Okay, so now that you’ve finally gotten serious and you’re starting to consistently track some of your key, (on or) offline businesses (KPI’s), that short for key performance indicators. 😎
Congratulations, your bank account can’t wait to start increasing, as a direct result.
Hey, it’s just part of what elite marketers consistently do, right? It’s how they initially gain and keep their decided edge. But (entrepreneur), please be forewarned and make no mistake about it.
And no matter what level you currently consider your business and or service at, and no matter “how” much or how little conventional advertising/marketing budget you currently have, you can definitely still make a real go of it.
Although rest assured, if any of your major competitors have the deep and or semi deep corporate pockets, you simply will not be able to go head to head with them, in the conventional sense!
But then again, that’s exactly why this particular post was written! To show you “how to” effectively compete, even though writing big checks isn’t currently an option!(And even if and when you can, you still may not want to!)
So How Do Extremely Savvy Marketers Consistently Create At Least 25% More Business Even Though They May Not Necessarily Have The Upfront Cash To Do So?
First of all, let’s be clear here, while there are a ton of extremely savvy marketers, who are diligently monitoring their (KPI’s), in the areas of social media engagement and exposure etc.(And that’s always fun,right? 😉 )
And while they’re also constantly tweaking their various low cost, high powered marketing strategies and tactics etc. There is also an awful lot of extremely successful small business owners and or service providers, that simply have no interest whatsoever, in being actively involved on twitter,Pinterest, FB and or Linkedin etc!
(And they have absolutely no interest in paying some qualified third party service provider to do it for them! What’s up with that? 😎 )
Case in point, my current dentist, isn’t currently active on any of the major social media platforms, and has no plans whatsoever of doing so anytime soon! 😎 (I asked her!)The only tweeting she does, is when she’s attempting to hum one of her favorite tunes! 😎
And in spite that fact, she has an incredibly lucrative (single) location practice, (with) no immediate plans to open another one!
And I might also acknowledge, she readily admits, that she currently has no state of the art, mobile responsive WordPress website and blog!
Which also indicates, she isn’t currently and absolutely has no immediate plans of building a highly responsive opt in email , text message (and or) snail mail list of any kind!Anytime soon! 😎
Really Effective Marketers Don’t Rely On Large Conventional Advertising Budgets In Order To Be Extremely Successful!
Which brings us full circle entrepreneur.Your extremely cash challenged small business (and or) service, can certainly make a go of it, even if your marketing/advertising budget, isn’t literally bursting at the seams, with readily available cash!(Like maybe some of your major competitors is!)
Let’s look at least three (readily occurring) instances, where you can definitely increase your long term gross front or back end profits, by at least 25% or more, simply by implementing some very simple, yet (oh so) powerful, low cost, evergreen marketing strategies and or tactics etc.
Ladies & gentlemen, the main reason I shared that previous paragraph with you is, just because you’re not extremely well versed in proven, (on and off page) SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategies and or practices etc.
Or just because your offline (bricks & mortar) business and or service, doesn’t currently utilize fancy PPC (Pay Per Click) ad campaigns or strategic solo ads etc; to generate daily traffic to your best market tested lead capture page, that doesn’t mean you can’t still be extremely successful!Correct?
You Can Use Non Traditional Methods And Or Strategies To Build An Extremely Profitable Sale Funnel!
And that’s why I mentioned my current dentist. Because when she originally started in the industry, she worked extremely hard under the previous owners real world tutelage and eventually, after she gained some much needed experience and real world business skills etc!
She bought the practice and never once, has she relied on an active Internet presence, to continuously build her business!
In fact, (truth told), she still uses the old school, annually renewable yellow pages display ads, as her primary source of conventional advertising! 😎 And of course, good old fashion , positive word of mouth referrals!
Who Says Really Successful Marketers Have To Rely On Google And Or Facebook In Order To Turn A Substantial Profit?
And the real secret to her ongoing success, is consistently delivering really great customer service and constantly receiving positive word of mouth accolades from her extremely loyal customer base!Now let’s take a look at these three proven marketing strategies, shall we?
1.) Low cost high powered marketing strategy #one:Entrepreneur, (going forward), whenever one of your best,(most loyal) customers or clients takes advantage of one of your upsell/add on sales offers of any kind!
You’ve got to leverage their patronage and loyalty to the hilt!And one of the most profitable ways of doing so, is to offer them some type of high perceived, low cost ethical bribe of some kind, (right on the spot) for a mouth watering, long term bank account filling video testimonial of some kind!(Nothing fancy mind you!)
Direct Marketing Strategies Is A Proven Way To Both Lead And Convert Prospects In To Revenue Generating Assets!
Because these VIP customers,patients or clients, have sufficiently demonstrated with their wallets, they are extremely loyal and definitely believe in your brand!(You’d be extremely wise to take all you can get, while the getting is good! 😎 )
And that’s why they’re positive word of mouth & mouse advocates!So a little nudge (ethical bribe) from you is all they’ll need to record a short video testimonial, that you can and should use for many years to come!
Some Of Your Best Small Business Marketing Strategies Will Yield The Highest Returns!
2.) Low cost high powered marketing strategy # two: Next, (you often) see this next proven marketing gem, used an awful lot with the mail order division of some extremely savvy marketers businesses.
Let’s say a customer orders some type really fast “express shipping.” Ladies & gentlemen, that’s a sure sign they definitely believe in your business, products or services.So once again, (if at all possible) you need to strategically leverage their forward momentum!
And one of the simplest ways of doing so, is to offer them the chance to join a club or commit to placing a similar type of order for next year, and lock them in at today’s price guaranteed!
Fancy restaurants that sell and deliver prime steak orders, will often use these very same technique! Or a savvy florist can use it, to get (predominantly) men to join their “sweet hearts” anniversary club for special locked in annual savings, providing the guys commit to ordering flowers X number of times per year!
Your Marketing Funnel Is The Potential Gateway To Some Mega Marketing Possibilities And Or Opportunities!
3.) Low cost high powered marketing strategy # three: And finally, let’s say your run a service business, like computer repair/IT (Information Technology) consulting etc.
As your customers pay and prepare to leave your store, ask them “if” they’d like to save X% off their very next service and or purchase etc.
And for the guaranteed percentage that say yes, ask them to please go to the special survey type of page on your mobile responsive WordPress blog, this index size card you hand them, has on it and enter their number one or two most burning questions about your industry.
And or have them indicate which type of electronic devices, they or a close family members, spouse, kid(s) or significant other may currently own.
Also ask them to check the boxes of the all the current devices they own, that you currently service.The purpose of asking for their burning questions.
So you’ll have a concrete idea of “what” type of future, lead generating and problem solving “how to” blog post and or short “how to” videos to start creating asap.
Just Make Your Marketing Messages Customer Driven And You’ll Do So Much Better Than Your Major Competitors!
Maybe you create your “Most burning question of the week” segment.And let the participates know, that if their question gets chosen, they automatically get an additional X% savings on top of what you promised, just for participating in your survey process.
And the reason you wanna know which devices your paying customers own, is so you can determine if there is a general consensus of some kind and you can start highlighting those devices in all of your various forms of marketing materials!
It’s a really cheap, (yet) highly effective form of customer driven market research! 😎 Don’t you agree? Good!
So Are You Ready To Build A Profitable Sales Funnel?
My friend, consistently implementing these three, (non complicated) profit enhancing strategies, is “how” some extremely cash starved small business owners and or service provider marketers, are still able to successfully compete, even though they may not have direct access to huge sums of cash! Any questions?Now as is customary during this part of our show.
Please share your extremely valuable comments (in the comments section below) that you can apply to your business, product or service in the next 30 days or less!
As always, if you got any value out of this post, please Google Plus or tweet this.Thanks!
And be sure you grab your explosive free 22 step small business marketing idea kit series, because it will help you increase your profits by as much as 25% in the next 90 days or less.
And help you master your effective communication in marketing skills.(No matter what your particular niche market is.)It’s a $97 dollar value and it’s free!
So true Mark,
Lots of off line businesses don’t need an online presence – only if they are satisfied with what they are doing. But if they want to ramp up their business, they need to be online. One of my clients is a restaurant owner. It is a family business that has be going on for decades. Suddenly they noticed a decline in business. They are not do anything about it. No cross promotion with other businesses, no online presence.
I did mention cross promoting with other businesses in their area and especially get online because most people are on their phones looking for a place to eat.
They are thinking about it lol!
-Donna
Donna Merrill recently posted…5 Blogging Mistakes
Thanks Donna!
And you’re so right! In the case of my dentist, she really has no
immediate plans of growing the business, via the Internet!
And like the restaurant owners you referenced, she will probably be missing out on a vast majority
of the younger, Internet savvy crowd, who’s definitely looking online first
and then relying on close friends and family members for recommendations
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing you extremely valuable input Coach!Greatly appreciated!
Mark Newsome recently posted…So Entrepreneur What Are You Thankful For?
Great tips here Mark!
And you are right many small businesses don’t need an online presence. They can carry on regardless doing what they’ve always done – engaging with their market locally, face to face and via the phone. Using clever marketing ideas such as the ones you show here still work.
Years ago I wrote a 400-page offline marketing manual for small businesses. Looking at that manual now, I can see that many of the ideas will still work today.
But here is where things ARE changing:
1. Fewer and fewer people use the Yellow Pages to source products and services – they now do it online
2. Most of the best quality customers are looking online in other ways (e.g., social media)
A small business run by someone without vision (e.g., your local dentist example) can keep doing what has worked previously (word of mouth, etc.). But if they want to scale up, if they want to attract the most discerning customers – they need to have an online presence if for no other reason than this: that’s where their market is looking.
Great post Mark – I really enjoyed it (and the tips are excellent)
Kim
Kim Willis recently posted…I Got Scalped in Phnom Penh Barber Shop
Excellent points as usual Kim!
And you and I are definitely on the same pace here!
In fact, there is (without) a doubt, a certain audience demographic,
that unless a more modern day small business owner and or service
provider readily embraces all of the excellent tips you’ve shared.
They will in all likelihood, not be found by those individuals!LOL!
Boy you’ve really got my curiosity going, regarding your 400
page manual for small business owners!LOL!
Anyway you could modify it and turn it into paid ebook? I’d purchase it
in a heart beat, because I love treasure hunting marketing experts ideas!
Or maybe turn each chapter into a podcast series!LOL!
Thanks for sharing some fabulous insights!Greatly appreciated!
Mark Newsome recently posted…How Extremely Savvy Marketers Consistently Create 25% More Business With Less Money!