Comments on: Low-cost marketing moves http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2008/09/02/low-cost-marketing-moves/ Editors from FSB magazine answer your pressing small-business questions. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:07:19 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Jon, Germany http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2008/09/02/low-cost-marketing-moves/#comment-1003 Jon, Germany Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:56:27 +0000 http://askfsb.wordpress.com/?p=582#comment-1003 Wow, a blog about ink toner??? That's a blog I'll definitely need to read! Wow, a blog about ink toner??? That's a blog I'll definitely need to read!

]]> By: Dale Sturdevant (The CNY Small Biz Project), New York http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2008/09/02/low-cost-marketing-moves/#comment-921 Dale Sturdevant (The CNY Small Biz Project), New York Sun, 21 Sep 2008 22:57:43 +0000 http://askfsb.wordpress.com/?p=582#comment-921 Hi Tom, There are a lot of ways that you can market and increase your customer base without huge marketing budgets. However, and as suggested above, you really need to decide who your customer is. Once you do, use this only as a very flexible guideline, as market demand can sometimes come from the wierdest places. AS far as actual cheap marketing, which has proven efffective: try sending press releases on your products, innovations, even new hirings to media which is focused on your target customer. Also make sure your page is ranked at or very near the top of all major search engines. Visit tradeshows (notice I didn't say to buy a booth) and make connections. Not just tradeshows which are oriented to your field, but to any other industry (an I am thinking toners cover about every industry there is) which you can sell to. I am also a believer in programs such as Google's Adwords, as long as the price is kept reasonable (its a bid based system). These are just a few of the ways you may be able to improve visibilit and maybe improve sales. Finally, and you probably know this, I would always suggest you start with a plan, perhaps working with a group such as SCORE, us, or even a local university/college. It is always good to get an outside perspective, especially if it is free. Hi Tom,

There are a lot of ways that you can market and increase your customer base without huge marketing budgets. However, and as suggested above, you really need to decide who your customer is. Once you do, use this only as a very flexible guideline, as market demand can sometimes come from the wierdest places.

AS far as actual cheap marketing, which has proven efffective: try sending press releases on your products, innovations, even new hirings to media which is focused on your target customer. Also make sure your page is ranked at or very near the top of all major search engines. Visit tradeshows (notice I didn't say to buy a booth) and make connections. Not just tradeshows which are oriented to your field, but to any other industry (an I am thinking toners cover about every industry there is) which you can sell to. I am also a believer in programs such as Google's Adwords, as long as the price is kept reasonable (its a bid based system). These are just a few of the ways you may be able to improve visibilit and maybe improve sales. Finally, and you probably know this, I would always suggest you start with a plan, perhaps working with a group such as SCORE, us, or even a local university/college. It is always good to get an outside perspective, especially if it is free.

]]> By: eric los angeles california http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2008/09/02/low-cost-marketing-moves/#comment-920 eric los angeles california Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:47:12 +0000 http://askfsb.wordpress.com/?p=582#comment-920 I have a subprime loan using www.fakepaycheckstubs.com , now I want to refinance! Any suggestions! I have a subprime loan using http://www.fakepaycheckstubs.com , now I want to refinance! Any suggestions!

]]> By: Vincent http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2008/09/02/low-cost-marketing-moves/#comment-906 Vincent Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:44:57 +0000 http://askfsb.wordpress.com/?p=582#comment-906 The answer to your question is easy. Join an community like www.dutchmarshalls.com and you will find the customers you need for low cost. (FREE) The answer to your question is easy.

Join an community like http://www.dutchmarshalls.com and you will find the customers you need for low cost. (FREE)

]]> By: angelinjones, Cummings, GA http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2008/09/02/low-cost-marketing-moves/#comment-898 angelinjones, Cummings, GA Sat, 06 Sep 2008 05:46:07 +0000 http://askfsb.wordpress.com/?p=582#comment-898 I took a look at your site and recommend it to my visitors. I agree with you on the importance of becoming valuable in many different areas. I believe that it sustains any entrepreneur during challenges that inevitably occur. Angelinjones <a href="http://www.drivenwide.com" rel="nofollow">social bookmarking</a> I took a look at your site and recommend it to my visitors. I agree with you on the importance of becoming valuable in many different areas. I believe that it sustains any entrepreneur during challenges that inevitably occur.

Angelinjones

social bookmarking

]]> By: Ryan, Greenbelt, MD http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2008/09/02/low-cost-marketing-moves/#comment-896 Ryan, Greenbelt, MD Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:21:27 +0000 http://askfsb.wordpress.com/?p=582#comment-896 I also believe that there may be some fairly cost effective help in <a href="http://www.leadstormmedia.com/" rel="nofollow">on-line lead generation. </a> Often times these companies can develop leads strictly in your industry (or vertical) and these leads can cost a reasonable amount depending on the industry. I buy a variety of leads on-line through a number of firms and typically the companies that use more search marketing focused lead gen tactics will have the best performing leads. I actually have only run in to one company that was producing a lead that closed at lower than 2% and therefore because of our pricing on that particular product, the campaign was inneffective. I have many lead sources that close around 7-10%. So they can really be good sources. Ryan - Maryland <a href="http://www.local-attorneys.com/" rel="nofollow">Local Attorneys Online </a> I also believe that there may be some fairly cost effective help in on-line lead generation. Often times these companies can develop leads strictly in your industry (or vertical) and these leads can cost a reasonable amount depending on the industry. I buy a variety of leads on-line through a number of firms and typically the companies that use more search marketing focused lead gen tactics will have the best performing leads. I actually have only run in to one company that was producing a lead that closed at lower than 2% and therefore because of our pricing on that particular product, the campaign was inneffective. I have many lead sources that close around 7-10%. So they can really be good sources.

Ryan – Maryland
Local Attorneys Online

]]> By: Chris Baggott, Indianapolis, IN http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2008/09/02/low-cost-marketing-moves/#comment-892 Chris Baggott, Indianapolis, IN Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:31:10 +0000 http://askfsb.wordpress.com/?p=582#comment-892 And really focus on the blogging. Think about blogs as organic landing pages. You can have as many as you like..all titled with the keywords you are targeting. The key is to make each blog very focused on only one thing. If you sell a specific toner for a specific machine for example create a blog just about that. Write about your customers, the savings etc... or better yet, use email to solicit them to write. You would be suprised that if you send an email to your customers a week after they purchased and asked them to answer a couple of questions in a paragraph for your blog...lots of people will be happy to do this. That content, organized around keyword topic blogs will generate a lot of well qualified traffic. Best, Chris Baggott CEO Compendium Blogware www.compendiumblogware.com And really focus on the blogging. Think about blogs as organic landing pages. You can have as many as you like..all titled with the keywords you are targeting. The key is to make each blog very focused on only one thing. If you sell a specific toner for a specific machine for example create a blog just about that. Write about your customers, the savings etc… or better yet, use email to solicit them to write. You would be suprised that if you send an email to your customers a week after they purchased and asked them to answer a couple of questions in a paragraph for your blog…lots of people will be happy to do this.

That content, organized around keyword topic blogs will generate a lot of well qualified traffic.

Best,

Chris Baggott
CEO
Compendium Blogware
http://www.compendiumblogware.com

]]> By: www.TerryReeves.com - Nashville, TN http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2008/09/02/low-cost-marketing-moves/#comment-889 www.TerryReeves.com - Nashville, TN Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:40:24 +0000 http://askfsb.wordpress.com/?p=582#comment-889 being a web based business with such a specialized product, I would think your website's rankings should be fairly good in search results. If not, you are missing a tremendous opportunity. Five years is forever on the Internet and site that old can rank very well in search results with the proper amount attention. being a web based business with such a specialized product, I would think your website's rankings should be fairly good in search results. If not, you are missing a tremendous opportunity. Five years is forever on the Internet and site that old can rank very well in search results with the proper amount attention.

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