The Power Of The List:

By: Puneet Dutt

No one said running a small business was a piece of cake.  Starting your own business or franchise took you dedication and hard work, no matter what type of service or product you sell. But now that you have achieved your dream, and are running your own business, what’s next?

The favourable outcomes of your business will come through consistent marketing.  Despite a small budget, you can achieve success.

Below are dedicated steps to help you achieve results.  You must commit to these tips with a vision for the future.

These five tips are from the marketing team at The Business Exchange Magazine, a leader in lead generation for franchises and small business.

Network and stick to it.

Create an event calendar every few months outlining the events you and your staff must attend, and those that are optional.  Face-to-face networking is still the most powerful form of getting leads, and is often underrated.  Make it a priority to encourage key team members to attend events as often as possible, on a regular schedule to discuss the services, results, programs, and promotions your company offers to leads. Tip: LeTip is a worldwide organization with members dedicated to providing leads to one another.  Consider sitting in on a meeting at your local chapter to get a get an idea of the services provided.  Every business card you get, ask them if you can add them to your list.

Ask for Referrals.

Customer service and referrals are crucially important to business growth, especially in the beginning when brand awareness may be weak. Listen to customers when they have suggestions and provide incentives for repeat customers to show appreciation toward the most valued customers.  Then ask if they will refer you, and communicate via e-mail to your potential leads which is another addition to your list.

Get involved in the community.

Consider donating time and services to help support local charities, schools, libraries, hospitals, churches, to build local awareness and friendly relations within the community.  Not only will this give you new and repeat business, but it’s great for organic word-of-mouth and great opportunity to get new e-mail addresses for your list.

Use Social Media.

Join groups on LinkedIn and Facebook, and follow lists on Twitter for local chambers of commerce, industry association(s), professional organizations, small business owners, and entrepreneur groups to meet with business leaders, share ideas, and discuss success strategies.  Often, after some time people will want to connect with you through e-mail and want more information.

Giveaway Freebies.

Web downloads of E-books are the fastest form of getting someones e-mail address.  Offer valuable information they need, and they will download it, opting in with no difficulty.  This is a great way to be recognized as a thought leader in your industry.

Run a Contest.

Who doesn’t want to be a winner? Give the crowds something they really want, and they’ll be viaing to sign up on the dotted line.  Ensure that whatever the giveaway, it ties in somehow to relevance in your business, and they include their e-mail address.

Newsletters and Webinars.

Just like e-books newsletters and webinars are an opportunity to provide relevant, timely and necessary information, that people will start to look forward too.  Giving away free information at first can be hard to do at first, but being seen as an industry leader will increase  awareness of your brand or business.  Additionally, to register for newsletters and webinars, leads opt-in with their e-mail addresses.

To grow your business, you must first build a network.  We recommend attending The Business Franchise and Investment Expo.  Then it’s building a list from those networking events and business cards.  The steps noted above are for strategically planting your company’s roots deeper for continued success and business growth through marketing.

About Us

The Business Exchange Magazine is a successful lead-generation magazine that connects buyers and sellers of established businesses for sale, franchises for sale and business opportunities. Visit our website for more information at www.BusinessExchange.ca