Masonry Magazine November 2003 Page. 37
Creativity will propel you forward
Creativity will propel you forward to success. Direct mail pieces or custom letters (we'll discuss online marketing later). Again, what groups are you trying to reach and what do you want them to hear? The more creative you can be with you're positioning and the easier it is for them to perceive your uniqueness, the better your hook will reel in the fish.
Public Relations
# Press Release
The power of a press release cannot be understated. They are not difficult to write and you can find dozens of service providers on the Internet. When sending out press releases, only get in touch with editors who write about your industry or topic. Some editors prefer to be contacted by mail, e-mail or fax-avoid calling them. To distribute your news release, you can use the services of Businesswire, PRNewswire or an online service eReleases or PRWeb.
# Article Publication
Publishing industry articles with a company byline is very powerful and if you don't use it, you are missing out on many opportunities. Print publications often look for freelance writers. A good public relations (PR) person obtains editorial calendars six months to a year in advance, and develops appropriate story ideas around these plans. Is a magazine featuring a topic that you specialize in? If yes, then pitch your story idea to the magazine. If published, make sure you get a byline and bio at the beginning or end of the article. One media resource is www.mediafinder.com. Here you can locate print publications including magazines, newspapers, catalogs, journals, tabloids, directories, reports and government publications in which to place your material.
# Public Speaking, Community Activities, Networking
Investigate local organizations and get out in your community. What trade associations are close that you can attend regularly? Nothing sells better than good business relationships. Do you have an active chamber of commerce you can join to meet other business people? Obtain a list of networking groups in your area and try them all out. Also, become good at public speaking. There are so few people that can do this well and it is a tremendous way to get people interested in what you do. One of the best ways to learn to speak in front of people is to join a local Toastmasters group. You can find a local group at the Toastmasters International web site (www.toastmasters.org).
# Tradeshows
Tradeshows are alive and well, and they are a great way to meet new people, check out the competition, and catch up on new products and services. You can also make critical connections with people who have synergistic products and/or services that want to do co-op marketing. If you can't afford a booth and all the exhibition fees, walk the convention floors with plenty of business cards to hand out. Then go schmooze. By the way, you can find a list of most tradeshows nationwide at www.tsnn.com. If the idea of selling yourself makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck, then study the sales process from successful salespeople until you can model their behavior without flinching or compromising who you are.
Customer Relationship Management
Not enough can be said about how well you need to treat your customers. No matter what, the customer is king. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is a critical tool for every business. Varied levels of functionality are available and you need to get the right-sized one for your company, as well as a package with the appropriate features. CRM software can save you enormous amounts of time dealing with customer questions and other issues. The more automated this function becomes, the more profitable your company can be. And, because this kind of system "personalizes" the interaction with your end consumer, it also is an extremely valuable marketing tool. At the lower end of the CRM spectrum is contact management software such as ACT! and Goldmine. In the mid-market are programs such as Oncontact and Epiphany. One of the best ways to make this decision is to find out what systems others in your industry are using. Then you can be certain the right functionality will be available to you. Here's one more critical key in easily promoting successful customer relations: how you treat your employees trickles down to the customer. Set a good example and that's what will get passed along as well as come back to you full circle. Never take for granted how much goodwill can boost your bottom line.
Internet Marketing
Trying to cover the online marketing world in this small amount of space isn't possible, so here are a few recommendations on some of the most important things for you to research. E-mail campaigns are powerful and one of the most important things you can do is build your customer e-mail list. It can be used to stay in touch with your current customers, as well as find new prospects. Be mindful, you need to be keenly aware of spam-advertisement e-mails sent without the request or consent of the recipient. Do not use this marketing tactic as it can only hurt your credibility. Many say banner advertisements don't work, but if you are industry-specific they can be highly effective and very cost-effective. Check out directory sites such as www.buildingonline.com