Marketing in Tough Times – Some Great Low Cost Marketing Ideas
By Matthew Simmons, Snap Marketing 
In the last newsletter we looked at how to fine tune you product positioning and to create a positioning that was laser focused to target the right niche for your product. Get the product positioning right and you absolutely ensure that none of your marketing is wasted. Now in this issue I want to share some thoughts with you on how to make your actual marketing spend go further with some great low cost marketing ideas.
The Internet seems to be everyone focus right now and, yes it’s a very important tool in your marketing toolkit. There are some great low cost ideas to use the Internet. I assume you have a website – if not get one – there are simply loads of people out there offering a massive variety of cost options –pick one that works for you – call me and I would be happy to advise you impartially.
3 Tips – make sure that you have your contact details on every page (top right is as good a place as any), make sure you have some great customer testimonials on the front page and lastly have a form to collect email addresses – entice them with a free download – a white paper for example on a subject in which you excel and can position yourself as an expert. You can collect email addresses and send marketing information back to these potential customers.
PR is free and when someone else writes about you it builds trust and respect. Advertising is great but potential customers know that its you telling them how good you are and they expect you to say that! When someone else writes about you, and if the topic is relevant to the reader, then people take notice. Get to know your local paper’s business editor. They need to fill pages with content and they need to do this every week - make it easy for them to do this and they’ll love you! Here’s a pneumonic to remember it’s called the PR RAP.
Relevance – pick a topic in the headlines
Angle – this is your particular take on the issue, your angle –
Pitch - why your product/service meets some interesting new needs not yet covered.
Network like crazy. Why not give 2 cards to everyone you meet – one for them and one for someone they might meet later who needs your services. But don’t stop there -meet people after the event for a coffee – really connect with them – help them with expert advice from your skill set – they will evangelise for you.
Speak at events. There is something in human nature that says that once an individual creates a gap between them and an audience the relationship changes. Speaking to an audience you are suddenly an expert. Again this will create trust and will make people come to you for your services.
Lastly, use the various networking sites to boost your search engine rankings. Your profile allows a signature – this can contain an inbound link to your website – and Google loves inbound links from high traffic sites and all networking sites have high traffic.
Blog or publish articles – this again publishes your electronic signature and which again creates another inbound link. Blog monthly – you will see improvement in the organic Google ranking and guess what, you will get replies from other people interested in your views – they might even become prospects!
I have a list of 40 more great low cost marketing ideas you can implement – email me for a copy.
Give me a call or drop me an email if you need help.
Matthew Simmons
Marketing Director – Snap Marketing
+44 7789 740 146
Matthew@snap-marketing.co.uk
www.snap-marketing.co.uk