Marketing That Wont Break The Bank

Did you know that there are marketing resources in just waiting to be used in your own back yard? And in many cases, all it takes is a little bit of your time and energy to tap into them. Today we will be exploring ways that you can effectively market your business within your community. Our guest today is Lisa Sakai, President-Elect for the Mission Viejo Chamber of Commerce. She has served on the boards of several Chambers and other Foundations in Orange County, CA, and has seen how her involvement has helped her business grow. Join us as we look at common misconceptions small businesses have about becoming part of Chambers of Commerce and other local organizations, and how to tap into “lifestyle networking”.

When we make our purchasing decisions, we generally will buy products and services from people that we know, like and trust. In many cases, we may not know that person or company directly – we rely on our friends and neighbors (and even online reviews) to tell us how great a product or service is. As a small business, it is our job to make sure that our customers and potential customers become our advocates and start talking about us to those around them. But, in order to do that, we need to start the conversation and build that trust factor through what we say and do. Sometimes, though, it’s hard to get that conversation going. We don’t always see ourselves as the “expert” with something to say. In this week’s episode, we are going to explore ways that you can start that conversation online and keep it going.

With all the emphasis on social media these days, we tend to forget some of the tried and true methods of marketing. On today's episode, we're going to talk about how to use in-person networking to your advantage. Our guest today is Charlie Woodward, owner of Good Circle Insurance agency. He is an expert networker and has seen the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to being involved in networking groups. Join us to talk about the do's and don'ts of networking, various types of groups available, and how best to utilize these groups to build your business.

When working with new clients, we always ask who their target market (or ideal client) is. The usual answer? Everybody and anybody. Do you know what happens when you ask for a referral to everybody and anybody? You get no one and nobody. Today we are going to explore why it’s important to know exactly who your customer is, outline questions you should ask yourself and your customers to determine specifically their wants, needs and desires, and how to use that information to effectively market to that person. The result? A clean, simple marketing message that means you will spend less time, effort and money on getting new customers, keeping the ones you have, and growing your business.

Welcome to the very first episode of Marketing That Won’t Break the Bank! Did you know that the two biggest reasons that small businesses fail are (1) they run out of money, and (2) ineffective marketing? Today, we will talk about some of the key stumbling blocks small businesses face when it comes to marketing their products and services and the misconceptions many have about using social media to promote their business. We’ll also take a peek at what’s in store on this program in the coming weeks.