Each year, U. S. companies spend billions of dollars to market 
their business. Marketing is the entire process of getting a 
product or service into the hands of buyers and it includes 
research, development, planning, copywriting, packaging, 
pricing, advertising, publicity, sales and delivery.

But if your company is small—like more than half of all 
businesses in America— you probably don’t have a large marketing 
budget. But you can stretch your marketing dollars by applying 
these seven smart marketing strategies:  


1. Leverage the Power Of Targeting And Branding - Determine 
   who’s most likely to buy your product or service, then tailor 
   your marketing message accordingly. Always send the right 
   message to the right audience. Also, create a consistent 
   brand or image for your company, product or service. Branding 
   involves everything related to your company from your logo 
   down to your style of customer service. And it can help you 
   make sales quicker and easier, so you’re able to spend less 
   on marketing. 

2. Choose the Right Tools For The Job - This amounts to doing 
   it right the first time. You can’t afford to waste energy and 
   precious dollars by using marketing pieces for the wrong 
   purpose. For example, if you want to reach a specific market 
   segment, direct mail is ideal. But a print ad in a 
   general-interest publication would be a waste of money. 

3. Create Versatile Materials - Create marketing materials you 
   can use for more than one purpose. Instead of a large 
   brochure, consider printing a small tri-fold piece that can 
   be mailed inside an envelope, handed out and placed in a 
   display rack. Similarly, a flier can be slipped inside a 
   presentation folder or distributed in mass quantities.  

4. Be Conservative - Don’t spend any more than is necessary to 
   get the job done. When printing, choose fewer colors and 
   pages to cut your cost in half.  Opt for graphics software, 
   stock photography and other tools that allow you to avoid 
   hiring expensive professionals. Your goal should always be 
   to produce professional materials, not necessarily the most 
   expensive ones. 

5. Capitalize on “Free” Advertising - Send a press release to 
   print, radio and broadcast media. It won’t cost you anything 
   to send in submissions. But what you can gain is free 
   publicity in the form of a full article or at least a small 
   brief. Unbiased publicity from a reporter carries a lot of 
   weight and can help you “advertise” your business better 
   than any paid advertising can.

6. Form Strategic Alliances - Combine your marketing efforts 
   and dollars with those of complementary businesses. Swap 
   customer referrals and split the cost of a postcard mailing 
   or print ad with trusted business partners. You can also 
   share exhibit space at trade shows or co-sponsor special 
   events.

7. Improve and Maximize Customer Relations - Always meet and 
   exceed your customers’ expectations... so you don’t lose 
   them.  Some estimates say it costs seven times more to 
   acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. You 
   can also save money and time by generating repeat business 
   from your customers. Contact them with a special offer or 
   piece of useful information; they’ll probably be happy to 
   hear from you. Ultimately, you’ll be doing them and yourself 
   a favor. 

Copyright, Kate Smalley, Connecticut Secretary
Freelance Transcription Services
mailto:kms@connecticutsecretary.com
http://www.connecticutsecretary.com