Inside Small Business | Small Business & Home Business Marketing

Grassroots Marketing is Dandy

Traci Hayner Vanover

Spring has finally sprung here in Northeastern Indiana. The sun is shining, a warm breeze is blowing, and my backyard has been overtaken by…dandelions. I would swear that they appeared overnight. I got up one morning to take my dogs out, and there they were.

So there I am, gazing out upon this sea of golden weeds when all of a sudden it hit me. Yes, I need a good weed and feed treatment, but you know what else?

We can learn a lot about “grassroots” marketing from those pesky little guys.

Think about all of the little “seeds” you could be planting—press releases, article submissions, direct mail, podcasts and more. Each on its own is certainly powerful, but consider how much more impact these little seeds would have if you were to employ them together. This unified marketing approach packs a punch; prospects will begin to notice that everywhere they look, there you are.

There are so many opportunities out there that can be leveraged for big returns, but you need to know where to look. To help simplify your search, here are a few of my personal favorites:

PRWeb
There are a great many free press release distribution services, but remember what your Mother always said: “You get what you pay for.” PR Web offers an array of services at various price points. In addition, they offer some value-added services such as podcast interviews that you can use later as an additional promotional tool.

Big Boards

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a hundred times. Discussion forums can be a valuable small business resource. Once you’ve identified niche forums of interest, you can set about using them for market research, as well as promotion.

Scribd

Scribd has been referred to as the YouTube™ of documents, and with good reason. Make sure you read their guidelines for submissions carefully, as some overzealous marketers’ abuses caused them to toughen up on what is deemed appropriate to share. You can upload your articles, ezine issues, press releases, and much more.

Ezine Articles

Ezine articles is a treasure trove for publishers in search of content, and this makes it a prime target for your article submissions. All article reprints require that your resource box remains intact, which translates to incoming links each time your article is used.

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it offers a good place to start your grassroots efforts. And remember, the strength of this approach is in the combined efforts. The seeds you plant today will soon take on a life of their own, spreading all over the net just like those dandelions in my yard.

Traci Hayner Vanover, aka The Promo Diva®, is an author, copywriter, publicist and publisher. As the publisher of Create the Dream!, a bimonthly digital small business magazine, Traci has a highly-regarded and long-standing reputation for offering quality resources, services and support to the small business community.

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Generate Word of Mouth Marketing

Nancy Michaels

Additional Ways to Generate Word of Mouth Marketing

The goal of any business is to keep customers happy and hope that they’ll talk you and your business up to others. It’s always easier to keep a client than find a new one – unless of course, your existing clients are spreading the word about your good work.

1. Keep Track of the Results and Benefits of Working With You

Remember to document the results you bring to a client and keep an on-going list of accomplishments that you can share with your client and/or keep to tell the story of why it’s worthwhile to work with you. Keep a folder on your desk and write yourself notes, make copies of important documents, testimonial letters, thank you letters, etc. to incorporate in future correspondence to clients and prospects.

1. Professionally Remind Your Customer of the Results You Bring

On a regular basis, perhaps quarterly, remind your clients about what results you have brought to them during the past three months. Ask them for their feedback on ways you could improve this process and what they most appreciate about working with you (a great opener for a potential request for a referral).

1. Create a System of Communication with Your Top Clients

It’s the old 80/20 Rule in business. You get 80% of your business from 20% of your prospects. When we market – we tend to market to everyone at the same level, when we really should be paying attention to the20% that gives us 80% of our revenues. Identify who your 20% is and create a simple plan to communicate with them each month. Here are a few ideas. A monthly e-zine that’s relevant to them, an article of interest that you’ve authored, an invitation to lunch (one per year), a phone call, a postcard, something that says to them that you are thinking of them, appreciate their business and want them to keep you top of mind.

1. Identify and Attend Events They Are Likely to Participate In

Networking is another effective way to generate referrals. Begin by knowing what events, trade shows, association meetings you might want to participate in in terms of client development. What events are your clients and prospects attending? Can you speak to these groups, participate on committees, and volunteer in order to increase your visibility? What commitments can you make on a monthly basis to see and be seen at these events?

1. Create a System to Thank Your Referral Sources

Ask your clients what they’d like from you in terms of a thank you for a referral that they might make to you. By asking the question – even early on in your working relationship – you will be planting the seed in terms of thinking about you as someone to share your name with others who might be looking for the same kind of service provider. Everyone likes to be thanked for helping someone out as well, so you’ll position yourself as being grateful and professional.

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