- Use publicity. Press releases, brochures, press kits,
etc. are a good way to capture the attention of media,
if done right. A write-up in a reputable newspaper or
magazine is worth far more than just an ad. People are
much more resistant to being 'sold' to with an ad,
then they are to reading an interesting story.
Publicity can sometimes have a 'snowball effect', too.
That is, a writer may interview you, write up something
about you... and then other writers pick up on it, and
so forth. And if a syndicated writer picks up your
story, you'll have the potential to get tons of
publicity from just that one article.
The Publicity
Insider website has a great newsletter to get you started
(and it's free, too)... or check out www.prprofits.com.
- Attend trade shows -- even if it's "in absentia". Trade
shows are a great way to come into contact with lots of
customers in your target market, all in one location and
all at the same time.
If you can't attend a trade show in person, strike up a
joint venture with a complementary business or see what other
promotion or sponsorship opportunities the organizers offer.
In addition to the cost of renting the booth, remember
to factor in costs such as equipment rentals (table,
chairs, drape, etc), creation of your display, printing
costs, promotional items, employee help, and so forth.
Even if you normally sell "downloadable" products over
the internet, you can still sell them at trade shows.
Burn the product onto a CD and raise the price to at
least cover your replication costs. Add secondary
products if you can.
- Partner with other complementary busineses -- such as
having them leave a stack of coupons for people who
order from your site (in return, you can do the same
from your site) ... or even share the cost of placing
an ad in a niche magazine or newspaper. It's not even
limited to partnering with businesses... you can partner
with customers, too, if you operate in the business-to-
business world. For instance, you could place a joint
ad with a bit of a write-up about both your businesses,
and somehow 'feature' or 'highlight' the customer in
the ad.
Regardless of how you choose to get exposure in the 'real
world', it's always worth exploring -- there really are
customers outside of cyberspace!
