Generating Business

Copyright 2003-6 Diana Ratliff. All rights reserved.

Are you wasting your most powerful marketing weapon? Forget the classifieds, the billboards, the radio ads and even the banner exchanges. For sheer affordability (under a penny each at APlusPrintSolutions.com) and versatility, you can’t beat the humble business card.

Remember when you first started your business? If you’re like most small business owners, business cards were your first marketing- related purchase. It was thrilling to see that fresh-printed symbol of business legitimacy, wasn’t it? Nothing says “I’m in business” like passing out your very own business card.

Unfortunately, many people discover that not everyone is as eager to GET their card as they are to GIVE it. You may not even be using your cards much anymore.

Truth is, it’s TOUGH to design an attention-getting card, find just the right way to give it to prospects, and then organize all those cards you collect. It takes some knowledge, and it takes some practice. But believe me, it’s worth it. Business cards are portable, versatile, readily accepted worldwide, and so cheap you can’t afford NOT to use them!

Convinced? Then here are some basic tips to get you started (or get you going again.)

Designing an attention-getting card:

• Spend a little time determining how you’ll use your card and who will receive it. A previous customer probably needs to know less about product benefits but may appreciate fuller contact information. A card often given to prospective customers should be more marketing- oriented.
• Keep it simple and legible, with plenty of white space. If you overcrowd the card, it won’t get read. The most basic info is your name, your company name, and your phone number (which should be in bold text or a larger size, if there are other numbers on the card).
• Add color! The vast majority of cards are printed in black ink on white card stock. Full-color cards are available these days at very economical prices, yet are still unique enough to attract attention.
• Use your business card to drive traffic to your website.

Prospecting creatively with business cards:

• The way you present your card has far more to do with your success than your card itself. Presenting your card with both hands, for example, creates an enormous psychological impact (”Hey, this must be important!”)
• If you can’t seem to find a suitable moment to give your card to someone you feel could be a great prospect, ask for his or her card. (In fact, ask for two or three. Tell them you want extras to distribute to people you know.) Odds are, they’ll ask for your card in return.
• Introduce yourself with your card. Hand your card to the receptionist at the doctor’s office, the hostess at the restaurant, or the technician at the auto repair shop.
• Include your card with all correspondence. Enclose your card when you return rented goods … everything from tools to videotapes to automobiles (especially if it’s a luxury model!)
• Offer to include business cards on your web site as a community service (announce this to the media!)
• Refer business to others. Offer to include the cards of business people you respect with your mailings, if they’ll agree to do the same with yours. Join a business-networking group.

Organizing cards:

• Jot notes on the back of cards you’re given, such as date, event, common interests, physical characteristics of the giver, type of information you need to send, and so on. Do this right away, before you forget. (When you want to be discreet about writing notes on the back of newly acquired business cards, excuse yourself to go to the restroom. Lock yourself in a stall and write!)
• Rate prospects *A*, *B* or *C*, with *A* being a hot prospect and *C* a lukewarm lead. Write the rating on the back of their card.
• Develop a system for carrying and collecting business cards, and file them the way you remember them (by company name, person’s name, or industry.)
• A cigarette case or compartmented coin purse can be used to temporarily organize business cards.

Set yourself a goal of giving out 5 or 10 cards daily, and very soon, you’ll be getting the attention (and the money!) you wanted. And that’s why you went into business, isn’t it?

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Business Card Expert Diana Ratliff is giving away free subscriptions to her private “Prospecting with Business Cards” mailing list AND a transcript of her interview with Outstanding Business Card Marketer award-winner Matthew Versteeg for a limited time. To learn how YOU can get more prospects than your Rolodex can handle using business cards, visit http://www.BusinessCardDesign.com/newsletter.html.

Have you taken a long, objective look at your business cards lately?

Ask yourself:

• What are your business cards telling your customers and prospects about you?
• Do they convey the image you want?
• Are they accurate and up-to-date?
• Do they provide complete information?
• Do they make people want to do business with you?

If not, can you AFFORD to keep using them? Think about what your current card is costing you, in terms of lost sales and missed opportunities. Can you afford to delay replacing them?

If you haven’t updated your cards in the last year, if you’re using generic “printer’s special” cards, or, heaven forbid, if you’re using pre-perforated cards, it’s time to take a fresh look at your best promotional tool.

First things first. Look at the OBVIOUS information on your card.

ACCURACY: Is the information on your card up-to-date? If you’ve added a website or new location, changed phone numbers, or been promoted to a new position, redo your cards to reflect the changes. Passing out cards with crossed-out phone numbers is a sure way to lose credibility with customers. So, too, is using a photograph so “retouched” that your mom wouldn’t recognize you.

QUANTITY: Does your card have enough information? Mere contact details are no longer enough. Describe what your business does and who it does it for, if it’s not evident from the name. Give people a reason to do business with you. Are you exceptionally skilled (awards, certifications, experience)? Easier to locate? Open longer hours? Do you offer free delivery, free training, or free estimates? (Design hint: Don’t drop the font size and cram all that information on the front. Use the BACK of your card or a folding business card.)

Now look at the SUBTLE messages your card is sending. Remember that your business card is YOU, and you may only have a few seconds to catch and keep someone’s attention with it.

STYLE: Is your business card classy? A card in an appropriate, tasteful color, with a nice texture and an attractive logo or photo is much more likely to be kept than a “plain vanilla” card. It shows that you’re different from your competition … that you believe in yourself enough to invest in your business … that you’re willing to put forth some extra effort. There are simple ways to add a distinctive touch. For example, rather than a photo of your head, add a photo of you doing whatever you do … driving your sparkling-clean taxi, repairing that blankety-blank computer, or selling that dream home.

USEFULNESS: Is your business card useful? Almost ANY business can add something relevant to their business or industry which prospective customers will find useful. A tire salesman can add a mark that indicates the minimum safe tread depth. A Realtor can add a mortgage calculator, or addresses of carpet cleaners, home improvement specialists, or siding installers. (Of course, a savvy realtor will ask those business owners to distribute HIS cards, in return.)

UNIQUENESS: Is your business card different from your competitors? In other words, how are YOU different from your competitors? If you’re the only dog groomer in town who’ll come pick up Fifi and return her looking adorable and smelling clean, say so! But don’t assume people will read your card to find that out. Show them a picture or a clever cartoon. Use color or an unusual (but legible) font. Turn your card into a coupon redeemable for a “Free collar of your choice!” when 10 boxes have been stamped on the back.

In short — if your business is worth promoting, it’s worth promoting right. Don’t ruin a good impression with a bad business card.

Copyright 2006, Diana Ratliff. All rights reserved.

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Business Card Expert Diana Ratliff is giving away free subscriptions to her private “Prospecting with Business Cards” mailing list AND a transcript of her interview with Outstanding Business Card Marketer award-winner Matthew Versteeg for a limited time. To learn how YOU can get more prospects than your Rolodex can handle using business cards, visit http://www.BusinessCardDesign.com/newsletter.html.

Marketing with articles is great way to expand the visiblilty of your business. Use these promotion tips to enhance the reach of your content marketing.

© Brett Krkosska - All Rights Reserved
Managing Editor
http://www.homebiztools.com

Well-written, tightly-focused articles are in high demand by thousands of online publishers. Why? Because publishers view good content as a value-added asset, enhancing their own brand awareness and deepening relationships with clients and customers.

As a content provider, you can attract a substantial and continuous flow of new prospects from online venues that might otherwise be inaccessible. And unlike other promotional methods, you get this traffic without spending a penny on advertising.

The three techniques below make it easy for publishers –your willing and enthusiastic partners– to find and publish your material.

Syndicate Your Articles

Syndicating your articles makes it easy for site owners to put your content on their website. It’s a real time-saver and totally hands-off for webmasters.

Automation is a big selling point of online syndication. The syndicating site simply inserts 2 lines of code on their web page, and your articles are distributed from your server to their web page automatically. You have total control over content and style, while the webmaster never lifts a finger again.

It’s an ideal situation for you. Once a site agrees to accept your articles through syndication, you are freed from the job of marketing each article individually to the site owner. A marketer’s dream!

For details on setting up your syndicated feed, read this article by William Bontrager. I manually update my own syndicated content as indicated in this article. You can see how it looks here.

Because it takes some time to update your content for syndication, you may want to consider using the Master Syndicator. This is an excellent program to automate the process.

One of the first places to start marketing your syndicated feed is on your website. Post a sample article so others can see the quality of your work, and show them how to set up their web page to accept your articles.

For additional marketing muscle, solicit webmasters from the resource box of your article. Include a line to let them know your column is available for syndication. A short text link such as “Click here to put this column on your site” will suffice.

Lastly, get listed in syndicated article directories such as Freesticky.com. Traffic from directories is highly targeted and more likely to result in a syndication arrangement.

Publish Your Own News Channel

Your own news channel allows you to broadcast your content to the Web with one text file. The protocol to accomplish this is called RSS. This stands for Really Simple Syndication (or Rich Site Summary, depending on who you talk to). Weblogs are an example of content commonly available in RSS.

Once created, your RSS content file can be read by news aggregator programs. By registering with aggregator sites, your feed is indexed and made available for sites interested in receiving your feed. You can see my own news feed in action at NetBizHelpers.com.

Here are some excellent sites with articles on setting up and registering your news channel:

• mnot RSS Tutorial
• Technology at Harvard Law
• O’Reilly XML.com
• WebReference.com

Submit To Article Directories and Announcement Lists

Many publishers subscribe to announcement lists and browse article directories for content. High-quality articles are regularly picked up from these sources. It’s not uncommon for a good article to be published in several ezines with combined readerships in the tens of thousands.

There you have it! Three great ways to market your articles and give publishers what they need, while you enjoy no-cost advertising.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Brett Krkosska provides how-to advice on small business and home-based work issues. His site, http://www.HomeBizTools.com, helps small businesses reach their fullest potential. He is also the publisher of Straight Talk, a fresh and original newsletter that offers a unique perspective on today’s business issues.