![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
What's the cheapest, most under-used marketing tool you have?
The answer's no secret ... it's your business cards. If you aren't making them work for you, you may be missing an excellent opportunity at leveraging a cost effective marketing tool.
By the time you have read this article, you'll know several ways in which you can increase your profits by wringing every last cent of value from the advertising power of business cards.
Business card content
Everyone knows what a business card contains, so I'll keep this brief and focus on what some people don't have on their cards.
Cost effective advertising
The last supply of business cards I bought cost me 0.07 cents Australian per card; the last classified advertisement I lodged cost me $72. While the newspaper advertisement will get much more coverage for a day or two, I have no control over who reads it. Among those who do, thousands will have no personal interest in my offer and still others might never get to the classified advertisements pages. Many will throw out the paper in a day or so and my three line ad will be gone forever from their houses and minds.
With my business cards, however, I can target where and when I leave them or to which individuals I hand them in order to get the greatest advantage. Of course, there is never a guarantee that where I leave them will result in sales, but at least people do keep business cards. The idea is to increase probability ... the probability that the recipient will want my goods or services. Here's an example.
Target marketing
Recently I attended a workshop about Email Marketing which was also attended by about 50 others. As the products I sell include three high capacity email management software systems, this was an opportunity I couldn't miss. I left a card at every place mat on every table.
If the target audience was interested in email marketing, wasn't there a probability they might also be interested in email software? Sure enough, I received 11 enquiries within a few days of the workshop and sold three copies of the software.
Had the workshop been about 'The Metallurgical Use of Sodium Cyanide' how successful do you think I would have been?
When you use target marketing, you may have to offer a financial incentive for someone to distribute - or allow you to distribute - your card. If someone asks for a commission to distribute my business card, I'm happy to oblige, but I also expect to be allowed to leave a brochure. The incentive I offer is this: If you agree for me to leave my sales brochure, I'll use a code within the brochure that lets me identify a sale as coming from your workshop, shop, seminar or whatever. For every sale I'll give you a percentage commission.
If you do this often, you can set up an affiliate program through Clickbank, Sharesale or someone else who provides affiliate management programs. But I don't create affiliates for short-term ventures that may last only a few weeks, it's too much work.
Depending on the goods or services you sell, you can leave your business cards at business offices. For example, when I visit a real estate office I see business cards for insurance brokers. When I go to the insurance brokers, I see cards from real estate businesses. This can be a mutually beneficial arrangement that costs nobody. If you do it though, you must ensure you don't neglect your business card holder ... keep it stocked.
When you get a chance, identify those businesses whose customers may also want your complementary products or services. Talk with the owners/proprietors and see if you can arrange to leave your cards there. Remember, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Even your friendly Chinese Cafe may be a good place to get some exposure. A cafe I visit every couple of months has a cork wall board bristling with business cards. Every time I go there I leave three or four of mine. They always need replacing, so someone is taking them. And let's face it, they aren't good for much else but reading.
Ask your friends to pass your cards to people they know -their sphere of influence - referral is an excellent method of marketing. Hand them out to people you meet at work - at play - anywhere if you feel they are prospective clients.
At the end of the day, you need to use every conceivable method to keep your firm's name in front of as many people as possible. After all, if they don't know you exist, why will they call you when next they want a new batch of widgets?
The cheap, humble business card can be a very effective marketing tool if you use it wisely. How well are you using yours?
Copyright Robin Henry 2005
Robin Henry is an educator, human resources specialist and Internet marketer whose firm, Desert Wave Enterprises, helps individuals and businesses improve their performance by using smart processes, smart technology and personal development. He lives at Alice Springs In Central Australia, but his online presence is available worldwide eg, lately he has been assisting US-based firms deal with Australian Government under the US-AUS Fair Trade Agreement.
Visit Desert Wave Enterprises.
What many may consider the most important part of advertising... Read More
Is fear of failure an issue when you commit valuable... Read More
Many people in business lay-out (design) their own ads. That... Read More
Most brochures that businesses put out today end up doing... Read More
Imagine tossing a pebble into a crystal clear pond on... Read More
Buyers Don't Rely on the Yellow Pages Like They Used... Read More
Do you send email to your Online audience to let... Read More
Having a quality brochure makes a positive impression on a... Read More
Now that you've had colorful new business cards printed, and... Read More
The success of a business plan stands or falls on... Read More
Here's a neat trick to get lots of radio advertisement... Read More
As every professional politician and public relations man knows words... Read More
I did a quick, very unscientific survey of 25 of... Read More
I hear it often, "advertising in the Yellow Pages directory... Read More
Product publicity is the "secret pathway" to business success... Read More
The single easiest way to increase sales is to look... Read More
LED video displays give you the power to communicate, to... Read More
Yellow Pages advertising is one of the most popular forms... Read More
I was in the fine city of Chicago this week... Read More
It's been said that the antidote to liking/loving is not... Read More
You certainly must know that Many Big Marketers consider COPYWRITING... Read More
You're flipping through this publication as you wait for your... Read More
Have you ever spent a small fortune on advertising that... Read More
The Pundits say the economy is slowly, but surely, recovering.... Read More
I recently completed a Marketing Makeover for an Ad that... Read More
The humble little postcard has been getting a... Read More
Too many business owners and marketers know that Yellow Pages... Read More
So many of us who have decided to do business... Read More
There should only be one, over-riding reason why you're doing... Read More
Sure, everyone needs business cards. But why not make your... Read More
Marketing is an important tool for attracting customers. It is... Read More
Have you ever wondered why your perfectly fine classified ad... Read More
Imagine tossing a pebble into a crystal clear pond on... Read More
What many may consider the most important part of advertising... Read More
If you're a typical small business, you've probably been approached... Read More
I got another one of those calls the other day...Can... Read More
Are you confused by all the information you receive from... Read More
There are three main reasons why I would hesitate when... Read More
If you want to sell more ad spaces, you must... Read More
Many of the most memorable ad campaigns around tend to... Read More
The opportunities for getting free advertising for your product or... Read More
Most of us have seen at least a dozen different... Read More
Since most of us are always online and our business... Read More
Every time you hear someone say "May I have one... Read More
An effective way to gain company recognition is to order... Read More
Most small businesses don't have a high powered advertising agency... Read More
The single easiest way to increase sales is to look... Read More
You offer a reliable, quality service. You know that if... Read More
There are many uses for promotional items. This means that... Read More
I recently completed a Marketing Makeover for an Ad that... Read More
Advertising Advertising |