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12 Steps for Marketing Yourself and Your Business
Simple tips to make your shameless self-promotion easier
Margot Carmichael Lester | Monster.com
Whether you’re starting a new business or looking to branch out on your own as a consultant, marketing your products or services can be challenging, not to mention expensive.
1. Warm Up Your Prospects: Don’t cold call. Instead, “send a short, tight, funny intro letter with samples of past work,” says freelance writer David Geffner. “Then follow up with an email or phone call.”
2. Get Around: Attend seminars, trade shows and industry forums – anywhere potential customers gather. Prep a brief intro, then hand them your card. “Then go home and send a short intro letter (or email) saying that you wanted to follow up as discussed,” Geffner says. This shows you’re truly interested in working together.
3. Network: Word-of-mouth is the least expensive form of marketing. “Ask friends if they have friends of their own who work in your industry,” Geffner suggests. “A foot in the door that’s already cracked is a whole lot more productive than trying to kick open doors.”
successdriven_v
8 months ago
54 comments
Great advice!! Thanks for sharing.
mamadiva
about 1 year ago
6 comments
Excellent advice will use as we grow our business at www.breastfeedingdivas.com New to the web!
hpeterson
about 1 year ago
78 comments
Great Advice!!
maliniroy
about 1 year ago
2 comments
great info, I am a Freelance soft skill, English & P.D. Trainer, have now realized that I was going the wrong way.
DeniseReed
about 1 year ago
48 comments
This is good and useful information, I have been managing my business in the dark for so long (working as a home-based garment repairs/alterations service), and now 26 years down the road I'm ready to kick it up. My business has been successful because of word-of-mouth advertising, so I never really got out and mingled with the crowd, but my new area of service, (product design) requires me to do things differently. This article helps me to identify areas of need in my personal business image. Thanks
ldhood
about 1 year ago
4 comments
It takes 60 Emails for one reply. Then you set your Email address up to become spam mail. YIKES!
mzbrown
about 1 year ago
866 comments
Great advice! Thanks for the tips.
Account Removed
about 1 year ago
This is great! Follow up is KEY in business building! You can give away all the business cards in the world, and only 2% may actually contact you, but if you follow up your results could be countless! ;)
kaliki
about 1 year ago
86 comments
This is all really great advise.
Account Removed
about 1 year ago
Great advice. This is especially usueful in creating a marketable brand.
Pia
about 1 year ago
4 comments
Thanks for many great ideas.
Kylie
about 1 year ago
136 comments
It is sort of funny that one of the steps is "Use Email". It seems like it would be impossible not to use email, and to expect to have any real pay-off for one's marketing efforts.