Top Three Small Business Marketing Tips

1) The first step to a successful marketing campaign involves planning. Know what you're going to do, when you're going to do it, what your distinctive sales message is, what your competitive advantages are (from the customer's point of view), and how you're going to combine different strategies. Possessing this knowledge will put you in an infinitely stronger position than if your marketing approach is in any way haphazard. Put
your plan on paper and refine it every day.

2) Important principle: Prospective customers generally need to be exposed to your company name and marketing message multiple times before they can be persuaded to do business with you. Cautionary note: That does not mean it's advisable to make a long-term commitment to an untested advertising campaign.  Reduce the risk and increase the likelihood of a successful outcome by first experimenting with different headlines, bulletted selling points, graphics, or themes to find an advertising concept or combination of elements that produces a solid response rate. Remember, though, that advertising is only a small segment of your overall marketing strategy. There are a myriad of other techniques -- many of which are inexpensive -- that can be used to effectively promote your business, increase your visibility, enhance your image, and reinforce your marketing message in the minds of your target audience.

3) Be prepared: Always have an up-to-date supply of professional-looking business cards with you wherever you go, and hand them out at every possible opportunity. A second key element of being prepared involves knowing exactly what you're going to say when someone asks you what business you're in or what you do for a living. Think of it as sort of a 20 second "conversational commercial". You don't want it to sound like a sales pitch, but you do want to radiate enthusiasm and put your business in its most favorable light every time you talk about it. A third important aspect of being prepared is having a fresh supply of brochures at your office, briefcase, and car. When someone expresses interest in your services, that's a good opportunity to hand them a brochure or write down their address and promise to send them some information, including a well-written sales letter.

To stay motivated and goal-oriented, think of a qualified lead as "a sale waiting to happen". While you can't convert all prospects to customers, you can continually bring in new business by acting on hidden (and obvious) marketing opportunities.

Optimal Marketing Communications

About the Author

Joel Sussman, president of Optimal Marketing Communications, is a marketing writer and Internet entrepreneur.
Visit http://www.marketingsurvivalkit.com for more free marketing tips, recommendations, and ideas.