More Tips for Online Success
Start a newsletter
Business Cards
Press Releases
Search Engine Optimization
Blogs
Write an Ebook
Columnists Wanted
Write Articles
SEO Made Easy
|
As work at home moms, we have to be creative in
advertising on a tight budget. I think this article below has great
ideas to get you thinking about how to get the word out about your
business.
65 Ways to Creatively Advertise Your Business
Now that you have a
home business, what do you do now? You need to advertise and expose
your business to as many people as possible! Here are some QUICK
suggestions & things you can do to advertise your business! A
lot
of them are FREE are very low cost!
#1) Use FREE email Signature Tags and attach them to every email you
send!
#2) Register your website business on Every FREE search engine you
can find (first) and then start targeting the pay per click search
engines.
#3) Register your website with Online Shopping Directories.
#4) Register your website with Online Work At Home Directories.
#5) Register your website with Online Classified Ads if you are
going to do any recruiting!
#6) In your spare time you can list your website on FFA Link Pages.
(controversial, some do this and some do not)
#7) In your spare time, go to other peoples personal websites and
sign their Guest Book, make sure you include the info so they can
find your website too!
#8) Contact other webmasters and offer to exchange banners with them!
If you do a online E-Zine or Newsletter swap banners with others and
place them in your online newsletter and have them do the same!
#9) Run a Contest on your site for Newsletter Members ONLY and then
list your contest at all the FREE Contest & Sweepstakes Web
pages!
#10) List your website home business with online yellow page
directories.
#11) Add your listing into your local telephone paper-version phone
book!
#12) Scout out your local newspaper for the bridal announcements!
You can send a catalog, business card and include a flyer for the
new bride announcing your bridal registry!
#13) Scout out your local newspaper for classified ads for Home
Based Day Care Centers! Send catalogs, flyers and biz cards to the
home daycare owners! Point out how they can have a party and earn
FREE items for their home based daycare!
#14) Scout out your local newspaper for baby announcements. If your
company offers products geared to children or new moms you can try
to match up their postal address with their name in the phone book.
Drop into the mail a contact ME sheet, brochure or catalog, business
card and any discount coupons.
#15) Do a Online Bi-monthly or monthly Email Newsletter! After you
get your local customer base built up you can consider doing a print
version for those with NON-Computer Access! This will keep customers
informed of NEW Product Introductions, Sales & Promotions,
Hostess Specials Etc. This will entice customers to purchase &
hold parties more frequently!
#16) Exchange business cards or flyers with other work at home
business owners! Use these as "bag fillers" and as you
pack up tupperware orders throw in one of their cards and have the
other business person do the same! You both get FREE advertising! (don't
do this with others who sell similar products as you)
#17)Network with other Home Business Owners! Schedule a Home
Business EXPO locally in your area! Several of you can get together
and come up with ideas on where to hold one!
#18) Entice First Time Customers to purchase from you! Offer them an
incentive like a personal discount or a special FREEBIE for them
making their first purchase with you! Once you rope them in, give
them the BEST SVC so that they will come back for more and refer you
to others that they know! Word of mouth is sometimes the BEST FREE
advertising!
#19) Hold a Mystery Hostess Open House party! Do this 2-3 times per
year! Send out invites to everyone and post flyers every where!
Offer door prizes, refreshments, demo's etc! Tell everyone who comes
and orders they get one entry, if they bring a friend they earn a
bonus entry! If they book a party at your party they get 3 more
entries and so forth! At the end of the party, draw a name and the
winner becomes the hostess and earns all the FREE stuff for that
party!
#20) Recruit Helper Friends! Have your friends help you spread the
word! Give them catalogs, flyers & business cards! Tell them to
pass them out, get you orders etc. Offer the "helpers"
free items or personal discounts! A lot of times these helpers will
end up being full recruits after they see how profitable & easy
Your Home Business can be!
#21) Sponsor Online & Local Contests! Donate a Prize or Gift
Certificate! This will help get your a lot of Business Exposure! If
you do online sponsoring, make sure you pick HIGH Traffic Websites!
#22) Contact Local Business owners (usually smaller businesses work
best). See if you can hang a flyer in their store window or set up a
small table display. Offer them a personal discount or a freebie for
allowing you this business exposure or swap "bag filler"
business cards with them!
#23) Contact local Bingo Halls! Offer to donate a Prize for their
Bingo games! Make sure you include a business flyer, catalog,
business card etc with the prize you are donating!
#24) Network with other Consultants and find out what works for them
and share your ideas with them too!
#25) Print out your own business cards or buy low-cost ones and pass
them out every where! (I personally get all of mine here
Free Business Cards)
#26) If you want low-cost photo-copying for your business flyers try
the public library! A lot of times they are a lot cheaper for
photo-coping then the big print shops!
#27)Distribute Flyers & Business Cards to: Apartment Complex
Rental offices! Please display them in something attractive like a
little Tupperware modular mate! New move-in tenants are always out
shopping & buying "new" things for their new apartment
or home! You could also do this with real estate agents etc!
#28) Get permission to hang up flyers at grocery store memo boards,
school teacher lounges, public Laundromats, church directory memo
boards, senior centers, nurses & doctor lounges etc!
#29) Contact your local hospital and ask them if they give out the
FREE new baby bags filled with gifts etc to the new moms in their
hospital? If so, ask if you can add a flyer, business card, coupon
or catalog to the mix!
#30) Contact Local Fire companies/fire houses in your area! See if
they would be interested in holding a Fundraiser or Party to earn
FREE Items for their Summer Barbeques etc that they always have to
raise money!
#31) Do you have local Job Fairs? If so, contact them about you
setting up a table with Recruiting Info at your Local Job Fair! You
can also contact local temp. agencies and see about you leaving info
with them about the Your Business Opportunity!
#32) If you are into recruiting, place online classified ads every
where! You can also place ads online at your local newspaper, TV stations and radio stations websites!
Don't forget to also place a
classified ad in your local print version newspapers too!
#33) Contact local TV stations & radio stations and offer to
donate a Prize Package or Gift Certificate for one of their numerous
contests that they are always holding!
#34) Offer to hold parties for friends, co-works & family
members! You can get FREE advertising by having normal bridal
shower, baby shower, anniversary parties etc! Try to tie them
into your Business! Great to do if you sell Tupperware, Pampered
Chef, Baby Products, Invitation & Stationary Companies, Lingerie
Companies and so forth.
#35)Do you have children? If you participate in their bake sale
activities make sure you take in the items in something that is
Tupperware! ie. the cake taker, cupcake taker, pie taker and so
forth! I like to tape my business card onto the bottom of these so
that I can make sure I get it back! This also works if you are a
Pampered Chef Rep. or another Cooking type of Party Business.
#36) Going to a summer picnic or family/class reunion? Trying
preparing something delicious from a Cookbook that your company has!
If someone tells you its delicious and they want the recipe, that has
now opened the door for you to talk about Your Business! (works well
for Tupperware, Pampered Chef and other home cooking party plans).
#37) I carry my spare change around in a small tupperware smidget!
People ask me about it all the time! Tell them they can get ONE free
if they place a $10 order with you! GREAT inexpensive way to get a
new customer! Make sure you whip it out to make change every where
you go! This also works well if your company sells something similar
or if you can get a change purse and stitch or paint your companies
name onto it.
#38) Make sure you leave info about Your Business on your answering
machine or voice mail message! Not everyone who phones you knows
that you sell or represent a particular company! (especially those
pesky bill collectors & telemarketers)!
#39) Write your Website URL & email addy on every piece of mail
leaving your home, including the bills! Either get return address
labels with it printed on or handwrite it! Do you know how many
hands touch once piece of mail? GREAT FREE advertising for you!
#40) Give a product from your company as a gift as much as possible!
Not only does someone really appreciate the gift but its FREE
advertising & you are helping your own sales! Why buy something
elsewhere and get NO sales credit for it or any free advertising!
Works GREAT for all Holiday Gifts plus birthdays, anniversaries,
wedding and so forth.
#41) Make up a colorful flyer and hang it in your car window!
Passer-bys can see your flyer at a parking lot, red-light etc!
#42) I leave my
Business Cards
behind every where I go! I even
include one in the Hotel MAID's Tip envelope that I leave behind
with my tip in it! You can also do this at restaurants, bars, clubs
etc! Anywhere you might leave a tip behind!
#43) Contact your local Welcome Wagon Group! Network with them! See
if you can add your business card, flyer, catalog to the Welcome
Wagon Package in your area! If you have samples then donate one to
their package!
#44) Take your outdated catalogs and randomly mail or distribute
them thru-out your neighborhood! Make sure you stamp it OUTDATED and
provide contact info for yourself so they can contact you if
interested to get a current catalog! #45) Talk about your business Everywhere you go!
#46) Don't be afraid to ask others to book a party from you or to
check out your website etc! The worse thing that could happen is the
word "NO" but in the future if they need service from you
they will remember that conversation with you!
#47) Contact local kitchen & cabinet tradesmen in your area or
local cabinet makers! See if you can set up a display in their shop
about your Business!!! This works well for Tupperware,
Pampered Chef and other Home Party Cooking Plans.
#48)Contact local Home-based Home Caterers or cake makers! Do some
networking with them or offer them our GREAT party/hostess
opportunity! They might be interested in earning FREE Kitchen &
Cooking Products for their home-based catering business!
#49) Contact Local Sorority Houses! College Girls love to shop
& spend money! They also love to have home parties, great way
for them to earn FREE items for the Sorority House and great
business tool for you! If you offer fundraisers, offer one to them
too!
#50) Contact College Campuses & Private Schools and see if you
can set up a Table Display during their open house days!
#51) When out and about....make sure you use a Tupperware LOGO
sports bottle, thirst-quake cup etc for your beverages! Even if you
purchase them at a convenience store...dump it into your Tupperware
LOGO beverage cup! You want to expose your business to others as
much as possible! (this works for ANY company! If your company doesn't
have a logo sports bottle or commuter cup, have one made for
yourself!)
#52) Update your personal Business Website as much as possible!
People who regularly visit our website don't want to see the same
thing over & over! Make sure you include detailed ordering &
payment information along with contact information on your WELCOME
or MAIN page! People don't want to guess at these things! Also offer
as many payment acceptance forms as possible! Don't limit yourself to
CREDIT CARDS only as a lot of people these days are trying to NOT use
them and others are afraid to use them on the internet!
#53) Does your church hold spring & holiday bazaars? Don't forget
to set up a table display with your business info! Volunteer
your time for Church Bake Sales, Holiday Bazaars etc. In exchange,
set up a table or booth with your info.
#54) Fundraising! A lot of opportunities here for you to expand and
grow your business! Make a list of all the LOCAL groups in your
area! Print out flyers about Your Fundraising Opportunity and
include contact & business info about yourself! Every month commit
yourself to mail out or to contact at least 5-10 of those
group contacts per month!
#55) Do you know of a family in your area that had a fire tragedy
recently? A flood or other home tragedy? Donate one of your Outdate
Merchandise Items to them! Include your catalog and business card!
As they get on their feet again they will want to replace what they
lost and can contact you to do that! They are always so grateful for
you kindness and this can be a GREAT opportunity for future business
from them! At worse, you will feel GREAT for doing something so
nice! This will also be a tax write off!
#56) Invest in BLANK postcards or invest in Business Themed
Postcards! These are cheaper to mail out than using catalogs!
Include your business & Contact info on them and mail them out
to everyone advertising your business! This works well with random
mailings from phone books as they are much more inexpensive to do
and recipients usually tack them to the front of their refrigerator
until they need to contact you!
#57) Business SALE aids and Advertising! If you can afford invest in
getting some printed refrigerator magnets, snack bag chip clips,
post-it note memo pads, pens, pencils etc....get these printed up
with your Business Info on them! Pass them out to everyone! Everyone
loves something for FREE!
#58) Encourage your party hostesses to strive for more! Offer
Additional Incentives to them! Run a MONTHLY or Quarterly Contest
for your Party Hostesses ONLY! Tell them that the Hostess who has
the highest Party Sales will win an additional prize or Gift
Certificate Etc.
#59) Make up inexpensive Gift Baskets! Fill the basket with all
kinds of Gadgets & spice mixes! Add a bow! You can sell
these or use them as door prize gifts! Include your business card
with each one! Some customers who are looking for gifts will BUY
quicker if their gift is already to give to their recipient!
If you don't want to do that....offer gift wrapping service to your
customers for an additional fee to cover your wrapping & bow
expenses! These days busy people want things in a hurry and already
completed!
#60)If you really want to go out on a limb for your Customers who
live locally to you that you are offering gift wrapping services
too, you could also add in local delivery for a fee or if they are
out of the area, you could offer to package & ship the gift
wrapped package for them....again for a fee!
#61) Business Gift Giving Program: Contact all the businesses in
your area and provide them with printed info about the Business Gift
Giving Program along with your contact info! I suggest you make a
list of contacts and commit yourself to 5-10 a month that way you
will not get over-burdened with time & money expenses if you
make a reasonable goal for yourself to keep! A lot of Businesses look
for unique affordable gifts they can give to their employees
especially around the Holidays!
#62) If time is a problem for you, get yourself organized! When
watching TV or a movie, stamp the backs of your catalogs, make up
your hostess party info packages, stuff your envelopes for
Fundraising and Business Gift Contacts etc! You can do this during
the commercials instead of just sitting there & biting your
nails LOL Enlist the help of your kids! Children love to feel that
they have a "job" and offering them a few bucks or another
incentive for helping you with your business!
#63) Contact NEW Graduates from High School or College in your area
or hold an open house party just for them! A lot of graduates are
moving into their own first apartment/home or going away for
college! They younger they are when they start buying your
products....the better! They could end of being a collector or a
long term lifelong customer & faithful user of your particular
brand!
#64) Get Business Themed Banking Checks! Your bank checks pass thru
tons of hands that could become potential customers or party hosts!
If possible get your email address or website URL preprinted onto
them! I also suggest using preprinted postal address labels too!
(try to get checks that have pictures of some of the products you
sell on them or at the very least make sure some where on the check
it says: Tupperware Consultant, Avon Rep, and so forth.)
#65) Get yourself a self inking or rubber stamp made up with your
Website URL and contact info on it! Stamp everything with it! Not
only does this save you time but you will be more "apt" to
stamp up everything and anything if it ONLY takes a second to do
it!!!
Most importantly is to be patient! If you work hard in promoting
your business your Business will Flourish!
Have Fun!
Shelly Hill
Tupperware
Manager
|