Small Business Marketing Ideas!

100 Marketing Ideas to Use Today!

1. Improve your signs inside and out.
2. Be sure your facility is clean and neat.
3. Put a new coat of paint on your building.
4. Extend your hours.
5. Redecorate your office.
6. Improve your display areas.
7. Upgrade your indoor and outdoor lighting.
8. Improve the atmosphere in your waiting room.
9. Add landscaping to your storefront.
10. Improve parking.
11. Upgrade your handicapped accessibility.
12. Hire a cleaning service.
13. Hang credentials on your office wall.

Materials
14. Develop specific marketing goals and write them down.
15. Develop an annual marketing budget.
16. Publish a newsletter for your clients.
17. Send regular press releases to your local newspapers.
18. Prepare a brochure of your services.
19. Send seasonal greeting cards to clients and colleagues.
20. Send personal thank-you notes.
21. Publish a book about your area of expertise.
22. Print your business name and logo on receipts, bags, etc.
23. Get a memorable telephone number.
24. Ask colleagues and clients for written recommendations.
25. Prepare a portfolio of samples and references.
26. Publish a business article and circulate reprints to colleagues and clients.
27. Provide telephone stickers to customers.
28. Start a file of local media by requesting media kits.
29. Send out discount coupons.
30. Start a file of ads that catch your eye.
31. Begin and maintain a computerized mailing list.
32. Upgrade your company logo.
33. Provide all employees with business cards.

Web Marketing
34. Create an attractive, easy to follow site.
35. Increase your visits to your site by linking to others.
36. Get listed on as many search engines as possible.
37. Use your website to promote yourself and your business.
38. Refer prospects to your site for more information.
39. Encourage e-mail responses and capture those addresses.
40. Send out periodic e-mail messages, promotions, etc.
41. Be sure to include your web address on all printed materials.

Service/Product
42. Promote new services or products.
43. Update your services or products.
44. Shop the competition to see what they offer.
45. Analyze and revamp your fee structure.
46. Set up a booth at a trade show.
47. Provide discounts for senior citizens.
48. Reduce waiting time.
49. Establish credit card services.
50. Sign on with a referral service.
51. Advertise in the yellow pages.
52. Offer gift certificates.
53. Read trade magazines regularly.
54. Visit your bookstore for information related to your business.
55. Take a marketing class.
56. Read market research.
57. Have a sale.
58. Advertise in anticipation of busy seasons.
59. Create company t-shirts.

Employees
60. Give employee incentives.
61. Send employees to training seminars.
62. Encourage employee input.
63. Provide employees with job descriptions.
64. Re-examine employee dress codes.
65. Offer employee discounts.
66. Implement a sick day/vacation day policy.
67. Conduct employee opinion surveys.
68. Inform your employees of your marketing plans.
69. Put together an employee handbook.

Customers
70. Offer payment plans.
71. Conduct customer satisfaction surveys.
72. Develop a system to track your customers.
73. Ask all customers how they heard of your business.
74. Identify a market you have overlooked.
75. Return all telephone calls.
76. Ask your customers to come back again.
77. Offer incentives.
78. Learn customer names.
79. Keep track of customer comments.
80. Make follow-up phone calls to customers.
81. Provide regular clients with discounts.

Networking
82. Join your local Chamber of Commerce.
83. Teach a class at a local college.
84. Serve on a city board or commission.
85. Offer to speak to local groups.
86. Promote jointly with other professionals.
87. Attend a marketing seminar.
88. Organize a breakfast club with other professionals.
89. Appear on a local radio or television show.
90. Join a trade organization.
91. Promote a colleague’s service or product.
92. Support programs in local schools.
93. Organize an open house at your business.
94. Host a holiday party.
95. Get listed on your local cable television community calendar.
96. Participate in a local parade.
97. Start a file of potential customers.
98. Organize a benefit for a local charity.
99. Establish yourself as a spokesperson for your profession.
100. Display colleagues’ brochures in exchange for the same.