Friday, July 11, 2008

Marketing your New Business

I've had friends and aquaintances ask me how they should market their new business and increase sales immediatlely. Frequently they don't have a person dedicated to marketing - they're in the do-it-all-myself stage - and they want to do something quick and cheap. Without fail, the first thing they mention is making up fliers. I don't want to be too harsh, but printing up some cheap flyers and putting them on cars or trying to give them out to strangers is the WORST. IDEA. EVER. When was the last time you bought something that you saw on a flyer stuck on your car? Ever even think about it? All marketing has to be personal. Handing someone a flyer, or worse, sticking it on their car, makes them feel like they're being sold to. It cheapens you and your product or service and makes your prospective customers feel cheap too. Same goes for brochures. All your marketing should be personal, in respect to you and your prospective customer.