Biz.com Small Business

Lead Generating Marketing Strategies

2012-02-21T14:20:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

Lead generation is very important for your small business. Waiting by the telephone for a client to call you, or sitting at a trade show table for hours, may not be that effective. You can have leads generated and sent to you by agencies or you can do the work yourself.

Lead Generation

Lead generation agencies specialize and provide businesses with qualified leads. The agency develops a website where they promote and advertise your product or service. The consumers find the website, completes an online quote request form, ad this form is submitted to the agency. The buyer’s information matches up with appropriate providers and then sent by email to prospective providers with their full contact information and purchasing requirements.

Social Media

With social media small businesses and medium sized businesses can now afford the same media like big corporations. There are powerful and inexpensive tools to reach and communicate with large numbers of prospects. Know your audience and show them the best way that your business can solve problems and give solutions. Develop a way to capture data and maintain information about customers and prospects. Try a CRM program. Social media provides a way for small businesses to get out there and get noticed. By using the Facebook fan page to showcase different products or services. The Facebook messaging you might invite interaction by asking prospects for feedback. Twitter can be used to pull customers into your company blog post.

Reference:

SBA; Small Business Marketing; Caron Beelsey; 2009

About: Marketing Benefits of Using Lead Generation’ Laura Lake

Inc: Lead Generation in the New Economy

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How to Advertise Your Business Service

2012-02-19T16:16:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

Advertising your business service can be done if you are on a budget. Most business services want to advertise and want to look for the most cost effective way to do it. Advertise on a budget and make your money go further. Make your advertising budget work hard.

Personal Letters

Small business advertising can to be done on a small direct mail campaign. Send personal letters with the prospects full name and business address. Make the tone of the letter is friendly. It usually begins by gaining the attention of the prospect, and gives benefits for using your business. Explain in the letter how the business or service can solve a problem. According to Jay Conrad Levinson, in his book, Guerrilla Marketing, “The writing of personal letters, not direct mailings of large quantities of letters and brochures, but simple, personal letters, is one of the most effective, easy, inexpensive, and overlooked methods of marketing.” Personal letters can be very inexpensive.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is a form of direct marketing. It solicits prospects to take some form of action. Email marketing is a very cost effective way that you can market your business, and add new customers. Sending an email sales letter to a target audience has its advantages. With email marketing you can target your prospects by their interest, age, profession and etc. Email marketing letters are successful if handled properly.

Flyer

Have a strong headline on the flyer. Tell about your service. Stress benefits of using your company. Write your contact information, name, title, phone, address and email address. Use a light colored inexpensive bond paper with two standard colors of ink. Have the flyer printed professionally by a printer because it makes your small business appear more established to your prospects. Put them on bulletin boards, windshield wipers in office parking lots, and shopping malls.

Door Hangers

Door hangers are another inexpensive way to advertise your business they are affordable and effective. You are able to write your own ad on them and target the market that you want.

Reference:

Jay Conrad Levinson, in his book, Guerrilla Marketing, Houghton Mifflin

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How to Create a Catering Brochure

2012-02-19T15:03:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

Creating a catering brochure might help you get your foot in the door, or help you generate leads. Presentation skills and the ability to make food look fancy go a long way, and keeping up with the latest trends in food and party ideas will help make your catering business a success. A brochure will help you showcase your catering business and helps the customer get a detailed account of your company or service.

Service

Explain completely what your service is about. What type of food do you make and what are some of the parties that you have catered. Do you handle weddings and work with wedding planners. What type of service do you offer? What do you offer the client that is different from your competition? What are the types of accounts you handle?

Headline

Write a strong headline on the cover of the brochure and make it something that the customer will remember. Many prospects will only read the first page and glance through the brochure. Gain their interest in what you are selling with the headline. “The cover of a brochure works like the headline of a print advertisement. State your position or promise a benefit to the reader,” according to Kenneth Roman, Jane Mass, and Martin Nisenholtz, in their book, How to Advertise.

Sections

There are many sections that you can use in the brochure. Sections can include information about product, service, price, ordering, and information on the owners or the cooks and servers. Use headings and subheads with bullets. Keep it simple by breaking large text into easy to read sections.

Reference:

Kenneth Roman, Jane Mass & Martin Nisenholtz; How to Advertise; Thomas Dunne Books

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Advantages of Direct Mail for Mortgage Brokers

2012-02-13T16:29:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

A direct mail can be produced with a laser printer, letterhead stationary, and a qualified mailing list. If the sales message is what it should be a percentage of readers on your mailing list will respond about the advertised product or service. When you need more leads for your mortgage business there are some advantages of using a sales letter to generate leads. Direct mail is not just for large corporations, if it is written correctly, it will be to your advantage to use.

Sales Letter

A sales letter is used in the direct package. It is a powerful tool if written properly. The letter should drive home your selling points and the benefits of using your mortgage business. A careful analysis of the market has to be made when you write the letter. For example, it requires that you know your audience. The letter has to gain the attention of the reader and specify your selling points. Most of the selling in the direct mail package is done in the sales letter. Sales letter can outdo most of the direct mail packages that don’t have a letter.

The Direct Mail can be Tested

A great benefit of using a direct mail is that it can be tested to see how well it will do. Before you invest your time and your money in a direct mail program you should test your sales letter. You have to know if the letter will pull a response. You can use a small sample of one hundred letters, mail them and test your response. If the letter is not strong enough and you receive no response then you must revise your letter.

You Can Determine your Response

Lead generating direct get results. Each time you send it out you can expect the package to pull in the same amount of leads. You can determine the result of your direct mail after you send out the package. After you have tested the sample your response rate should be the same every time you send the direct mail. According to C.A. Nolan and R.F. Warmke’s book, Marketing Sales Promotion and Advertising, “Large business organizations make every attempt to predetermine the market before a sales letter campaign is started.”

Reference:

C.A. Nolan and R.F. Warmke’s book; Marketing Sales Promotion and Advertising; South-Western

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Advantages of Direct Mail Advertising for Computer Technicians

2012-02-13T15:46:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

A direct mail package has many advantages to offer your computer repair business. There are many benefits to using direct mail for a computer technician. Your advertising efforts will position your company name in the customer’s mind so when they think of hiring a computer technician they’ll call you.

Reaches a Target Market

Your direct mail can be targeted toward a group of people and written just for that group to interest them in your computer repair service. “Direct mail is the only mass medium that can be directed toward target groups or prospects. The message may be highly personalized and can also be designed as an effective market research tool,” according to B. Charles Ames and James D. Hlavacek, in their book, Managerial Marketing for Industrial Firms.

Low Cost

Your letters can be written on your computer. You can send out as many or as few as you like. You can send out a batch of 500 letters with only the cost of postage, envelopes and paper. Personal letters are low cost, you can send out as few as one letter. According to Jay Conrad Levinson, in his book, Guerrilla Marketing, “The writing of personal letters, not direct mailings of large quantities of letters and brochures, but simple, personal letters, is one of the most effective, easy, inexpensive and overlooked methods of marketing.”

Leads

Direct mail can generate leads. If you don’t like cold calling, then you’ll love direct mail. You can send out hundreds or even thousands of letters without ever having to make one phone call. The prospect will call you if you provide your contact information. You will have a ratio of how many letters to send to receive a reply.

Reference:

Jay Conrad Levinson; Guerrilla Marketing; Houghton Mifflin

B. Charles Ames and James D. Hlavacek; Managerial Marketing for Industrial Firms; Random House

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How to Advertise a Cleaning Service

2012-02-09T12:23:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

Having several ads on television may be out of reach for most cleaning services. Most cleaning businesses are on a budget and must make their money go further, and make their ads work harder. Your advertising efforts will position your company name in the customer’s mind so when they think of hiring a cleaning service they’ll call you. Small business advertising can be done on a budget it will require time on your part, but it will be worth the effort.

Business Cards

They are an important marketing tool because you can make them a mini ad by listing some of your services that you offer. Always carry them with you and give people at least 2 or 3 so they can refer you to others.

Website

Create a company website so that customers can research your company information. Write helpful articles that will drive traffic to your site.

Directories

Get your company listed in the Yellow Pages. Electronic directories are a good place to have a business listed; some are free and will let you include a profile about your company.

Magnetic Sign

Use a magnetic vehicle sign. Include your company information, your website address, and phone number.

Postcards

Advertise with direct mail postcards. Get a mailing list. Write a headline that will attract attention for example, “Cleaning at Affordable Prices. I Guarantee Your Satisfaction.” Include a photo of you and your crew. Show the prices of your service.

Reference:

Office Cleaning Business: How to Advertise a Cleaning Business?

Print Label and Mail: Direct Mail Advertising Ideas for a Cleaning Service; Jim Negron

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How to Advertise Your Plumbing Business

2012-02-08T17:48:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

Advertising your plumbing business on a budget is possible. Advertising is about ideas and what strategy you are going to take. You can market your plumbing business by applying innovative, cost-efficient advertising techniques that makes you stand out from your competition.

Postcards

Advertise your plumbing business with postcards. Get a mailing list. Write a headline for the postcard that will gain attention. Think about all of the services that you provide to customers such as, upgrading bathroom fixtures, changing a faucet, installing a water line for an automatic ice maker, and plumbing problems. Tell them about your service.

Flyer

Pass out fliers if you are on a budget. They are inexpensive to use and they are effective. Tell about your service. Stress benefits of using your plumbing business. Write your contact information, name, title, website, phone, address and email address. Have the flyer printed professionally by a printer because it makes your business look professional and appear more established.

Directories

Buy ad placements in directories. Get your plumbing business listed in the Yellow Pages. Buy Adwords and list your plumbing business in online advertisements, and electronic directories.

Pass out your business cards. Start a website and include your logo. List your prices of the services that you offer. Give your customers an idea of the cost of your service, for example, faucet replacement $89.00. Most customers will see the price and think I didn't know it was that reasonable, but there are some that will think the price is high, but listing the price will pre-qualify the customer before they call you.

Reference:

Print Label and Mail: Direct Mail Advertising Ideas for Plumbers; Jim Negron

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Create a Marketing Brochure for a Consultant Service

2012-02-07T17:04:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

Creating a brochure is very important. All small businesses need sales material so that you can make a connection with your clients and close the sale. The brochure offers prospects a detailed look at your service, a description of a product or service and enough information to be able to order something or hire you.

The Strategy

Your strategy should begin with understanding your target audience and what they want from you. Decide where you have an edge by studying your competition. Have a plan before you start to write it, to drive home your selling points.

Explain What the Service Is

Explain completely what your service is about. What do you offer the client that is different from your competition? What are the types of accounts you handle? All of the services offered by your firm should be written in detail descriptions explaining how the service works.

Ask for the Order

Tell the reader what the next step will be. What action do you want them to take, telephone, credit card or check, or go to your website. Always include a clear call to action in your brochure.

Don’t wait until the last minute to create a brochure. You will have limited time to create one when you are trying to win a bid, or when a prime prospect asks for more information on your service. Whether consumers are buying a car or hiring an accountant they still like to glance through a brochure.

Reference:

Kenneth Roman, Jane Mass, and Martin Nisenholtz; How to Advertise; 2003

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How to Create a Small Business Website Home Page

2012-02-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

A website home page is where you will address your customers and prospects and where customers come to learn more about your small business. This gives you an opportunity to sell to your prospects. Content is the most important thing about your website. It should look good but it should also help sell your product or service.

“Web developers are concerned with layout and graphics that serve primarily to make the website more readable and not the key drivers. Strip away the bells and whistles that web developers design with flash presentation, rich media and there is no sale,” according to Robert Bly in his book The Online Copywriter’s Handbook.

A home page should tell the customer about your small business. Know your audience and think in terms of why they are coming to your website, and what are they coming to learn about your small business.

Write a killer headline for your home page. Your headline is very important and you must give a lot of thought to it. You must attract attention and interest to your home page. People are always in a hurry and they are not going to read your business talk unless you make it worth their while and let the headline attract their attention.

Write about the benefits of using your product or service. How does your service solve problems? Do you give a money back guarantee; are you cheaper than the competition?

Reference:

Robert W. Bly; The Online Copywriter’s Handbook; McGrall

Claude Hopkins; Scientific Advertising; Cosimo Classics

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Postcard Marketing Tips

2012-02-01T16:42:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

Postcard marketing works if it is done the right way. Postcard advertising is ideal for the small business owner on a budget. You have a better chance of getting the postcard read because it has no envelope. It is important that you know your market because you can have the best laminated postcard, with graphics design and if your mailing list is wrong you won’t profit from the campaign.

The Offer

The postcard should have an offer. What does your company offer the prospect? Your response rate will be much higher if your small business has an offer. You might offer free shipping, or a special bonus offer, or a discount on your service.

The Mailing List

Purchase a mailing list from a list broker or media company to use for a specified length of time, or for a certain number of communications. Know your audience before you order your mailing list. It is important that you are clear about your best customers and then try and clone them. The best lists available to you will be your house list. A house list consists of customers and people that have already responded to your ads and have bought from you in the past.

Expense

The cost is low, here in the

USA

; postage for a postcard is about $0.28 opposed to $0.44 for a first class envelope. You don’t have to send a lot of postcards at one time, and if you have a new prospect then them a postcard.

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Market your Business by Email

2012-02-01T14:05:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

Email marketing can be used by small business to try and acquire new customers, encourage customer loyalty, and get existing customers to buy from you again. It has the ability to build brand awareness and loyalty by providing customers with the information that interest them about your product or service. The internet is an effective way to reach your customers.

Email Letter

An email marketing letter is a good way to market your small business. You don’t want to send spam, but a sales letter that will be effective. Write a marketing letter that will get your foot in the door and get your product sold. Email marketing letters are successful if handled properly.

Newsletter

Give your prospect a lot of useful information. Offer the customer detailed information about your business. Write helpful articles about your line of business, or interview some of your employees. You can get a lot of information into your newsletter, far more than you can a brochure.

Create an incentive for signing up for your email newsletter. Give them some benefits for receiving an email newsletter, for example, by stressing the great information they will be receiving from it.

Advertise in Newsletters

Not interested in sending out your own email newsletter. You can find newsletters that are published by others and pay for advertising in their newsletter that they email and send to subscribers. Some newsletters are created just for the purpose of selling advertising space to other firms.

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Advantages of a Small Business Newsletter

2012-01-29T15:55:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

Many businesses publish newsletters monthly to their prospects, clients, employees, and customers. Newsletters are public relations material and are used by big corporations to help them promote their own activities and carry out their missions.

Many small businesses want to use newsletters but they don't understand how they can work for their particular business. Newsletters are not just for supercorporations and nonprofit organizations; if it is written and produced professionally it will benefit your organization. Having a newsletter is a big commitment in terms of writing and producing, so make sure you have enough material. Decide how often you will publish your newsletter.

Newsletters Build an Image

Your small business will have the opportunity to build an image with a prospect or client. You don't have to cold call if you have a client that was unable to make their mind up to order from you. Send them a newsletter it helps you keep your business name in front of the client. Over a period of time newsletters are able to help build a reputation with a select group of prospects.

Gives Credibility

The newsletter is less credible than a story appearing in the newspaper or a trade journal because it is produced by your small business. But the newsletter is a respectable medium and is highly read when you offer information that is interesting and informative. They tell us when the next meeting will be, who made partner, they give us financial planning information, diet tips, and tell us how to remodel our kitchen.

Reference:

Herman Holtz; Great Promo Pieces; Wiley

Robert W. Bly; The Copywriter's Handbook; Owl

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How to Write a Small Business Bid Letter

2012-01-29T12:40:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

Writing a small business bid letter requires different things to consider when preparing the bid. Start with an outline this will help you organize information that needs to go into the bid letter.

Writing a bid letter can win you the bid. A purchasing bid letter has to be planned before you begin the initial writing. In most cases the bid will go to the lowest-priced responsible bidder. They are evaluated with no discussion held with the bidders.

Difficulty

Moderate

Things You’ll Need

Cost of material

Cover reports

Financial statements

Certificates and licenses

Analyze the requirements. Before you prepare the bid make sure you have a full understanding by studying the specifications and requirements to make the purchase. Examine all the specifications, read the IFP several times.

Write the “Company profile” section. Write about your qualifications and your experience with similar jobs. Include the bidder’s identification number, number of employees. Tell the evaluators the responsibilities of key personnel and subcontractors. Add client references.

Write your response. Start the first paragraph with a section about your company. Bids include the experience, expertise, and a reliability section and the method of performance. Tell the procurement staff or the business venture about your organization your experience and your work references or samples of the type of work performed. The second paragraph is the performance section and it should tell how your organization will perform when you buy the business venture, or deliver the goods requested in the bid document. The format is not that important just make sure you have all the information included.

Cost

Your bid price should come out of the budget detail, the materials, labor, overhead, packaging and transportation. The price must meet the supplier’s rate of return objectives.

Tips

Make sure that the bid is signed.

Do not leave out attachment, for example financial statements, compliance reports, certificates, licenses, etc.

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Small Business Internet Marketing Ideas

2012-01-29T11:32:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

Marketing your small business online gives you the opportunity to reach people globally. Online marketing is successful if you handle it properly.

Internet marketing can drive traffic to your company website. In some cases it is more cost effective and cheaper than tradition forms of advertising. Getting an ad on television or a full page ad in the newspaper can be expensive, but putting an ad in an online directory is much cheaper.

Pay-per click advertising

This form of advertising allows a small business to set up an account, select a list of tightly targeted keywords that match your business, with keyword matching and phrase matching. You will be listed on search engines with an effective text ad for your product or service. The keywords are low cost and highly effective.

Online Directories.

List your small business with an online directory and write a description about your business. Use keyword tags.

Email marketing

Make it easy to sign up for your email newsletter on your website. You must have a way to capture the email addresses on your website. Make sure that all of the subscribers on your list have opt-in to receive an email newsletter from you.

Banner advertising

Small rectangular advertisements that range in appearance and size that can be used for products or a service business. When a prospect clicks on it their internet browser will take them to your website and advertisement.

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How to Advertise Your Business by Email

2012-01-25T18:14:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

Small businesses can benefit from advertising their business by email. It gives them another option that is cost effective.

Email marketing is a form of direct marketing. It solicits prospects to take some form of action. It is cost effective way that small businesses can market their business, and add new customers. Sending an email sales letter to a target audience has its advantages. With email marketing you can target your prospects by their interest, age, profession and etc. Email marketing letters are successful if handled properly.

Building a Mailing List

The subscribers on your mailing list must opt-in to receive your email, otherwise t it will be consider a spam message. The prospect must have taken some kind of action to receive your email. You can also get an opt-in mailing list from a list broker. There are many companies online that you can purchase or rent a mailing list. Your company must provide a way for recipients to unsubscribe to your email, so make it easy for them to opt-out from your email program.

Your house list is the best list to work from because it consists of people that have bought from you in the past. Put your current customer’s names on the list, and all of your prospects that you’ve given a sales presentation too.

Subject Line

The subject line is the first thing that the recipient sees. Write something that will make the prospect read the email. Use and offer, or write a benefit here. The subject line has to be fifty characters or less, so use it to get their attention.

The Offer

When you have an offer in your email, you must make it possible for the link to be directly on the page which has the offer. Don’t expect the reader to go from page to page looking for the offer. Use a custom-designed page thanking them for responding to the email.

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Tips on Making a Product Brochure

2012-01-23T17:46:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

Having a strong brochure will help you market your small business. They may be prepared in practically any style or color that is desired for your particular business. They may be made with a desktop publishing program or online. I have written a lot of brochure content for small and large companies. You can hire a copywriter to write your brochure content or follow these tips.

The Cover

The front page of your product brochure should have a headline. The cover works like a headline in print advertisement. State the position or promise the prospect a benefit on the cover. Your name, the title of the product, company logo, and a visual should be on the cover.

The Final Page

You may include a section on frequently asked questions about the product. Include a company description in a brief summary to show excellence and that the product is backed by a reputable firm. Write about customer service, information on delivery and your product guarantees.

Ask for the Order

Tell the reader what the next step will be, telephone, credit card or check, or go to your website. Include this at the end of the final page give them a clear call to action.

The Graphics

Make your illustrations work hard by showing story appeal. Use graphics to create impact. Your product is displayed in many attractive settings as possible. Demonstrate the product with how to use visuals. Write a caption under each photograph.

Reference:

Roman, Kenneth, Jane Maas, and Martin Nisenholtz; How to Advertise; Thomas Dunne; 2006

Wells, William, John Burnett and Sandra Moriarity; Advertising Principles and Practice; Prentice Hall

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How to Create a Product Brochure

2012-01-23T17:01:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

Product brochures are widely used in direct mail, and marketing. They are inexpensive to make and lend themselves to considerable flexibility in use. A product brochure should be well prepared and well thought-out. Work from an outline because it forces you to think about what you want to say and what needs to be included in the brochure.

The Audience

Are you writing to engineers, insurance companies or managers? Your brochure must fit the informational needs of your audience. The engineer may be interested in performance specifications of the product. The insurance company may be interested in data or charts. Software programmers and engineers explain that they want to stick to the technical jargon in the brochure, and anything else is a lot of fluff. The problem with that is that the product brochure is sales literature and they often inform, persuade and close the sale.

The Facts

Tell consumers everything they need to know about your product. Write about the product features, the specifications, and the performance. Give many features on the product, but keep in mind that you must drive home the selling points. A lot of customers complain that brochures don’t give enough facts. The customers want to know what’s included in the price, your hours, and your range of products or services.

Reference:

Roman, Kenneth, Jane Maas, and Martin Nisenholtz; How to Advertise; Thomas Dunne; 2003

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How to Advertise a Small Business Online

2012-01-23T12:09:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

Marketing your small business online is an effective way to advertise. Many small businesses are looking for new ways to advertise their businesses as an addition to print advertising. Most online directories allow small businesses to list their business, write a description, and use keyword tags. Advertising and creating a powerful ad will take time and effort. Write and rewrite the ad until you come up with an ad that is successful. Create a powerful headline that will compel your prospects to take action.

Email marketing is a form of direct marketing in which you can reach prospects with an email message for the purpose of acquiring new customers, convincing them to buy something, or sending advertisements. One advantage of email marketing is that your ROI can be tracked and it has been proven to be high when done properly. All your subscribers must take some form of action to opt-in to indicate that they want you email message. All subscribers must know that they can easily opt-out if they don't want your message.

Google Adwords

Google offers low cost highly effective advertising for your product or service. Adwords provides your small business with effective text ads that are displayed with search results. When you place your small business ad with Adwords it gives you the ability to select a list of tightly targeted keywords that include, keyword matching, phrase matching, exact query matching, and negative keyword matching. This targeting technique will help you create a high targeted ad campaign.

Online Directories

Most online directories allow small businesses to list their business, write a description, and use keyword tags.

Free Classified

List your product or service with an online classified site because people are searching for a particular product or service they will find your ad.

Reference:

Inc; Internet Opportunities Small Business Overlook

Web Source: Internet Advertising

Voices Yahoo: 8 Ways to Advertise your Online Business for Free

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Tips on Making a Brochure

2012-01-22T11:04:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

Your small business must have advertising material. Plan ahead when creating a brochure. You will have limited time to create one when you are trying to win a bid, or when a prime prospect asks for more information on your small business. You can lose the deal if you are not prepared and have a brochure that will help sell your service. Here are tips on creating a sales brochure.

Write the brochure with your audience in mind. What do they want from your company? This is not the opportunity to go on and on about how great your company is. Look at it from the prospective of what does the client want from you?

In your brochure tell the customer everything in detail that they need to know about your small business. This may sound obvious but there are many small business brochures that I have read that are merely just a long list of items, giving no details about the company, the service, or how it works. According to Jane Maas’s book, Better Brochures, Catalogs and Mailing pieces, “Tell customers what is included what, are the cost, what are the hours. Graphic devices can help to spotlight important information.”

The brochure is advertising material and must be persuasive. All of the services offered by your firm should be written in detail descriptions explaining how the service works. This is not the time to brag about your company, but explain how your firm helps the client.

Reference:

Mass, Jane. Better Brochures, Catalogs and Mailing Pieces. New York St. Martin’s Press

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How to Write a Proposal for a Construction Business

2012-01-22T10:41:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

A construction business proposal is used to help contractors get jobs and for bidding on RFP’s.

Write from an outline. Outline your proposal before you begin to write it, and use your letterhead stationary. A proposal will help with the bidding and can used when the contractor is being considered along with a number of other potential contractors.

Difficulty

Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need

Company brochures

Charts

Photographs

Write the executive summary which will include a brief summary of the project. Tell the evaluators or client why your contracting business is best for the contract. Demonstrate that you understand the client’s requirements for the job.

Explain how your company is going to accomplish the work in the statement of work. Write the services provided section. Focus on the highlights of your construction business. What are the benefits of using your construction business?

Start the next section with the qualifications information. Write about the number of similar types of jobs. State the size of each job. Give references from similar types of jobs that you have done and photographs of finished jobs.

Start the forth section cost estimate and explain the price you are proposing. List a project price. Include each service that is proposed with a detailed fee schedule. Give a summary of the cost to the client, cost for labor, materials and equipment. Write the timeline, include when you will be finished with different stages of the project.

Reference:

Valuable Insurance Guide: How to Write a General Contractor Business Proposal

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How to Write a Service Proposal for a Small Business

2012-01-22T10:09:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

A service proposal is used for asking for funding, bidding on a RFP or used to get investors for your small business. Collect all of the information on your service from brochures, your website and ensure that graphs that will be included are relevant. Plan your proposal early before writing it.

Difficulty

Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need

Company brochures

Graphs

Charts

Write an executive summary which is a brief summary of the project. Tell the evaluators or client why your small business is the best for the contract.

Write the next section which you will give your firm qualifications information. Write about the number of similar types of jobs that you have had in the past. State the size of each job. Give references from similar types of jobs that you have done.

Write your personnel information and the responsibilities of key employees in your firm. List the supervisors of the service business.

Address the cost estimate and explain the price you are proposing. List a final price for the project. Include each service that is proposed with a detailed fee schedule.

Write all expected completion dates. Provide a methodology for documenting bidding on a RFP the completion dates. Address every topic in the request for proposal (RFP) and address them in the order that they appear in the RFP.

Eliminate your errors by proofreading and editing. Rewrite sections that are too vague and don’t explain the full meaning of what you are proposing. Avoid typos that will make your proposal look unprofessional and amateurs.

Tips

Have the proposal completed before the deadline so you will have time to revise the proposal.

Demonstrate that your firm has the capability to perform the job.

Reference

Fedmarket: Proposal Writing: Filling the Holes

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Tips on Advertising Your Small Business

2012-01-19T18:09:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

You can advertise on a budget and make your money go further. You also have to get former customers to use your business again and give you repeat business. A small business must advertise and without breaking their bank. Small business advertising can be done on a budget, but requires time on your part.

Postcards

Postcard advertising is ideal for the small business owner on a budget. Postcards are a very effective marketing method. The cost is very inexpensive, first class postage for a postcard is about $0.28 U.S. You can print labels on your computer; the other side of the postcard should have an offer, for example, give the customer something free, a discount, or two for the price of one. Create a tempting offer, and it should improve your response rate.

Email

Sending an email sales letter to a target audience has its advantages. With email marketing you can target your prospects by their interest, age, profession and etc. According to Kenneth Roman, Jane Maas, and Martin Nisenholtz’s book, How to Advertise, “The joy of direct marketing is its accountability—you quickly know the exact results of an advertising investment.” With this type of marketing you have the advantage of tracking your response rate. Your company must provide a way for recipients to unsubscribe to your email, so make it easy for them to opt-out from your email program.

Newsletters

Newsletters are public relations material. You also have to get former customers to use your business again and give you repeat business. Newsletters keep your small businesses name in front of your prospect.

Reference:

Kenneth Roman, Jane Maas, and Martin Nisenholtz; How to Advertise; 2003

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What is Direct Response Advertising?

2012-01-19T15:18:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

Direct response advertising is used by large corporations, small businesses, consulting firms and companies of all sizes. Direct response advertising is not as expensive as traditional advertising, it can be tracked and it offers a lot of different media outlets. It allows you to communicate with your customer by direct mail campaign, infomercial, radio, magazine, mail order, and email.

In direct response advertising the prospect is urged to call the advertiser right away to receive the offer. Direct response methods include coupons to cut and mail, reply cards in direct mail, and toll free telephone numbers. For example, if you are sending direct mail you can send a reply card and ask the prospect to mail it back with their phone number if they want more information.

Direct response advertising works because it requires a call to action. You can use a time sensitive statement in your in your call to action. For example, call now for a free gift and if you call within the next twenty minutes you’ll get the second item free. Direct response advertising can be tracked. This type of call to action allows the advertiser to track the offer and run similar offers and track which one received the best response.

Reference:

Business Dictionary: Direct Response Advertising

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How to Write a Proposal for a Small Business

2012-01-17T18:30:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

A proposal for a small business requires careful preparing before you write it. Begin the process with an outline this will help you organize your thoughts and help you prepare the information that needs to go into the proposal. A small business proposal can help your business get business loans, investors, or more commercial clients.

Executive summary. Why should they choose your company and why your small business is the best for the contract? Write how your company is going to accomplish the requested work and how you’re going to do it. Write the history of your company.

Write the “Resume and qualifications” section. Write about your qualifications and your experience with similar jobs. Tell the evaluators the responsibilities of key personnel and subcontractors and provide their resumes.

Address major topics in the request for proposal (RFP) and address them in the order that they appear in the RFP. What are the expected completion dates?

Cost Estimate. Propose your price. List and itemize each service that your company is going to perform with a detailed fee schedule. Include a maintenance cost estimate which is an estimated cost for planned or unplanned work which can be carried out in conjunction with the proposed project, but is not required to meet the intent of the project.

Proofread and revise. Rewrite all sections of the proposal that don’t explain in detail of what you are proposing. Eliminate all typos. Use section titles and subheadings.

Reference:

Find FRP: Government Contracting: How to Write a Proposal or Respond to a Bid Solicitation

Fedmarket: Proposal Writing: Filling the Holes

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How to Make a Marketing Letter for a Small Business

2012-01-17T18:00:00.000-08:00

By Lanee’ Blunt

Small businesses can use direct mail to get new clients, get more customers, sell their products, and as a follow up. One advantage of using direct mail is that you don’t have to cold call and if you don’t like cold calling then sending sales letters may be beneficial. There are many advantages of using direct mail that will help you market your small business.

Defined exactly what you want your reader to do after they have read your sales letter? Would you like your prospect to ask for information? Suggest that they send for your information package. If your goal is for a home visit if this is the case, you can suggest that you’ll call them to set up an appointment. Having an offer gives the prospect a reason to respond to your direct mail. Use an active voice when writing the offer.

Work hard to get your readers attention and keep it. Give them your sells points and stress some benefits of using your business. Use headlines in the sales letter because they gain attention.

A sales letter has to have a call to action, which tells the reader to pick up the phone and call now. If the product is sold by mail ask them to send for more information. Make it easy for your prospect take action.

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