Giveaways Turn Tough Sales into Easy Sales
Offering your product for free may seem counter-intuitive, but it could be just the right strategy to spur sales and growth for your small business. Let’s just state right up front that giving away your product and/or service isn’t the right tactic for every small business. If your start-up costs are high or your product margins too small, it’s probably not the path for you. But, according to Janine Popick, CEO of VerticalResponse, giveaways can be a legitimate strategy and an effective way to spur sales and growth for many small businesses. Free trials, for example, are commonly seen in the software industry. Typically these are reduced-function versions that you can try for a specified amount of time, and they often require that you provide a credit card upfront. However, Popick notes that some companies display the ultimate confidence in what they offer by providing the full version of their product or service for free – no credit card needed. And that practice, she says, ...
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Using Content to Market Your Business
The hottest thing in marketing these days is “content marketing” – using videos, webinars, white papers and the like to offer consumers useful information while getting them to think about your business. A home improvement company, for example, might publish an article or video on easy steps someone could take to make their bathroom look better, or an accountant might offer free money-saving tips at tax time. Chris Brogan, CEO of Human Business Works, suggests not being too pushy with your accompanying sales pitch: Encourage visitors to sign up for a free newsletter, or offer them a free consultation or perhaps even a coupon for discounted products or services. In other words, the next step should be something that turns them into a lead without a hard sell. Think about who your target audience is and write with them in mind. Make sure you use keywords so people who are searching for the information you’re offering can find you. The Google Adwords Keyword tool is a great place to ...
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