11 Feb

4 Other Ways To Promote Your Brand On The Cheap

Posted in Promotional Products, Small Business Advertising on 11.02.16 by John Meloche

Marketing and advertising cloud word 3d renderThis week, on the Synergy Marketing Blog, it’s been all about advertising. To be specific, low-cost advertising is the name of the game. Coming off a weekend when the most elaborate and expensive advertisements were getting a lot of attention – thank you Super Bowl 50! – we found it important to highlight the fact that not all business owners require big budgets in order to promote their brands.

Here are four other ways to promote your brand on the cheap:

1. Write an editorial-style ad for a local newspaper. Content marketing is huge these days. Maintaining a regularly-updated blog on your site helps to encourage online users to keep visiting your site. A blog helps you to showcase your expertise in your field, giving people stronger impressions of your reliable and trustworthy nature. On SmallTownMarketing.com, Tom Egelhoff suggests that you take things a step further by offering your expert advice to columns you submit to local newspapers.

“Try an editorial style ad,” he encourages, “These are ads that look like actual stories in the newspaper. They will have ‘advertisement’ at the top of the article. Develop a good headline, and 50% more people will read the article than would read an ad of the same size.” This will enable you to cleverly advertise your brand in a media source that generally charges a lot for standard ad space.

2. Give YouTube a go. In yesterday’s blog, we championed the cause for social media advertising. It wasn’t the first time, and it certainly won’t be the last. It’s free to use such platforms and Facebook and Twitter to advertise your business. But they don’t stand alone as social networking sites that allow business owners to market their brands. Online users just love to watch videos. So you may want to start up your own YouTube channel to upload your own.

“Given that YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine, create a YouTube Channel and leverage proven video marketing tactics, like ‘how-to’ style video content and response videos to improve search visibility and potentially drive leads,” advises Ken Lyons on SearchEngineWatch.com. He highlights this tip as one of the many free ways a business owner can market his or her business.

3. Plan for rainy days. It’s always a good idea to have a bit of a financial cushion when it comes to your advertising budget. Different opportunities to advertise your brand may pop up without a moment’s notice and you’ll want to be in a position to take advantage of them. As well, unexpected emergencies may arise and you’ll need that extra dough to handle them. Egelhoff sheds some light on this reality.

“During the year put a small amount aside each month for emergencies,” he writes, “You never know when you’ll need to react quickly to whatever the competition is doing. You must be able to capitalize on breaking national events or news regarding your industry. If negative things happen in your industry you may need to respond quickly to make sure the right message is presented.”

4. Hand out promotional gifts. Of course, you can never forget about the almighty promo gift. Among the most effective and cost-conscious methods of growing your brand, promotional products are must-haves! To place your order for the promo gift of your choice, call Synergy Marketing at 1-877-748-9884 between 9am and 5pm EST or email us at info@gosynergygo.com! You can also sign up for our Insider E-Flyer Program HERE!

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10 Feb

3 More Cost-Effective Ways To Market Your Company

Posted in Promotional Products, Small Business Advertising, Social Media on 10.02.16 by John Meloche

Marketing and advertising cloud word 3d renderFinding cost-effective ways to grow a business is a daily task of any small to medium sized business owner. In yesterday’s blog, we delivered a number of clever ways to pull off business marketing on the cheap. If you can’t afford the cost of a television commercial – not many entrepreneurs can – then the methods outlined in our blog are definitely worthwhile. And we have more for you today!

Here are three more cost-effective ways to market your company:

1. Donate to charity. Becoming an active member of your community is one of the best ways to advertise your company without spending a lot of money. In fact, it’s always a win-win to give back to those in need while highlighting the name of your business. Obviously, it leaves a very favourable impression on others when you position yourself as someone who cares about worthy causes.

“Spearhead an event, party, or conference for a cause you care about,” advises Microsoft, “That puts you in the position of getting to know lots of people and shows off your small-business leadership skills.” Naturally, these events can also be used to pass out your promotional gifts to those in attendance. Make your gifts part of your charitable donations to spread the good word about your brand.

Tom Egelhoff agrees that sponsoring a community event is a great idea. “A fun-run, golf tournament, or other event that will be well publicized in the community,” he writes on SmallTownMarketing.com, “Your name may not be prominently displayed but sometimes the positive exposure in the community will bring in new customers.”

2. Become more active online. If we’ve advised it once, we’ve advised it a million times – give or take – utilize the internet to grow your business! Not only does it cost you nothing to set up social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter, among others, but it does you a lot of good to interact with other social media users. Microsoft points out that there are many different ways that you can go online to promote your business.

The company refers to internet advertising as the “free sample” approach to bringing in business. “Research active email discussion lists and online bulletin boards that are relevant to your business and audience,” recommends their website, “Join several and start posting expert advice to solve problems or answer questions. You may need to keep this up for a bit. But the rewards come back in paying clients and referrals.”

3. Attend trade shows and conferences. These often fun, profile-boosting business events are excellent ways for you to meet new people – both like-minded business owners and potential new customers alike. Trade shows and conferences make for the ideal places for you to hand out promotional gifts bearing your company’s name and logo. Always great ways to make great impressions, your promo gifts will help to separate your brand from the rest of those in attendance.

To place your order for the promo gift of your choice, call Synergy Marketing at 1-877-748-9884 between 9am and 5pm EST or email us at info@gosynergygo.com! You can also sign up for our Insider E-Flyer Program HERE!

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09 Feb

4 Cost-Conscious Ways To Advertise Your Small Business

Posted in Promotional Products, Small Business Advertising on 09.02.16 by John Meloche

A bullhorn megaphone covered with words describing advertising such as advertise, promotion, public relations, marketing, attention, audience, plug, buzz and many moreIn yesterday’s blog, we highlighted our favourite commercials from Sunday’s Super Bowl 50. We pointed out, however, that although we enjoy blogging about Super Bowl commercials every year, we recognize that TV ads are not viable marketing sources for our clients. After all, such commercials notoriously cost millions of dollars! At Synergy Marketing, our experience has proven that you don’t need such overblown budgets to effectively advertise a small business.

Here are four cost-conscious ways to advertise your small business:

1. Stop marketing to unprofitable customers. This tip may seem a bit harsh, but it’s an important step to take if you wish to boost your profits. It is well known that it costs business owners a lot less to market their brands to their happy customers than it is to advertise in efforts to attract new ones. However, if you have customers who simply don’t generate a lot of money for your business, you may want to focus your energies elsewhere.

Microsoft insists upon this example of tough love. “If this idea makes you gasp, think harder,” they insist on their website, “You’re falling for the fallacy of increasing sales instead of boosting profits. If you stop marketing to unprofitable customers, you have more time and resources for customers who actually grow your business…Take a detailed look at your customer profitability data and then direct premium services and marketing to customers who count.”

2. Split advertising costs with the people who sell to you. If there’s a way to partner up with colleagues in order to bring down advertising costs, then go for it! On SmallTownMarketing.com, Tom Egelhoff recommends it. “Vendors and manufactures are always looking for exposure,” he advises, “Let people know you carry their products and have the vendor pick up part of the ad cost.”

3. Send e-newsletters as well as traditional letters. Synergy Marketing recently introduced its Insider E-Flyer Program. Our objective is to provide our clients with up-to-date information about all of the latest additions to our promotional product catalogue among other news about our business. Sending out e-newsletters typically costs you nothing but your time. Microsoft champions this marketing strategy along with sending traditional mail.

“Most businesses have harnessed the power of e-newsletters—and you definitely should be sending out one, too,” encourages their website, “It’s very cost-effective. But because email marketing is now nearly ubiquitous, you can quickly stand out by occasionally sending personal, surface-mail letters to customers and prospects. Just make sure the letter delivers something customers want to read.”

4. Trade in your business cards for promotional gifts. We suppose that there will always be a need for business cards. But, at the end of the day, they are not likely to be kept for very long by those you hand them to. In contrast, promo gifts are well-known for sticking around. Because they are most often lightweight, handy, useful and compact, promo gifts have the ability to advertise your brand for years to come. Recipients very rarely toss them away they way they do business cards.

“Most business cards are tossed within hours of a meeting,” says Microsoft, “Instead of having your card tossed, create one that recipients actually will use—say, a good-looking notepad with your contact info and tagline on every page.” At Synergy Marketing, we not only provide great promotional notepads and notebooks, but a wide array of promotional products that aren’t at all that likely to be discarded after they’re received.

To place your order for the cost-conscious promo gift of your choice, call Synergy Marketing at 1-877-748-9884 between 9am and 5pm EST or email us at info@gosynergygo.com! You can also sign up for our Insider E-Flyer Program HERE!

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13 Feb

6 Promo Strategies That Won’t Blow Your Budget

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 13.02.15 by John Meloche

Depositphotos_22783106_xsOne of the reasons that our promotional products have been so effective for so many business owners across Canada is that they are so wallet-friendly. Sure, it’s incredibly effective to use a promo gift over a business card for its sheer usability. Promo products are not quickly thrown out. Because they are so handy and useful, they have staying power. When your marketing material is kept in the possession of its recipients, it has the ability to push your brand for a long time.

But back to how cost-effective promo gifts are, it’s important to note that not all small business owners have the luxury of working with large marketing budgets. Making use of what limited marketing funds you may have is a huge part of keeping your company successful. On Wordstream.com, Megan Marrs gives small business owners the assurance that “there are plenty of marketing tactics you can make use of that won’t blow your budget.” Here are six.

1. Publish great content. This is a key component in popularizing your website. The more interesting content added to your site, the better your chances are of attracting new visitors. To get picked up in search engines more often, you’ll want to post a lot of content that is relevant to your industry. This is why we add a new post to the Synergy Marketing Blog each business day of the week. We also post links to each blog on our Facebook and Twitter profiles!

2. Develop a customer referral program. There’s arguably no better way to grow your company’s popularity than to have your existing happy customers refer it to their friends and family members. Word-of-mouth promotion simply can’t be beat. “Offer existing customers a free product, free month of service, or some other reward for referring new customers,” suggests Marrs, “Remember, word-of-mouth is powerful stuff, so friends telling friends about your business is incredibly valuable.”

3. Industry partnerships. In yesterday’s blog, we highlighted the importance of teaming up with other business owners to help along in the referral process. Marrs agrees that this is a worthwile promotional tactic. “Partnering with another business means twice as much notice,” she writes, “If you’re partnering with an industry-relevant business, you’re getting introduced to a whole new audience related to your niche. People pay big money for that kind of access!”

4. Email marketing. It’s important to stay connected. Develop an emailing list by requesting addresses from the customers who visit your store. Be sure to make your newsletters personalized pieces of communication and not just spam-like direct advertising messages. “Email marketing is a great way to get new visitors engaged with your business, as well as maintain relationships with your existing customers,” says Marrs.

5. Online contests. As we’ve mentioned many times, people love to get things for free. And contests have always had the ability to get people excited over the idea of winning something great. You may be thinking that running a contest may be more costly that you would like. But, as Marrs tell us, “the number of participants and new potential leads you get will be well worth the price…You don’t technically need a super expensive prize to get participants. Even a couple high-end water bottles or fancy backpacks might be enough of a draw for some users.”

6. Give away balloons at local events. “Get a few hundred custom balloons printed with your business name, rent a helium tank, and watch the smiles roll in,” she continues, underlining our belief that free giveaways make great impressions. The way we see it, however, you can do a lot better than balloons! Give Synergy Marketing at a call at 1-877-748-9884 to discuss the many different promo gifts we have that can help you to boost business without blowing your budget!

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22 Oct

5 More Cost-Conscious Ways To Market Your Small Business

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 22.10.14 by John Meloche

business touching  with statistics graphIn yesterday’s blog, we revisited the topic of marketing your small business on a small budget. After all, that’s often what it means to have a small business, right? Not every business owner in the world is working with piles of cash that can be thrown at their marketing campaigns. And there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, small business owners have unique opportunities to develop stronger relationships with their customers.

That’s because, unlike major corporations, small businesses have owners that often work on the front lines. They get to meet their customers directly and develop relationships that can last long into the future. At Synergy Marketing, we know just how impactful our promotional gifts can be in this entire process. More than just conversation starters, our promo gifts help to grow relationships that often begin with signs of generosity.

Naturally, when a gift is given, it’s a sign of generosity that isn’t soon forgotten. Just as beneficial to business owners is the fact that our promo gifts are relatively cheap when compared to traditional modes of advertising. But as Susan Solovic points out on ConstantContact.com, there are many other cost-effective marketing strategies that can work wonders for the small business owner. In today’s blog, we’ll take a look at the second half of her list of ideas.

1. Create buzz. With the advent of social media, creating buzz can be a lot easier than it used to be. But that doesn’t mean you should just stick to tweeting and posting comments on Facebook. It requires making your business newsworthy. That way, you can get others to tweet and post comments about you. More importantly, you may want to send press releases to members of the media to see if you can get some coverage in popular local publications.

2. Ask for referrals. “Don’t be shy about asking for customer referrals,” insists Solovic, “The majority of people say they are willing to provide a referral if asked, but very few take the initiative to do it on their own. Referrals make it easier to get in the door with new customers. If you aren’t asking for them, you are missing opportunities.” Our experience has shown that promo gifts have long been great ways to inspire referrals from customers.

3. Build relationships. This is one of the overall themes of small business marketing. It goes a lot further than just selling products. It’s all about developing relationships to grow a loyal customer base. Not to mention, “it is a lot less expensive to keep a customer than it is to get a new one,” Solovic reminds us, “That’s why establishing strong relationships with your customer base is crucial. One of the ways you can do that is by launching an email campaign.”

4. Offer coupons. As mentioned, people love getting things for free. But they also certainly appreciate getting items at discounted rates. When you save your customers money, you ensure that you have happy customers. In addition, “coupons are a good way for many businesses to attract new customers. Research shows that people will go out of their way to use a coupon, proving that this method is successful in expanding your customer base,” writes Solovic.

5. Give it away. It all comes down to freebies again, doesn’t it? And you don’t have to take our word for it. As Solovic explains, “if someone has the opportunity to experience your product or service, chances are they will want to purchase more. Don’t be afraid to give someone a free trial or a sample. In today’s economy, people are more comfortable purchasing something they have been able to experience first.”

Looking for some great gifts to give away? Call Synergy Marketing at 1-877-748-9884 today!

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21 Oct

5 Tried-And-True Cost-Effective Marketing Strategies

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 21.10.14 by John Meloche

business woman - growth and success graphAt Synergy Marketing, we fashion ourselves as experts in the small business marketing game. After all, for many years now, our amazing promotional products have helped business owners from all over Canada to reach new heights in very inexpensive ways. Promo gifts have long been known, in our country, as incredibly cost-effective ways to market businesses. Simply put, when they are handed out to customers, they make great impressions!

They aren’t just conversation starters – they are relationship builders. People love getting things for free and when those things are useful, handy and of high-quality, they are appreciated all the more. For business owners, it’s just hard to go wrong with promo gifts. Again, they cost so much less than traditional modes of advertising such as radio spots, print ads and those incredibly pricey television commercials.

But we could go on all day about how to promote your business on the cheap. In addition to promotional products, there are many other cost-effective ways to grow your small business. As Susan Solovic explains on ConstantContact.com, there are some “tried and true marketing strategies that can help you market your business on a shoestring budget.” Over our next two blogs, we’d like to explore these ideas. Here are her first five.

1. Craft an elevator pitch. “You should be marketing all the time,” insists Solovic, “wherever you are. Therefore, you need a compelling elevator pitch.” What this means is that you should be able to describe your business and how great it is in under a minute. In other words, the length of an average elevator ride should be enough time for you to meet someone and give that person an excellent impression of your brand.

2. Leverage your community. We have often said that the most important people to your business are those that live in the area in which it operates. Who better to market your brand to than those who live closest to it? “Think locally,” advises Solovic, “Sponsor a Little League team or a 5k charity walk/run. Print bookmarks and leave them at the local library. Get to know your ideal customer and think about how and where they spend their time.”

3. Collaborate. We’ve also blogged quite a bit about connecting with like-minded business owners who are not your competitors. The more people working towards elevating your business, the better. It’s the whole “scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” policy at work here. Use it to your advantage. “By collaborating with each other, you can expand your customer base because you’ll be reaching new people,” says Solovic.

4. Network. People who get out and meet other people put themselves in better positions to succeed. Shake some hands and get to know people, Solovic advises. And don’t forget to do the same thing using social media as well. Sure, you can’t shake hands online, but tools such as Facebook and Twitter are commonly known as today’s most popular ways to meet and interact with people.

5. Give a speech. Are you an expert in your field? You should certainly have the confidence that you are. And although Solovic recognizes that “a lot of people hate public speaking”, she writes that you should “take a deep breath and volunteer” to speak in front of important business groups. “You don’t have to be a pro as long as the information you share is helpful to the audience,” she informs.

Be sure to check back for tomorrow’s blog as we continue our look at Solovic’s list of tried-and-true small business marketing tips. And don’t forget to call Synergy Marketing at 1-877-748-9884 in order to grab some great promotional gifts to help market your business!

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07 Oct

5 Bright Ideas For Securing A Larger Client Base

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 07.10.14 by John Meloche

Green Ideas - Saver Bulbs and Cables IsolatedPromoting a business doesn’t have to be as hard as most people think. This is especially true for entrepreneurs who work with limited budgets. The truth is, small budgets are the norm for most small business owners in Canada. And there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s simply a fact of life. This doesn’t mean, however, that they can’t adequately promote their businesses. Readers of the Synergy Marketing Blog know very well that it doesn’t have to cost a lot to promote well.

“Small business owners typically have limited advertising budgets, so it is vital to your operation’s success to promote your business in the most efficient, cost-effective ways possible,” writes Lisa McQuerrey on Chron.com, “From creating personal networks to supporting the community and getting your name into the media, every bit of positive publicity helps promote your company to potential customers.”

As we have often said, it all comes down to being creative. Getting noticed doesn’t necessarily entail spending big bucks on such advertising techniques as billboards, radio spots, print ads and television commercials. Instead, implementing some simple and cost-effective methods is actually a more viable approach to securing a large client base. McQuerrey provides five suggestions on how to do just that.

1. Be Visible. As mentioned, you don’t have to spend big bucks in order to be seen. Getting yourself more exposure can come through getting more involved in your community. “Sponsor local charitable events, volunteer your services to a nonprofit or offer up your store space for a school event,” writes McQuerrey, “All of these approaches are low-cost in nature, position your business in a positive light and result in free publicity.”

2. Be Social. Nothing new to the Synergy Marketing Blog, the tip to be active on social media is a very popular one – and with good reason. It’s free to have Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles. And these days, there are arguably no ways that are more popular to communicate with people on a wide scale. “Update accounts regularly to showcase new products, sales and company news,” McQuerrey suggests.

3. Network. It’s important to remember that even in our tech-savvy world, networking doesn’t have to be restricted to online only. There is still no better way to meet someone than in person. McQuerrey writes that you should join organizations such as rotary clubs, industry groups or a chamber of commerce. “Small businesses can greatly enhance promotional efforts by participating in business networking,” she says.

4. Exhibit. Trade shows are among the best events in the world to hand out your promo gifts. It’s hard to find places where you will meet more business people in one place. Of course, our promo gifts aren’t the only things that you should bring along with you. Your charming personality will be a valuable asset. Remember that you are a representation of your brand as much as your products and services are.

5. Use Traditional Venues. “Even with creative promotional efforts, it is still important to promote your business through traditional mediums,” writes McQuerrey, “Create a marketing and advertising campaign that is within your budget and carefully target the demographics you want to reach. Build an interactive website, update it regularly and develop at least one professional, high-quality promotional marketing piece, such as a flier or brochure.”

As far as getting your hands on some great promo gifts go, you know who to call. Contact Synergy Marketing at 1-877-748-9884 today!

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07 Feb

6 Tips For Promoting Your Brand On A Budget

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 07.02.14 by John Meloche

Speaking through megaphoneIt’s been all about networking this week on the Synergy Marketing Blog. And considering that last Sunday’s Super Bowl game also represented the year’s biggest advertising date with all those elaborate television commercials, you can see why. Outside of major corporations, who can really afford such lavish ads? For the most part, business owners don’t have such large advertising budgets.

But you know what? They don’t need them. That’s because entrepreneurs have the advantage of making personal connections with their customers. And this goes a long way. If you’re working with a small budget, it doesn’t mean that you can’t boost your brand. And on WikiHow.com, a list of tips is provided to help business owners promote their companies on shoestring budgets.

Become a resource for the media. You may not have aspired to be a news reporter, but because you possess a certain level of expertise in your field, you can be quite a valuable asset to the media. “Introduce yourself to local reporters and let them know about your area of expertise. Offer to comment any time they are working on a story about your industry or field,” advises the website.

Pitch a story idea. If you’re interesting enough, you won’t need to pay to advertise your brand. Pitch your accomplishments as a news story. What sets you apart from other business owners? What makes your brand unique? Is it an interesting enough story to make the evening news? Suggest stories to local media outlets that will reflect kindly upon your company.

Write opinion pieces or feature stories of your own. When all else fails, become your own media source! Try getting a story published that may provide an indirect link (or a direct one) to your company. Your articles don’t even have to be about your business or industry. But as WikiHow.com notes, “when you get them published your byline can include the name of your business and perhaps include a link to your website.”

Use your website to promote your business and tell your story. If we’ve blogged about it once, we’ve blogged about it a hundred times (give or take a blog or two) – your online presence is of paramount importance in today’s business world. Constantly update your website with valuable content including “testimonials from satisfied customers, samples of your work and biographical information about you and any other owners or leaders”, recommends the site.

Write a blog. This is a popular tip as well. And it’s probably because blogging is a great way to keep your website fresh. What’s more is that “blogging is a good way to share information with your customers and gain visibility in your industry,” WikiHow.com says. Do your best to blog at least once a week and be sure to share your blog links on your social media profiles.

Set up profiles on social networks. What’s that? You don’t have social media profiles? We’ll put this bluntly. Get yourself Facebook and Twitter accounts at the very least! Communicate with your customers and get them talking not just about you, but with you. In today’s world, social media play a huge role in building the reputation of your business. And it doesn’t cost you a thing to do!

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29 Aug

Putting Away Fears With Free Marketing Tips

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 29.08.13 by John Meloche

imagesIn yesterday’s blog, we began looking at a Chiara Fucarino article from ExcelLiving.com. In it, she lists a number of ways that business owners can market their businesses for free. Her list helps put to rest some fears that many entrepreneurs have about promoting their companies – including the one about it costing a fortune. In actuality, a lot can be done for nothing at all.

Put your business on the map. Specifically Google Maps and Yahoo! Local, says Fucarino. You likely know by now that most Canadian consumers jump online to research stores, products and services before visiting physical locations. If you’re not online, you practically don’t exist! Registering your business with the aforementioned sites won’t cost you a thing either.

Get your business into the Yellow Pages. While you’re at it, head over to the Yellow Pages website and register your business there too. It’s free as well as quick and easy to do. Fucarino admits that the use of that big yellow book isn’t nearly as frequent today as it used to be, it’s still worth your time and energy to be listed. Why not take advantage of every free listing you can get, right?

Write letters to local newspapers. “If you offer your unique business knowledge to the community, they will take you seriously and begin to associate you with your business,” writes Fucarino, “If you find an article in a previous publication you want to discuss, write a polite, interesting, and newsworthy letter to the editor. Don’t forget to include your business’s website address and contact information!”

Yelp often! Have you heard of Yelp? Admittedly, we’re pretty new to it ourselves. But as Fucarino suggests, logging on to this site will help you respond to customer reviews a lot quicker, plus it will get visitors to the site to learn a lot more about your business. Be courteous and helpful, she reminds us, as you don’t want to taint your business’ reputation by getting into an online fight with anyone in the message boards.

Put your URL on everything. In case it hasn’t been made abundantly clear already, your online presence means a lot in this day and age. Make sure that everyone knows your website address. As Fucarino points out, it should be in your email signature, on your company’s letterhead, your business cards and even your promotional gifts. Your website is often your first impression, so make it known!

Join online communities. Showing your expertise in your field is very important. And the worldwide web is probably the best place to show it off. “Find relevant discussion groups online and contribute with your knowledge,” says Fucarino, “Make sure you mention your business and include your URL in your forum signature. Always be nice, polite, and helpful!”

Tomorrow, we will complete our three-part look at Fucarino’s list of tips. Promoting your business doesn’t have to be expensive, as you can now tell. In many cases, it doesn’t have to cost you anything at all. And even when you’re spending money to promote – because let’s face it, you’ll have to at some point – it doesn’t have to cost you much. For proof, contact one of our reps at 1-877-748-9884.

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16 Aug

Cost-Effective Marketing Ideas Pay Dividends

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 16.08.13 by John Meloche

freshideasIn yesterday’s blog, we began looking at an article from ConstantContact.com written by Susan Solovic. In it, she expressed many of the views shared by our staff, here at Synergy Marketing. They speak to the fact that, too often, business owners spend too much money promoting their businesses. It’s not the money-spending that is the issue as much as how they are spending their money.

Television commercials, billboards, print ads and other traditional modes of advertising simply cost too much. Not all business owners can afford them – especially those who run small businesses. If you run a business and are looking to advertise it on a shoestring budget, Solovic’s tips are for you. Let’s pick up where we left off yesterday with some more great cost-effective promotional ideas.

Create buzz. That’s the whole point, isn’t it? But how can you create a buzz without spending big bucks? Utilize the media, says Solovic. Bring your story to a news source and see if you can get an interview. There are both small media and major media outlets that may be interested in your story. It just depends how interesting you are when you tell it!

Ask for referrals. This is a key component to small business promotion and one of the biggest benefits of handing out promotional gifts. There is arguably no better way to promote than to have one of your satisfied customers do it for you. Don’t be shy to ask for a referral, says Solovic. They make it easier to “get in the door” with new people that you wouldn’t have the opportunity to meet yourself.

Build relationships. We often say, here at Synergy, that business promotion is more about developing new bonds than it is about advertising products. Solovic agrees that “establishing strong relationships with your customer base is crucial”. There is a variety of ways that you can pull this off. One of them is to start an email or social media campaign. Keeping in constant contact is key.

Offer coupons. “Coupons are a good way for many businesses to attract new customers,” writes Solovic, “Research shows that people will go out of their way to use a coupon, proving that this method is successful in expanding your customer base. Coupons can also generate return visits. For example, if you give a customer a coupon for a discount to use on future business, there’s a high probability they’ll be back.”

Give it away. Now where have we heard this before? At Synergy Marketing, our experience has shown us that when business owners give away free promotional items, they help to develop brand loyalty. Solovic takes it one step further by recommending that you offer free trials or samples of your products and services. This will help your customers to experience your brand first hand.

Marketing doesn’t have to be expensive. The ten ideas provided by Solovic over the course of our past two blogs have proven that. As well, our Synergy sales staff is comprised of experts in the field of “promoting on the cheap”. Look into our online catalogue of promo products to get some ideas on which gifts would work best for you. Then give us a call at 1-877-748-9884 to order yours today!

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