marketing

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How to gain more customers with little marketing dollars. how to attract more business with little or no marketing. Help me because the owners of this company needs a jump start and I have ideas but i need more so I can jump start this software company. thank you

-- Isaac Olekaibe (iolekaibe@yahoo.com), June 01, 2001

Answers

Hi I had a similar problem in my last position. One option I used initially to gain results and thus impress my boss enough to squeeze out a bigger budget was using a combination of direct mail and the internet. I don't know your product or your target audience, much less your budget, but I had zero. My product was trade show promotion so I used online trade show sites to source mailing lists (free if you cut and paste them yourself) and then send out mass mailings ( can be done inhouse or even outsourced to a temp or intern for very little). I also sent out personalised emails to those firms I prioritised as potentially big customers - not spam but actually writing them myself.

If you have a bigger budget than mine (zero:) direct mail - letters and single color pamphlets are cost effective, mailing lists from trade shows in your industry are often cheaper than regular and more focused, postcard inserts in industry magazines sorted by zip code destination are more cost effective than a print ad and the magazine opens on the card, and lots of leg work at trade shows. Even a 10x10 booth in a industry trade show can get you exposure and create awareness and need not be very expensive. Email me if I'm off target or if you'd like to share your product and budget with me for more ideas. Niti

-- niti bhan (nibhan@katz.pitt.edu), June 05, 2001.


In my experience, the most effective low budget marketing approach are: 1. affiliate marketing You can use external managers: check out cj.com (has initial cost $500+ and transaction cost) and linkshare (may cost something too)

Or manage it yourself. Easily done, but hard to sign up affiliates

2. banner advertising with contests and sweepstakes You can use ithlon.com for a low cost solution (free with prizes less than $100)

3. For some interesting ideas, check out http://www.gmarketing.com/

Good Luck! Let me know if you come up with anything Kara

-- kara (karaleigh1@excite.com), October 07, 2001.


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