We know that money is tight. But does that mean you should stop talking to your clients or looking for new ones? NO! Times like these are your opportunity to stand out from the competition. While your competitors are crawling into the corner, you should be stealing the spotlight! Here are a few tips that will help you gain market share and shine even brighter now.
Tip #1:
Attend networking meetings.
royblumenthal
The best business relationships start face-to-face. Plus, most networking meetings occur during meal time…and since you have to eat, you might as well be meeting prospects as well. Networking opportunities surround you! The first place to look is your local chamber. Then you will want to ask fellow members where else they network and interact with other businesses owners. Another outlet is to find something that you have a passion for, like a non-profit group or arts group. Get involved and build those relationships. You could network morning, noon and night if you really wanted to! But don’t forget, it’s all about who YOU are (See Tip #4) and what YOU have to offer. What you get in return will soon follow. NetworkInAustin is a great Austin resource to find networking opportunities around town.
Tip#2:
Matt Hamm
Utilize social media outlets. Currently, most social media sites are free. This is a great time and place to establish yourself as an industry expert. First, most companies are still not using these outlets to reach their customers. Those that are, may not be direct competitors. If they are direct competitors, then that’s even more reason to make your presence known. Second, you have friends and colleagues and they have friends and colleagues, and so on. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. are all great places to share your knowledge and they are where most people (2010 stats and facts) these days reside online. People are hungry to learn – hungrier now than they’ve ever been before and they usually turn to their immediate networks first to find the information they seek. Make sure it’s you that they are getting their knowledge from! (and having a presence on these sites actually helps your SEO!) Not sure where to start? Call us: 512.428.9072. We can help.
Tip#3:
Ask for referrals. This is something that we all forget to do and it should be the easiest task of all! Pick out your top clients – especially if they are always raving about your products or services – and ask them if they can introduce you to some more prospects. You will find that your happiest clients are more than willing to help you in growing your business…You just have to ask! Quality referrals most often come from those with whom you have already done business. Full Moon Design Group knows this and we are rewarding those who think of us and send business our way. We recently launched our 2nd Annual Referral Reward Campaign. Our rewards prove to our clients that we appreciate their confidence in us.
Tip #4:
Ensure that you have a memorable identity.
matthew solle
It’s simple – marketing is consistently getting in front of prospects with a consistent look and feel on a repetitive basis. Your business brand or identity is the foundation that you will need to build credibility in the marketplace. If you are going to seek business from your competitors, you better make sure that you look like you have a business. No self-designed business cards that you have printed on perforated stock from your local office supply store…nope…not allowed! You need exceptional quality assets to let your audience know that you can provide that same quality in the products or services you offer. Not sure what I mean by brand/identity? Take a look at Full Moon Design Group portfolio section to give you more of an idea:
http://www.fullmoondesigngroup.com/portfolio.html
Tip #5:
Make sure you have a website. If you don’t, now is the time. The web is no longer a luxury for businesses…it’s a must. Times are changin’ folks and your website is no longer your online brochure. It’s a place where people are looking to learn more about you, your clients, your culture. They want to interact and learn from you. Blogging, videos and pictures is what’s hot for websites now. The time and money that you invest in your website will pay off in the end. Think about it…your site is working prospects when you are busy at that networking lunch (see Tip #1) or sound asleep in bed! But websites aren’t cheap, you say… Or are they? Full Moon Design Group has websites starting at just $500 – sites that you can change content on your own (and we’ll show you how!) and blog and feed into those social media outlets of which you are now a part (re: Tip #2). Take a look at a few samples below:
www.jbaustin.com/
www.austinecofence.com/
www.hillcountryhomeimprovements.com/