Ways to promote your business in a small town

    “101” is kitschy number – but if you bear with me, I ran across a list of “ways to promote your business in a small town” – and thought most of them were worth sharing, as reminders more than anything, as one thinks of increasing business in our small town! In the interest of brevity/readability I’ve deleted the actual numbers … here goes:     Know your customers! Promote with postcards! Create a survey! Know your customers’ birthdays, and send them a card! Team up with another business! Be consistent and committed! Use the phone (to try new ideas before you invest in costly promos)! Raise your prices (hmnn)! Promote trends/current events! Add personality to your business! Use deadlines! Create the fear of not having your product being readily available! Make advertising promos last! Examine your promotional materials! Examine your competitors’ materials! Make a memorable business card! “Thank You” is magic! Do what other successful businesses do! Throw a party! Remember the 3 Cs in marketing: committed, confident, consistent! Give a gift! A business card for every employee! Don’t try to “just make money” – do what you love and the money will follow (OK I said reminders, and I know some of these sound silly)!
    Establish an “advisory team of champions.” Use a dipstick every now and again! Never assume anything! Use your public library! Start a “swipe file!” Recognize the 100 percent problem (nothing is ever perfect)! Pay attention to folks with disabilities! Know your demographics (know what we want)! Subscribe to industry magazines! Give your customers more than they expected … if it’s important to you, it must be important to your customers! Join organizations which can help you! Use suppliers and vendors for information! Use the media to direct your customer to another spot (tell them in the radio spot “check out our flyer in the newspaper”)! Subscribe to magazines which boost your business self esteem! Match/beat your competitors’ offer for a shorter time! Track your clients’ special needs! Make sure your clients can reach you! Learn more about your customers! Write sales letters!
    Listen to your customers (you should know more about your customers than they know about you)! Use personalized post-its to promote your business! Rate your customers (how much are they adding to your bottom line?). Marketing isn’t a battle of products, it’s a battle of perceptions! Be an expert! Be tenacious in your vision! Ads with people in them attract more attention (that’s what “they” say)! The best way to succeed is to ignore/stop worrying/dwelling about your competitors! Is bigger really better? Many small ads pay off more than one large one! Sell to emotion, it always wins over reason! We react emotionally, and then look for our rationalization!
    Look outside your industry for the “best in class” examples (add it to your “swipe files”)! People buy from people – not faceless corporations. The most important sale you get from a customer is the second one! Place that ad in the upper left corner of the page. Know your audience and personalize your pitch to one customer! Be on the ball, give them what they want, when they want it! Beware of the Negative Nellies! Focus on the smaller market! Look like news in the newspaper! Use scan ads! Use the service organizations you belong to! There are always two sides to a story – if someone has something unfavorable about your industry/business – tell your side (controversial articles spark attention … oh my don’t they)! Make it easy (ie. we’re lazy consumers)! Gear your products/services to saving time, making life easier.
    The Internet is here to stay: make your pages fast, the primary reason consumers go to commercial sites is for information: they’re going to your site to find out more about your product/service. Use banners and links to get noticed! Make your site a must-visit, but don’t overdo the technology! Put your Web site address everywhere you market! Search the search engines, and then register! Include a guest book and update your site often! Change it based on seasons, holidays, and special events!
    Next to the last, for the 101 Ways to Promote Business in a small town (are you still counting?) from the “Land of the Chamber:” Expect criticism and welcome it! Criticism comes (sometimes) from those who want you to improve! Look at it as valuable research and listen! Expect feedback, welcome it as an opportunity to provide a better service. You just never know who the “second sale” customer is going to be (Huh!). Lastly, don’t forget the kids and the pets! Trinkets, do-dads, baubles (as a former boss used to refer to them) for the kids, and treats for the pets, will win points every time!
    Here’s hoping one or two of the afore-mentioned reminders might help our small businesses this spring!
    Wendy Landes, MPA, is the executive director of the Caribou Chamber of Commerce & Industry. She can be reached in person at 24 Sweden Street, Suite 101; by telephone at 498-6156 or via e-mail at wlandes@cariboumaine.net.