Did you know that there are an unlimited number of places you can create marketing opportunities for new business, places few people even think of?
Here is some food for thought in expanding the reach of your existing marketing and advertising by using new and surprising vehicles.There are actually 15 manufactured homes inside, and 50 more outside this 72,000 square-foot "palace," on 12 acres in New Philadelphia, Ohio. The retail Megastore attracted 10,000 people during its first 3-day weekend, with 84 homes sold in the first three weeks. The Ohio Manufactured Housing Association named them "Retailer of the Year" in 1996.
Consider redesigning your company Invoices. Why send a cold, boring black and white "pay up" Invoice when you can send a beautifully designed Invoice letterhead, containing brief but intriguing marketing copy that cross-sells your other services? Thanks them for their business? And reminds them you do more than what they contracted for in the first place?
How about borrowing a tip from George Allen's marketing efforts: he puts a friendly sticker with marketing copy on every UPS box that goes out of his office. It is a unique and surprising extra that gets noticed.
Another "soft" marketing technique is to sponsor a community program or event, by providing either a donation or lending your personnel talent and muscle to the community effort. In exchange, you can barter for free advertising and public relations mention of your company. This is an effort utilized often by banks in their local community that works quite well, but it can work equally well for a retail sales center, or a service company. Be creative in choosing a community activity you are interested in, that would be fun to develop promotional tie-ins with. For example, a retail center could sponsor the local baseball team, and work out an agreement to name the team after your Retail Center, in exchange for buying their uniforms, hats, publicizing their games, etc.
What about a direct mail campaign aimed at your personal address book? We often neglect reminding our family, friends, and club associates of our recent business opportunities. This networking effort is very often a significant source of new business, or can lead to sales by word of mouth.
Capitalize on the hobbies and outside interests of your staff, and look into ways you tie in your business to their activities. For example, do you have an employee who is an experienced runner, who competes in road races? Perhaps there is a way to have him or her run wearing a T-shirt with your logo on it.
Slip a marketing brochure in with your correspondence to your vendors. These people deal with your company on a daily basis, and are great sources of new business referrals. Help them "sell" for you by reminding them of all your services
I hope this column gets you thinking of a hundred other ways you can market your services in unexpected places, for surprising results
Patricia Greco is a professional writer and marketing
communications consultant to the manufactured housing industry.
Patti is published in the Journal and in the Allen Letter, and is
collaborating with George Allen on the nation wide "resource Packet"
direct mail promotion. Greco Writing creates custom-designed literature
and logos that reflect the upgrade image of the industry.
Greco Writing, 8 Wintergreen Court, Lunenburg, MA 01462 Phone 978-582-0961
