Marketing is a great way to get your business’s name out there. When people think of the service or product your business provides, you want your name to pop into their minds. Before you spend a ton of money on a third-party marketing company, try some of these efforts out yourself first.
1. Website
Having a website for your business is absolutely key. If a customer can’t find you on a search engine, you’ve already lost to your competitors. The first step is to create a website. If you already have a website, make sure that it’s in great shape, provides information for prospective customers and includes ways on how to contact you – phone, email, a contact form, potentially a live chat function and links to your social media channels. Use your website to advertise sales and promotions to get customers in the door!
2. Social media
This is another great online tool to promote and market your business. It’s not enough to simply have social media accounts for your business. You need to maintain and update them. Especially when it comes to promotions and sales you may be running. Having a strong presence on social media creates engagement with existing customers and prospects.
3. Email campaigns
For your existing customers, you want to have their email addresses so you can regularly drop a line. Let them know what your business is up to. This is another great chance to advertise promotions, sales or new products. Keep the emails short and to the point, with an engaging subject line so they’ll open the email.
4. Network
Networking is key. And not just social media networking. Join your local chamber of commerce and any business associations or community groups. You can capture great business leads through networking, and you can have your fellow business owners help promote your business through word-of-mouth marketing. Also getting involved in community service will help your outreach. Sponsor a charity event. Your logo or business name will be displayed to the community. Post, email and advertise on your website what you’re doing to help your community.
5. Advertise
If you have the budget for it, consider a radio or newspaper ad or even a billboard. Consider the marketing “rule of seven” that states people need to see or hear your messages at least seven times before taking any action. Put your business out there so people recognize your business name, your products or services and your brand.
6. Make the most of your calls
You get a lot of calls that come into your business. Answering your calls and responding to your messages is of course a great way to capture leads. But analyzing your call logs is a great way to pinpoint whether your marketing efforts are working. Did you send out a promotional email and get a lot of calls in response? Run a billboard ad that brought in a lot of inquiries? Pinpoint your marketing efforts by analyzing when your calls come in, who is calling and what types of calls they are.
Get the smartest call reports and analytics
If you truly want to make the most out of your calls, consider an answering service. At VoiceNation, we are more than just a live answering service. Our operators are the smartest and most helpful in the industry. Not only do we answer your calls and free you up to run your business, but we sort and tag your calls by time, location, and type.
Using our highly intuitive online dashboard and free mobile app, you can generate reports and analytics to see how your marketing efforts are impacting your call volume. Our pricing is incredibly reasonable. We perform all the functions of an in-house receptionist at a fraction of the cost. Give us a try with our free, seven-day trial or call to find out more at 877.679.3777.