Marketing — Special Events and Outreach

Marketing Basics

Special Events and Outreach

• Get a booth at a fair/trade show attended by your target market.
• Sponsor or host a special event or open house at your business location in cooperation with a local non-profit organization, such as a women’s business center. Describe how the organization helped you.
• Give a speech or volunteer for a career day at a high school.
• Teach a class or seminar at a local college or adult education center.
• Sponsor an Adopt-a-Road area in your community to keep roads litter-free. People that pass by the area will see your name on the sign announcing your sponsorship.
• Volunteer your time to a charity or non-profit organization.
• Donate your product or service to a charity auction.
• Appear on a panel at a professional seminar.
• Write a How To pamphlet or article for publishing.
• Produce and upload an educational video or POD-Cast to your site.
• Use Print on Demand technology to produce a book.
• Publish an eBook and offer as free download on your company website

Sales Ideas

• Start every day with two cold calls.
• Read newspapers, business journals, and trade publications for new business openings, personnel appointments, and promotion announcements made by companies. Send your business literature to appropriate individuals and firms.
• Give your sales literature to your lawyer, accountant, printer, banker, temp agency, office supply salesperson, advertising agency, etc. (Expand your sales force for free!)
• Put your fax number and web site URL on order forms for easy submission.
• Set up your eMail system to auto respond to company or product inquiries. DO NOT BECOME A SPAMER — Send eMails and Faxes ONLY to those contacts who have specifically “Opted IN” to your marketing/Information programs.
• Follow up on your Opt-In direct mailings and eMail messages with a friendly telephone call.
• Try using Opt-In email delivery methods instead of direct mail.
• Use  eMail messages to notify your OPT-IN customers of product service updates.
• Extend your hours of operation.
• Reduce response/turnaround time. Make reordering easy – use reminders. Provide pre-addressed envelopes, or better yet, add an easy to use online reorder process to your website.
• Display product and service samples at your office.
• Remind clients of the products and services you provide that they aren’t currently buying.
• Call former clients to try and reactivate them.
• Upgrade your website to secured eCommerce site so clients can place orders at their convenience.

As a retired SBDC counselor, I know where to find business-related information — both online and IRL. In this case some of my marketing source is a SBA publication (National Women’s Business Center, Washington, D.C., 4/97). The balance is just years of experience. For individual business support with any aspect of your business contact the nearest SBA-sponsored Small Business Development Center.