|
|
Jan/Feb 2008
in this issue:
|
|
Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Small Business in 2008
| |
Now is the time when, among tons of other business and personal decisions, we must decide on the best strategies and tools to generate leads and grow our businesses in the New Year. And by best of course we mean: what is the cheapest, fastest and most successful way to keep new leads coming in to meet our sales and revenue goals?
|
| 1. |
Increase the number of two-way conversations you have with prospects and customers.
Use your company blog to talk about how to solve problems using your products and services. Share your knowledge and expertise. Establish yourself and your company as a thought leader. The two way conversation comes in when visitors to your blog post their opinions and ask you questions. There’s not a direct mail piece anywhere that does that. If your competition is not blogging–get started today! Also, search engines love blogs. They are updated frequently. |
| 2. |
Make it easier for buyers to find you on the Internet.
Get your company’s content out there. Publish news releases that explain how customers solve problems using your products/services often. Write and publish lots of them. Be sure to use the same keywords in each news release that your customers use when describing their problem. Add additional how-to information and turn your news releases into expert articles. Find Web sites that publish free articles and publish them there. |
| 3. |
Build and launch a word of mouth marketing program.
Identify your raving fan customers (evangelists) and ask them how to make it easier for them to spread the word about your company. Customers are talking about your company. Word of mouth is a cost-effective marketing method. If you enlist your evangelist fans to help extend your marketing programs, you could save time and expense. Countless surveys show that buyers trust “someone like me” when making choices. Make sure the raving fans of your company have a forum to spread the word about how your products help improve their jobs and their lives.
|
| 4. |
Increase the number of the right people on your own prospect list.
The best list any business can have for any marketing purpose is the one you build yourself. Dust off the old contacts database and purge out contacts that do not fit. Make sure to add in all new contacts. |
|
| 5. |
Create a social media marketing strategy.
Ask 12 of your most loyal customers what type of web site interaction they would like to have with your company. Would they like a message board? A blog? What are their favorite social media sites (online communities) that they rely on when they need information in your market space, to solve a problem or make a decision? Is it Facebook? LinkedIn? If so, make sure your company is represented on those sites with good quality content. Social media marketing and these other recommendation are just new methods to accomplish an old business goal: establishing and nourishing customer relationships. They all take what it has always taken to be successful in business. Time. |
| |
Source: Excerpt from Small Company Big Image
|
BACK TO
TOP
|
|
 |
Preferred Charleston RE Captures the Look and Feel of the Coast
Preferred Charleston Real Estate selected Zafari as their marketing partner when they decided to upgrade the company logo. Because a majority of their clientele come from the midwest, Preferred Charleston decided to go with a beach-inspired logo that capitalized on the coastal appeal of Charleston. Zafari is currently adding the finishing touches to the company's corporate identity suite. |
|
 |
Zafari Launches Achievers Website
Zafari is pleased to announce the launch of the Achievers HVAC website. Achievers is a new company based out of Castle Rock, CO. Realizing the competition in the heating and cooling industry, Achievers contacted Zafari to design and develop a website that would give them an edge. The website is straightforward and thoughtfully laid-out, catering to the needs of customers. To check out the new Achievers website, visit www.achievershvac.com. |
|
|
LESS Loves Holidays
Zafari is in the process of designing a series of seasonal post cards for Leading Edge Software solutions, a software training and consulting firm located in Summerville. The first in the series is the LESS Valentine's Day card, which will hopefully ignite some flames in a few non-profits looking to find training on Raisers Edge and Financial Edge software. The cards are a fun and creative way to keep LESS in front of their target audience and hopefully bring in new clients. |
|
 |
Belterra Stone Receives a Solid Look
Belterra Stone enlisted the design expertise of Zafari to design an elegant logo for the company. Belterra is a wholesaler distributor of Icestone, soapstone and slate in Colorado. Stay tuned for the new Belterra website coming soon. |
|
|
Zafari Welcomes New Graphic Designer
Originally form Charleston, West Virginia, Clint enjoyed heading south as a kid to soak up the sun and frolic in the lights and glamour of Myrtle Beach. When it came time to leave the nest, he turned to the College of Charleston for respite from the sea of caricature art and outlet shopping. Following school he went on to join AmeriCorps in Maryland for some hands-on 'real world' experience. Eventually Clint returned to Charleston and began his own start-up screen-printing business and most recently served as the Marketing Manager at Charleston Stage (and no, he doesn't act - so stop asking). Zafari is happy to have him on board! In addition to being highly talented as a graphic artist, Clint brings a wicked sense of humor, positive attitude and eagerness to get to know all of Zafari's current and future clients. Stop by and meet him next time you're down Wingo Way! |
|
|
Zafari Strikes Again
January is believed by some scientists to be the most depressing month of the year. To fight against the gloom of January, the Zafarians decided to hit the bowling lanes and release some of that post-holiday tension. Armed with a couple of pitchers of ice-cold brew and a few pairs of those sexy, two-toned bowling shoes, the Zafarians engaged in a fierce competition of skill. All the Zafarians were blown away by the amazing talent of marketing assistant, Sara, who bowled an unprecedented strike on every single frame. This feat included her bowling left-handed and blindfolded in an effort to level the playing field. Alas, she was too formidable and unstoppable. And no, this story is in no way fabricated. |
| |
| |
