Now that Old Man Winter has hit the road, small businesses can increase
cash flow this spring and summer by implementing four affordable marketing
tactics while spending very little, including: leveraging community
events, partnering with complementing businesses, launching a spring
promotion and tailoring sales messages to include spring solutions.
-- Leverage Community Events
Think about what annual spring and summer activities your town sponsors
and create a promotion around it. For example, let’s say you're a personal
trainer. Consider coordinating a spring fitness program that coincides
with your town's summer fundraiser road race. Your news brief could read,
"Running the 5K Yankee Homecoming Race? Don't go it alone. Jumpstart your
workouts with other race participants at 6:30 a.m. every Monday and
Wednesday morning. We'll meet at Smith's Field for 20 minutes of
calisthenics, followed by a short run, gradually working up to a 5K. Cost
is only $195 for six weeks. Call Jane Doe, personal trainer and founder of
Fit for Life at 000-000-0000.”
The great advantage to this marketing tactic is that the town takes
care of increasing awareness of the event by posting banners around town,
advertising, publicity, etc. You simply dovetail on the awareness.
-- Partner with Complementary Businesses
As a small business owner, you can make greater sales strides by teaming
up with other small businesses. For example, a professional coach, make-up
artist, professional organizer, nutritionist, hairdresser, personal
trainer, personal chef and fashion expert could join forces and co-market
a “Life Makeover” seminar. Each could speak for approximately 45 minutes
about their expertise and how participants can reach their personal best.
What's more, now you have seven additional customer databases to draw from
and an annual event that enables you to build more credibility year after
year. Even better, you've just added another revenue stream to diversify
your income.
-- Launch a Promotion
Create a spring and summer promotion. They can be the same; although, if
possible, I recommend two different promotions. More activity tends to
create more urgency. I categorize spring as late March through late May
and summer as early June through the first week of September. The idea
behind your promotion is to reach your customer before they begin their
"emotional" summer vacation. Most of us still have to work, but in some
fashion we tend to take an emotional vacation June through early
September. The key to any promotion is to create a unique offering,
something you've never offered your customers and that your customers
haven't seen from your competitors. Compound your promotion's potential
for success by including a late May end date, adding to the urgency. Then
let a week, no more than two, pass, and launch your summer promotion early
June.
-- Tailor Sales Messages
As the seasons change, you need to consider how your customers perceive
your products and services. They may misappropriately categorize your
products or services as “off season,” diminishing your sales. Instead,
take control of your sales messages and position your solutions to match
the time of year.
For example, let's say you're an errand service. The summer may or may
not work to your advantage. However, it's your job to evolve your
marketing messages to encompass seasonal services. For example, you could
promote a house-sitting service while customers vacation and include
plant, lawn and pool management.
Or, let's say you're a personal coach. The summer lends itself to
taking a break from improving emotional well-being and usually shifts to a
physical focus. This said, try introducing a very aggressive coaching
series. For example, in mid April launch a promotion that locks your
customers in during July and August; however, also offer two floating
appointments, so your customers have the added flexibility they need in
the summer.
Sharron Senter is a New England-based marketing consultant,
speaker, writer and founder of Senter & Associates, a marketing communications
firm that helps small businesses deploy low-cost online and offline marketing
strategies. Sharron is best known for her free weekly emailed marketing tips,
found at
http://www.sharronsenter.com. She’s also the author of the Small Biz
Survival report series that illustrates affordable ways to grow a small
business.
Get
free marketing, sales, advertising
and management ideas
delivered to your inbox.
Subscribe to the Business
Know-How
Newsletter
Primary Email Address:
Instant
Sales Letters
Stop wondering
what to say in a sales letter! Use these templates to
save hours of time composing your own sales letters. Profit from the
affiliate program, too.
Details >>
The information compiled on this site is
Copyright 1999-2009 by Attard Communications, Inc. and by the individual authors.
Business Know-How is a woman-owned business and a registered trademark of Attard Communications, Inc.
Phone: 631-467-8883.
