100 Marketing Methods

1. Write a blog

A lot of people don’t do blogs because they believe it is a technical process. Blogging is easy,
if you can send an email and attached a photo, you can write a blog. There are so many
benefits to having a blog, not only are you engaging with customers, but you can use specific
keywords to increase your visibility on search engines. Encourage readers to comment so
you can gain an insight into the needs of your market.

2. Create a newsletter

It is so important to stay in the forefront of your customers’ minds but you need to it in a
gentle way. By publishing a regular e-newsletter, you can stay connected with your customers and keep them updated on offers, new products or services and you can use it to link to
any social media channels you have to encourage engagement. They may also share it with
friends if they see something they think will interest them.

3. Get into your local newspaper

Is there an interesting story about why you have set up the business? Maybe someone who
works in the business is doing a charity event or has done something newsworthy. Journalists are always after a story and local papers like to write about positive community news.
Once you have a press release drawn up, you have it to call on if other media opportunities
arise.

4. Offer mini versions

Can you scale down your product or service? This gives the customer an opportunity to try
your company and for you to build trust. It will also open up a new market to you.

5. Carry business cards

Keep you business card details up to date and make sure you have some with you at all times.
It is usually when you are not directly promoting business that it comes up in conversation
and that’s when you need to be able to reach for your card. Make sure to include your website address and social media channels.

6. Cold call

Just do it. Make it the first thing you do every morning. Pick up the phone and make several
calls a day. If you have leads to follow up then start with them, but otherwise just make a few
cold calls. You don’t even have to talk about sales, you can check in on an existing client just
to make sure everything is ok and let them know you are there if they need anything.

7. Find a niche

Read comments on websites and social media sites to find out what repeatedly comes up as
a problem for people. Find a way of solving it and now you have a niche that you know there
is a market for.

8. Talk to your customers

Engage your customers in conversation. Ask them what it is that makes you their preferred
supplier or service provider. You can start the conversation by thanking them for their business and tell them that you would welcome their feedback. You may be pleasantly surprised,
plus it makes people feel good when their opinion matters.

9. Use Twitter/X

People tend to think that if twitter isn’t bringing in sales directly then there is no point in
using it. This is a big mistake. Twitter is the source of instant information and allows you to
network with people you could only dream of meeting face to face. Although it is not difficult
to use, there is an art to making it work for you, so make sure to learn some basics first.

10. Get testimonials

There is nothing better than customers being able to read testimonials you’re your customers. This is essential for any business. Just make sure you get the customers permission before publishing anything online.

11. Write link-bait blogs

Write interesting, useful content that will not go out of date. This will encourage continual
sharing and attract more visitors to your blog.

12. Advertise on blogs

What sort of blogs would your customers read? What are their interests? Contact the owners
of these types of blogs and ask if you can advertise your business on there.

13. Make friends with influential bloggers

Find bloggers who are influential in your field of work. Make friends with them and get an
idea of the way and the tone in which they write. Then ask them if they would be happy to
write a blog about your business.

14. Make the most of your email signature

Your email signature could be the initial impression a customer gets from you, so it’s important for it to look professional and reinforce your expertise. Make sure you have your blog and
social media accounts linked and any awards, accolades or memberships are associated with.

15. Sponsor an awards ceremony

We are not talking the Grammy’s here. There may be awards ceremonies at a local school,
college or interest group.

16. Sponsor a competition

Sponsoring a competition is a great way to raise awareness of your business. The local newspaper or radio station usually runs these.

17. Give something away

Everyone loves a giveaway, so get in touch with a magazine or newspaper and offer them
something for a competition. More often then not, they will offer you editorial space for free,
but by having the competition you will attract more attention.

18. Offer discounts for limited periods

Offering discounts will create a sense of urgency and encourage people to make a decision to
buy or book now. Make it relevant to the season such as “Summer Special” so that the reader
knows it is limited.

19. Create an e-brochure

Save money and save the planet at the same time. Go green. Not only will this save a small
fortune on print and design costs and gives you a great excuse to produce an e-brochure that
can be shared on social media.

20. Traditional mailers

Never dismiss direct mail as a form of marketing. It still gets your name out there and if you
have some spare time you can mail the flyers yourself.

21. Add interaction to your website

You need to be accessible and encourage visitors to interact with you on your website. A ‘live
chat’ option works well as it will give the visitor a friendly greeting and offer help. This will also
prevent them from clicking away from your site.

22. Become an expert spokesperson

Contact local journalists and offer to be available for any interviews that may arise in your
field of work. You never know when you might be needed. Just make sure you prepare a little
in advance so that you are not caught out at the last minute.

23. Create a press kit

You need to be prepared with a press kit ready for any media opportunities. You don’t need
to go into too much detail. Just give some background to the company and yourself. It is also
worth adding a section to your website with press information.

24. Write a column for your local paper

You’re the expert, so why not share that with your community. Get in touch with your local
paper and offer to write a column. You can get great exposure and you are not directly selling
anything.

25. Teach your expertise

There are so many organizations that are constantly in need of speakers. You can contact
local social or church groups, arrange coffee morning, or even workshops. Just because you
find something easy, doesn’t mean other people do. Find out what it is and go and teach and
talk about it.

26. Charity auctions

A charity donation is not only a great way to network but it makes you feel good at the same
time. It doesn’t have to be an expensive donation. You can put a prize in a local raffle or auction.

27. Mobile advertising

Car magnets are a great, and cost effective way to advertise your business. Keep it simple
and memorable as your ideal customer maybe driving behind you and not able to write down a phone number.

35. Add personality to your social media accounts

People buy from people. That is why social media works so well. Be yourself. You don’t have
an outrageously, outgoing, witty personality. Just be you and you will attract the right people.
Being genuine and adding value is what people want.

36. Throw in some freebies

If you are working with brands, more often than not you can ask them for branded merchandise to send or give to clients. More often than not, they will be only too please to empty their
cupboards. You may just get a pen, but you may get a cute cuddly toy, an umbrella or even a
fluffy towel.

37. Reward repeat business

Many times a company will offer new clients something to tempt them into purchasing, but
this can upset our loyal clients who do not qualify for these offers. Make sure you are looking
after them in a way that makes them feel special.

38. Send thank you cards

We love receiving cards, but why wait until a special occasion. Send them a thank you card
once they have booked or purchased with you. Show them that you value their custom and
perhaps use it as an opportunity to make them aware of other products or services.

39. Add an ‘About’ page to your website

Build a picture up of yourself and the company so that people feel they know a bit about you
before they invest their money. People want to know and like whomever they’re supporting.

40. Go to traditional networking events

Networking events are a great opportunity to promote your business. What’s so great about
them is that everyone has the same goal. So you are not going in pitching to customers, you
are all supporting each other to help grow your businesses.

41. Offer a guarantee

If you don’t feel confident enough to offer a guarantee, then you need to rethink your business model.

42. Have excellent customer service

Look after your existing guests and they will want everyone to know about you. It’s the best
form of marketing. Not only do you retain your existing customers, you gain new ones.

43. Invest in credibility

Back up your expertise by joining a few organizations in your line of work. Often it just requires a small subscription fee, but it holds weight to your credibility and can offer great
networking opportunities.

44. Start a campaign to change something

Why not make a difference. If there is something about your industry that you think needs
improving, then champion that cause. This gives you exposure, respect and most of all you
get the chance to make a positive permanent change.

45. Give your expertise away

Now that you have been in this business for a while, you have picked up a lot of tips, tricks
and hacks. This is what makes you an expert and people want to find out these industry secrets. So share them in articles on your website and build the trust with your audience.

46. Enter and try to win some awards

There’s an award for everything, so make sure you are in the running. Even if you don’t win,
being a finalist is still something to shout about. Chances are you’ll also get a link from that
company or website which will help you with SEO purposes.

47. Set up a referral program

Incentivize people you know who are sociable and great influencers. Offer them a reward for
referrals they give you. This works especially well in hairdressers and beauty salons.

48. Use Google Local

Google Local is a popular way of searching for businesses. You can get a free listing and it will
contribute towards increasing your search engine optimization.

49. Get your answerphone right

It’s always good to make a fresh recording each day. State the day and your availability for the
day so people know if you are likely to call them back in 10 minutes or 2 days.

50. Book a show

A show is a great way to increase your customer database if you do not have a product to sell,
or even if you do. Simply run a competition where people put their email address in. That
way, even if you don’t make a sale at the show, you have a lead.
Make sure your stand gives a clear message of who you are and what you offer. Signage will
need to be tall for people to see clearly. Take care in the presentation of your stand, as how it looks will reflect you and your brand.

51. Ignore the competition

Don’t try to compete with other companies. Be different, offer value. Don’t try and steal customers from others. There are always plenty more.

52. Put up your prices

You get what you pay for so don’t be cheap. You will attract the wrong clients, work harder for
a lower profit margin. It’s just not good business.

53. Join forces with other firms

This can be a very lucrative move. So for example if you are a photographer, offer your services to a hotel that holds weddings. Give them a discounted rate to be included as part of
their wedding package. It solves one more problem for the wedding planner and give the
hotel package more value for money.

54. Get a QR Code

A Quick Response code allows people to quickly access a website by scanning the bar code
with their smart phone. If they have to stop and take down a number, they may not stop at
all.

55. Give and you shall receive

It’s a good idea to get to know your competition and some of the local suppliers. Become
friends with them and recommend them to clients. This will generate momentum and they
will do the same for you.

56. Use Facebook advertising

Advertising on Facebook is one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience.
You can set a maximum budget, which allows you to test the response to your ad and tweak
accordingly.

57. Create some videos

Bring your brand alive with videos on your website, blog, Facebook or start a YouTube channel if you think you will be doing a lot of them. People are much more likely to watch a video
than click on an unknown link to a website.

58. Go green

It’s a hot topic of concern and as well as opting for e newsletters instead of bulky brochures,
make sure to let your clients know about all the other measures you are taking to go green.

59. Get on Groupon.com or LivingSocial.com

Jump on the back of these massive databases, by putting an offer on Groupon.com or LivingSocial.com. Deal sites are a great way to get some initial traffic.

60. Create an e-zine

Be the best source of information to your clients by creating an e-zine for your niche market.
Share the latest news, offers, tips and ideas. Madmagz and Joomags are just two of the platforms available to help you easily create your own online magazine.

61. Launch a free e-book or e-course

You want to give your customers as much value as possible. Try to create an e-book with tips,
hints or something relevant to your business and give this away. It’s won’t cost them money,
just their email address.

62. Monitor your online reputation

The Internet has many benefits but as well as building a great reputation, it can also ruin it.
Avoid this by monitoring all comments on your posts, articles or blogs. Don’t react to negative
comments, simply thank them for their feedback.

63. Get the basics right

Make sure you always say the name of your company and introduce yourself by name when
you answer the phone. Your email and employees emails should always have the company
name, logo, contact number and website. Be your brand when answering the phone and
meeting people in person.

64. Look into conferences

A conference will get you out and networking. Improve your knowledge and motivate you. Try
to attend them whenever possible.

65. Nurture your client relationships

Your existing customers should be your main focus. It is much harder to find new clients than
keeping existing ones. Plus all it costs you to keep your customers is time and good service.

66. Get a new website design

Don’t get complacent on the look of your website. If you haven’t had it updated in a while,
find out what the most successful people in your niche are producing. Ask customers and
friends for their feedback on your current site. Ask them about functionality, content, what is
says to them about your brand and any suggestions for improvement. Then act on it.

67. Name-drop online

Try and help promote another business, preferably not a competitor, but a supplier, local
business or blogger. Especially someone who has a large online audience. Let them know you
have linked them and they may share your article or blog with their audience.

68. Contact local universities

Universities are a great place to build a following. You can offer to speak on your area of expertise, which can lead to business.

69. Be controversial

If you can take the heat and handle the mixed attention, be controversial. Talk about something that provokes a reaction. As they say, there is no such thing as bad publicity. (Although
we know of course that is not true)

70. Create a funny 404 Page

It’s boring and annoying when you get a 404 Page message. So create one that is humorous
to keep the viewer on side.

71. Start a podcast

Podcasts are really popular at the moment. They are simple to set up but make sure you have
a good quality microphone otherwise it will just come across as unprofessional.

72. Offer free tools

If you can come up with a tool to help people, put it on your website, this will attract a lot
more traffic.

73. Join your local Chamber of Commerce

Being a member of your local Chamber of Commerce can give you access to training events,
networking events, special discounts and much more. Sometimes they run competitions for
small business funding.

74. Do something for charity

You’ve been meaning to do something for charity for a long time, but never seem to get
round to it. Well here is your excuse. It can benefit your business in many ways. You could get
coverage from local media and the charity itself.

75. Create an awesome calendar

Give your customers a calendar so they can use it and display your details in their home,
shop or office. This is a good tactic for brand awareness. Because people will look at this thing
every day.

76. Make better use of your business cards

Use both sides of your business card. You can either put your contact number in large print
on the back or you can get mini calendars or appointment cards printed on them. This will
prompt people to keep it or make an appointment.

77. Host monthly webinars

Hosting a webinar using something like GoToWebinar is a great way to get together with customers, show your expertise, answer questions and create excitement about a new product
or service.

78. Offer package deals

If you give your customer value for money they have one more reason to make that purchase.
Why not offer a second service or product at half price or discount. Remember to put a time
limit on the offer to encourage people to book now.

79. Use your friends and family

Make sure they all carrying a few of your business cards to give out if the opportunity arises.
You will find people are much more comfortable recommending someone else’s business to
people than their own.

80. Use community boards

Find community boards in your area. Talk to the person who looks after them and build a
good relationship so that it can be a regular place for you to post offers and deals.

81. Send exclusive deals to your customers

Your customer database is your business so make it worth their while. Send them exclusive
offers to reward their loyalty.

82. Consider Paid Search

Although you are ultimately aiming for good organic search rates, it might be worth having
a look at Google AdWords to start you off. You can track conversion, SEO and ROI. Once you
know what works you can scale up.

83. Do something different than the rest

Take a good look at what your competitors are offering and read forums and Facebook group
page posts. See if anything stands out at you where there is a gap in the market and this can
be what differentiates you from everyone else.

84. Sponsor a local school sports team

If you are a sports fan yourself, nothing will make you prouder than seeing a team wearing
kits with your brand on it. You capture the parents and supporters of both teams, which can
make it a pretty worthwhile investment. The team may even let you have a stall at home
games.

85. Give something away

Run a competition for someone to win either a service you provide or a product. Do some
research into what makes certain social media posts more shareable than others and use this
to get your competition to reach more people.

86. Make your business cards stand out

First impressions are hard to break. Thing about what feeling and emotion you want to provoke with your brand and apply this to the design of your business card.

87. Become a walking advert

Wear your tee shirt with pride. Don’t scrimp on price when getting your logo printed tee
shirts. It’s far better to start of with one or two high quality items than a big batch of cheap
tees.

88. Buy marketing lists

You cannot guarantee that these are leads, but it’s certainly a good starting point. There are
many providers of marketing lists and you don’t necessarily have to cold call them if you feel
uncomfortable with that. You can simply drop them a friendly introductory email to start off
with.

89. Advertise on other people’s e-newsletters

If you are not sure where to start, you can go to websites that would attract your niche market. If they have an e-newsletter, sign up for that. Familiarize yourself with the format of the
newsletter and them get in touch to see if you can advertise your business on it.

90. Organize your own meet up

A meet-up is a great way to find people in your Niche and it’s sociable. You could even sponsor one.

91. Consider video testimonials or interviews

Ask your customers if they would be kind enough to let you video them giving a testimonial.
This is such a really great way to show potential customers what they can expect.

92. Make best use of online portfolios

If art is your thing then there are a lot of online portfolio sites available for you to show off
your work. Behance and Carbonmade are a good start and there are plenty more.

93. Get yourself published online

There is an online publication for everything so find yours and get an article published.

94. Make Twitter/X lists

Making twitter/X lists benefits you in two ways. Firstly, if you do it well then you will have lists
that people will want to use. Secondly, the twitter accounts you add to your lists will be notified, drawing their attention to you.

95. Build a strong brand

Brand is everything, so do your research and go with what works, not with something that is
dedicated to a passed family pet or something sentimental.

96. Pay it forward

Don’t wait until you are being paid big money to produce quality work. Produce the work and
the money will come.

97. Follow up leads

Always, always follow up. When you first get the opportunity after meeting someone, diarize
your follow up call. Depending on the type of conversation you had, you should send information within 24hours or courtesy call about a week later.

98. Sell yourself

You are your business. People buy from people. Both of these statements are true. Make sure
you are always have your work or brand face on and be ready with your elevator pitch should
you need it.

99. Write up and create a survey

You can do all sorts of things with a survey. It’s good to offer a competition incentive otherwise you may not get such a good response. You can quickly and easily find out what products and services are most popular, what the buying trends are like, and what the market
demands are. With this information you can produce a report for your blog or another publication. Lots of things you can do with a survey

100. Listen to your customers

Llisten to your customers and make sure you provide value. Give them your product or service
and make sure it makes their lives better or easier somehow. Ultimately, that’s how you do
good marketing