What I have done in 2010 to market my business

[callthatgirl]

I put this in the marketing forum last month and forgot to come back to it, and it was moved to General Chat. Here is a list of things I have done in 2010 so far. Many repeats from 2007-2009, but it's worth reviewing. Not everything has made money, but the marketing value is still there.

Ok, here is the new list of things I have done to market in 2010

Technibble, published stories, forums,$0
Referring partnership with another tech company $0
Referring partnership with another tech company $0
Ask Lisa promo (website based, blasted through my network)$0
Breast awareness speaking gig $0
Referring partnership cross partnership$0
VA Speaking gig $0
March cleaning sale (brought in tons of sales) $0
Women to watch award $0
Featued on WCCO Good Question $0
Jimmy May special (local blogger with 6,000 contacts) $0
Margie promotions (video in progress) $0
Comcast blog (Got very lucky on this blog, 500+ hits a month on my website) $0
IIAP expo ($70)
hand foot flyer handout in uptown $10 in flyer costs
LinkedIn NP push (send a message to all of my contacts on LinkedIn, brought in good sales) $0
SCORE Success Story of the Month (sent across to all SCORE volunteers in MN) $0
Womens Press award nomination (2nd place) $0
Outstate Craigslist promotion (failed) $0
Facebook wall cleaning sale push (over 80 friends blasted my sale) $0
LinkedMN Summer Event (400 attendee's got my card)$0
Oasis Church speech $0
Workforce center speech (got paid)
Chamber After Business Hours event, met one excellent contact ($0 to attend)
Women of Today booth ($40)
Summer protection promotion (didn't fair well, but was sent out) $0
Facebook group push (400 fans) $0
Facebook friend push (1600 friends) $0
Rochester Post Bulletin piece (featured on the Executive Profile) $0
Voicemail (hired a company to make a funny VM)
myTalk 101.7 (featured on their radio show and website) $0
LinkedMN website (finally got it up and running, my logo is on the main page) $0
AMA Speaking (featured guest speaker to American Marketing Association) $0
ebook launch (launching Aug 1)$0
ebook social media blitz (workshop in Sept) $0
Outlook launch (should be in mid Aug) $0
Workforce center speak (free to the unemployed) $0
Mediamax (guest spot on their website)$0
Rochester Hard Launch (should be Sept 1) $0
Website Facelift (should be Aug 1) $0
SCORE Roundtable pilot program attendee $0
The Force Field Podcast interview $0

 

[vdub12]

hand foot flyer handout in uptown $10 in flyer costs

Did you do this with businesses or residential.

I have never had much luck handing fliers out in residential neighborhoods but with businesses I have made a gold mine.

I have only done it once with residential and didn't get a single call. Because I like and work in a rural area its a hard job because many people have property and not only are the driveways long but the houses are spread out. It makes for tons of exercise at least but I am not able to cover many homes in a day.

I have only done it once because it was so much work and I got no turnout that i figured it was a waste of time.

 

[callthatgirl]

No calls from that effort, but I didn't mind sending out my interns and one of my staff members to get out an enjoy the day and give out my marketing tootsie pops with a small flyer. As I am building a stronger presence in Minneapolis, I figured that someone would keep it and eventually call. Some of my marketing tactics take a year to get a call. I don't mind that. That one call is sometimes my best referral for months to come.

As for you in the rural....how about radio? That may be good, find out what all the small town folks are listening to.

 

[vdub12]

No calls from that effort, but I didn't mind sending out my interns and one of my staff members to get out an enjoy the day and give out my marketing tootsie pops with a small flyer. As I am building a stronger presence in Minneapolis, I figured that someone would keep it and eventually call. Some of my marketing tactics take a year to get a call. I don't mind that. That one call is sometimes my best referral for months to come.

As for you in the rural....how about radio? That may be good, find out what all the small town folks are listening to.

We have a few local radio stations but the one that everyone listens to charges way to much. They wanted to charge me $250 a month for 3 30sec spots a day sponsoring another radio show. So my add would run before the show with the "the show brought to you buy such and such."

It was just way to expensive.

 

[Eddie]

We have a few local radio stations but the one that everyone listens to charges way to much. They wanted to charge me $250 a month for 3 30sec spots a day sponsoring another radio show. So my add would run before the show with the "the show brought to you buy such and such."

It was just way to expensive.

It's only expensive if you get no return. I'd speak to the other companies who have sponsored the show and see if they've gotten a return from it.

 

[4ycr]

I have had a customer phone me 8 months after I put a flyer through his door, so some keep them

 

[kagman]

Lisa with all those events and stuff you do for promoting your business, when do you have the time to fix, repair, and service computers and clients???

 

[callthatgirl]

Yes sir! I closed 2009 with 450 clients and I'm over 700 right now. Crazy first 2 quarters.

I have no life though

 

[Eddie]

Lisa, what was your facebook friend's/page push and over what period did you run it? (if you can share )

 

[vdub12]

Yes sir! I closed 2009 with 450 clients and I'm over 700 right now. Crazy first 2 quarters.

I have no life though

What do we need a life for, we are computer repair technicians. What else is there.

 

[callthatgirl]

Vdub, true dat. I don't think I will ever find a hubs that understands my world!



Eddie, the Facebook push was sending a message to each and every one of my friends on FB and then ask them to push my sale I had going on. Brought in enough clients, but considering how many pushed, it wasn't as much as I thought it would bring in. But remember, it's all about the marketing back end. I have no clue how many will call in the future that kept my info. According to my stats, I have 5 new clients from Facebook. But I don't give up on social media too early, took me 9 months on LinkedIn for it to start working and now I have 230 clients directly from LinkedIn. So I have hope in Facebook.

Now, this sale I did just last Friday, HOLY COW. Fully booked solid this week and into 3 weeks from now. It's awesome to see GREEN on my calendar (I mark all clients green as it equals $$). I think it's because I put a quick expiration on it, causing panic to get the deal.

I will remember this in Oct when I run in again.

 

[Eddie]

Great to know. I don't have a sale going on atm but I'm going to try and get friends to push my business' facebook page and see how I get on. I've already got several jobs through facebook (mostly friends but had 1 random) so I'm going to start pushing the boundaries on how many people I can reach. I've also started using linkedin a bit more due to networking events and people who I've met at them.

 

[donte10]

Great activity... my rule of thumb is 'activity produces results'. I like seeing the great amount of activity... that is why you have great results. keep up the good work. - Diversify.

 

[callthatgirl]

thanks Donte, with no money for marketing and advertising, a busy girl has to keep a busy social calendar. You would freak out if you saw my calendar, it's a hot mess.



Eddie, try running a $50 computer cleaning sale. Works for me everytime.

 

[vdub12]

thanks Donte, with no money for marketing and advertising, a busy girl has to keep a busy social calendar. You would freak out if you saw my calendar, it's a hot mess.



Eddie, try running a $50 computer cleaning sale. Works for me everytime.

Is that just to blow the dust out of the case or are you actually doing a tuneup?

 

[callthatgirl]

I do them all remotely, so just a 13 point checklist tune-up. I never blow computers out, I instruct the clients how to do it outside. My office is too small to do that and not die.