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StartUpMarketingBasics

Startup Marketing Basics: Persistence Matters!

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StartUpMarketingBasicsI can’t tell you how many times people are ready to QUIT marketing after a short run.
This is a marathon. Not a sprint. You may have short bursts of marketing capaigns – but if the theory of touches is accurate – it’s going to take quite a while for people to hear about you!

If you are starting up – be prepared for it to take some time before you start seeing a return.

Patience is one thing, but PERSISTENCE is what you need. Keep at it – keep pushing – keep talking about your business. If you don’t keep reminding people, then those “touches” that you were shooting for will be forgotten, and you’ll have to start all over again to win them over!

What tends to happen with a lot of startups, is that they work hard on their marketing, then get really busy doing the work to please their new clients and customers, and then they stop marketing all together! I know I have made this mistake myself! Even if things are going well – you have to persistently keep pushing, so that if things slow down – your past marketing will continue to yield results!

I propose carving out the first part of your week for marketing. Every Monday morning – the first thing you should do is spend 15 minutes, an hour, or a few hours doing the marketing work. Make #MarketingMonday a thing – and you’ll have the discipline you need to keep it going!

StartUpMarketingBasics

Startup Marketing Basics: The Theory of Touches

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I have no idea where this concept comes from – I’ve heard it in various places – and seen it proven true – so if I don’t quote the source, I apologize.

It takes multiple touches to get a response from a customer. That number of touches can vary from industry to industry – and some touches can be strong enough to get a response faster. Let’s say for the sake of argument – that it takes five touches.

That can look like this.

1. Potential Customer drives by your physical location and sees your sign out front.
2. Customer gets a postcard from you in the mail.
3. Customer meets you at an event, and you give him a business card.
4. Customer hears about you from a friend – in a good way.
5. Customer sees a facebook post shared from his neighbor.

If he hasn’t responded at this point – at least he is familiar with you – when has a NEED for your services – you are in his head.

Just keep in mind – it takes multiple TOUCHES or exposures for someone to feel like they know you and trust you enough to consider doing business with you!

Tune in Next Week for Startup Marketing Basics: Persistence Matters!

StartUpMarketingBasics

Startup Marketing Basics: Measuring The Effectiveness Of Your Marketing

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StartUpMarketingBasics
It does you no good to throw money at advertising if you have no way of measuring if it works.
Make sure you build into your campaign a way to track who is responding to your ads!
Here’s a list of ways to do it.

1. Print a coupon. Customer’s bring coupon into your shop  – you know they saw your ad and responded. Track how much each of those visits made you.

2. Build a special URL – If you are web-savvy – you could do a subdomain – like Visit.HatcherMedia.net (It’s not real. Don’t bother. lol.)

You can track visitors – to see if your ad provokes a response.  I did this for Open Arms Community Church with this special website we built or a campaign – http://www.secret.openarms.tv

3. Give a password –

This can work great for incoming phone campaigns – or even through the door point of sale customers.

The truth is – you need to come up with SOMETHING in your advertising that creates an opportunity for you to track it’s effectiveness. And if it doesn’t make back at LEAST what you spent on it – you need to consider whether it’s worth putting any more money into!

Tune in next week for Startup Marketing Basics:  The Theory of Touches

StartUpMarketingBasics

Startup Marketing Basics: Which Marketing Should You Pay For?

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It’s not easy to know where to invest your advertising budget when you are starting a business.
To be fair – I can’t tell you the best place without a good long conversation!
But I can give you some ideas that I’ve seen over the years. Hopefully they can apply to your situation!

1. CPC (Cost Per Click)
I recommend spending at least a minimal amount on CPC advertising – whether through Facebook or Google Adsense.

Usually Google Adsense has an introductory deal offering $50 or $75 free if you spend $25.
Grab it!

I’d encourage you to setup a facebook campaign with a minimum bid of $1 a day that promotes your posts – and if you can afford it, another $1 a day to get page likes.  Maybe you can afford to run them all month long – maybe you do a week at a time when you can afford it!

2. Radio  –
If you are going to spend money on Radio – I recommend one of two options:
News/Weather Sponsorship
or
Interstitials (when the DJ talks about your business during his shift – as through it’s a natural conversation)

Other than that – the truth is no one is listening to radio ads… unless they are EXTREMELY creative and well produced!

I also recommend paying for some slick production and/or a jingle!

3. Newspaper –

Newspaper INSERTS – that fall out when you open the paper are more effective than other ads. Splurge for full color printing on glossy stock! It will get noticed, and it will be make a difference.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A WAY TO TRACK YOUR ADS!
Find out more about that next week when we talk about: Startup Marketing Basics:  Measuring The Effectiveness Of Your Marketing

StartUpMarketingBasics

Startup Marketing Basics:  Zero Budget Marketing

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Starting a business can be daunting – and so many people start their business by bootstrapping their operations – or starting with as little as possible in investments and loans. The problem is, because they start with nothing – and their budget is next to nothing – they often neglect marketing – and it can cost them dearly.

I do not advocate operating with a Zero Budget when it comes to marketing. I think you HAVE to put a little cash in to get anything out.

However – let me give you some ideas for ways to get some leverage when your cashflow is low.

1. Distribute Flyers, Brochures, and Business Cards.

I know – those things cost money – but many times – people have printed them up – and then left them sitting in a drawer! Go hand them out!

Where can you find people who need your service or product? If you are a business that serves other businesses – just go door to door -and drop them off, letting them know you are available to help with whatever your services you provide! (Look out for “No Soliciting” signs – it doesn’t mean you can’t drop it off – but it might mean you need to approach things differently!)

2. Follow up on your old leads!
Did you have someone that expressed interest – but then the communication ball got dropped? Just go through your phone log, email, or facebook messages to locate the people that were interested, but changed their mind, or didn’t pursue you!

3. Send a press release!
This takes some creativity – to find an event that is newsworthy – and it’s easier in small towns than large ones – but newspaper/radio coverage is some of the best free advertising you can get! If you are a startup – sometimes newspapers will offer a free article announcing your new business. (Of course – they want to try to sell you advertising  – and it might just be worth it!)

4. Social Media
Facebook is starting to limit the visibility of your posts unless you pay for advertising – but social posting is still a good way to start connecting!

5. Think outside the box!
Do something outrageous, or creative, or DIFFERENT that gets people to notice you! Car dealers tie balloons on their cars – so that you notice them when you drive by. What can YOU do to get someone’s attention? Dress up in a monkey suit? Offer free samples to people walking by on the street? Make a pot of chili and bring it during lunch break to that client you are trying to land?

If you want some more ideas about “Zero Budget Marketing”  – let me encouarge you to check out “Free Advertising Secrets” – a series of blogs I did in 2014. http://hatchermedia.net/tag/free-advertising/

Tune in Next Week for Startup Marketing Basics: Part 2 Which Marketing Should you Pay For?