Driving a successful marketing campaign for a small business can seem impossible. In the early phase, with little to no overhead and no substantial profit, small businesses must be marketed efficiently and wisely or they may run out of gas quickly. Ineffective marketing can stall or even crash a new business. The Internet offers many advertising options if your products or services can be sold globally. Though it is good to establish a website to direct clients to, businesses that provide a local service don’t find much clientele through online advertising. If you’re looking for ideas, try these no-cost and low-cost ways to kick your marketing program into high gear.

Networking

The first networking organization that comes to mind for many small business owners is the local Chamber of Commerce. This organization can provide ample networking opportunities if you can spare time to volunteer on different boards and attend mixers and luncheons. The chamber can be helpful for finding buyers of business-to-business products or services.

There are a number of other networking organizations, from nationwide clubs to independent groups of professionals that gather to share leads and discuss business in general. Networking groups are most beneficial if you can spend one-on-one time with members, learning about their services or products and teaching them about yours. If you choose to attend networking groups as part of your marketing plan, be sure to have plenty of business cards at all events, and know that if you want your name to be passed to potential clients, you will be expected to reciprocate.

Cold Calls

No one enjoys making cold calls, whether on the telephone or in person. Nevertheless, they are effective. Focus on a target market and prepare a sales pitch. An effective pitch is not recited prose that everyone instinctively tunes out. An effective pitch is simply a few concise, direct sentences that will communicate your service or product.

Whether you call a potential client on the phone or go into their office, etiquette will get you much further than pushiness in most cases. Leave a business card, and then follow up with a phone call. Some sales literature and a nice trinket with your logo make good leave behinds. For example, go into an office and ask the receptionist for the name of the person you need to speak with. “Could you tell me who I should talk with about your copy machine service?” You can ask if that person is available, or you can take their name and phone number, then leave your sales packet. The next day, call to see if your packet was received and try to schedule an appointment for a formal sales call.

For telephone cold calls, sincerity is still important, but you must memorize answers to the most commonly asked questions in order to sound polished and professional. Time is valuable. If you are eloquent and direct during a phone conversation with a potential client, they can be confident that you will respect their time should they choose to do business with you. Consider the questions you are most often asked about your product or service, and record your answers writing. Memorize the answers to use later. This practice is invaluable.

Direct Mail

The cost of paper, printing, and postage are constantly on the rise, and there’s an abundance of junk mail in everyone’s mailbox these days. Direct mail, when done correctly, can foster unbelievable results, but it takes an investment of time. You can secure a list of potential clients from the phone book, the Internet, Chamber of Commerce guides, or any number of sources. Once you have the list, highlight the companies you want to do business with, then call each one to verify the address and a contact name of the department head you are targeting. Don’t try to sell your service yet. Simply make sure that your direct mail piece is going to be sent to the correct person.

Try to come up with a creative, witty, or unusual direct mail piece that anyone would feel compelled to open. A letter won’t cut it these days unless it makes the recipient curious. If you write a letter, add a joke or play on words that will make the reader smile. Great marketing involves creativity. For a fun direct mail piece, consider your logo, your market, and your message, then come up with a creative way to get your message across.

For example, one small business does porcelain refinishing, which is the resurfacing of bathtubs, sinks, tile, and appliances. The logo for this company is a rubber duck, the bathtub expert. This company could send a box of bath beads and stress relieving lotion with the message that doing business with them relieves more stress than a hot bath after a long day. Creativity and focus are the keys to a successful direct mail campaign.

Word of Mouth and Client Referral

The best way to get new clients is from the referral of happy clients. This means that customer service is paramount. A consumer who has a good experience with a company will not only continue using that company, but he will refer his friends and associates to them.

Customer service fosters referrals. When dealing with clients, always consider that they are your effective source of free advertising. Treat them with respect, go above and beyond the call of duty, and always leave behind a special gift that will keep your name in front of them long after you are gone. The aforementioned porcelain refinishing company leaves behind rubber ducks with his company logo on them. Try to think of a witty item to leave behind. Something your client will associate with you, yet something that is unique. One can only have so many refrigerator magnets, especially in an office setting.

Send your clients post cards with "favorite customer coupons," and don’t forget to mail holiday cards. Often it is wise to send your seasonal cards for a holiday other than Christmas or Hanukkah. Thanksgiving, New Year’s, or even Celebrate Summer are occasions when your client is likely not receiving an abundance of mail, so your correspondence has a better chance of being noticed.

Free Advertising

Take advantage of free advertising. Are you a contractor? Check your local hardware and paint stores for contractor boards where you can post your business card. Libraries sometimes offer community bulletin boards for posting your business cards or any special events your company may host. Public speaking may be an option for you, depending on your business. Do you offer services to realtors or decorators? Often groups of realtors and decorators will allow a speaker at their weekly staff meetings. Just call and inquire. Flyers, magnets, and pens can be distributed to professional offices without a fee as long as you telephone ahead of time so that you are not considered a door-to-door solicitor.

Here’s a great example of a low-budget marketing project. Each morning at 10am, a restaurant owner delivered a complimentary appetizer to a different office near his Mexican cafe. Employees at the offices would munch on the chips and salsa on their coffee break and crave Mexican food at lunchtime. The restaurant was advertised on napkins and take out menus left with the deliveries, and as a result, he generated a large lunch crowd.

With a little extra work and some unconventional thinking, a small business can have a successful marketing program with a very small budget. Once a small marketing program starts drawing in new clientele, there will be more funds to invest in advertising. The hardest work is always at start up, so rev your engine, get ready to roll, and drive your company to success.