Sharing advice, telling rather than selling, is a direct path to becoming The Expert. The time invested will be minimal compared to the positive returns.