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1) If we accept that every business must have a mailing list. To me this is fundamental. The new business with one customer has a mailing list of one plus prospects?
That list is a means of communicating with the customer, verbally or in writing. Failure to communicate could mean losing the most valuable asset of the business, so your potential customers are just as important.
Cherish your customer(s) and grow your mailing list to consist of customers, lapsed customers, potential customers (qualified prospects), prospects and possibly new leads.
You can tailor your communications to the whole list or segments of the list. Learn how to grow and manage your list.
2) How do we grow the list? One of the most profitable ways is to use classifieds advertisements.
Classified advertising is best used to build a list of qualified prospects. A qualified prospect has been turned from a prospect (someone who may have a need for your product or service) to someone who has an identified need for your product or service.
Because they have responded to your advertising efforts they have indicated a possible need. Use classifieds to offer a free catalogue, booklet or report relative to your product or service.
3) Generally you can sell anything from classifieds so they are great for pulling enquiries with lines such as: Write for further information; free booklet offer, send for product or service information. Be creative in what you offer and have fun developing your advertising skills as you build your list.
4) Advertise all year round. Responses will vary, but by keying your advertisements according to the month they appear, and by careful tabulation of your returns from each keyed advertisement you will find that steady year round responses will continue.
It has been known for enquiries and orders to still be coming as long as two years after the date of an advertisement! The media used for classifieds can lie around for a long time.
5) How can I decide where to advertise my product or service?
Targeting! You have to know your target market there are many sources of information. Public libraries, trade journals, the Internet and good old word of mouth.
In the UK we have BRAD (British Rate and Data). You are sure to have similar where you are.
BRAD contains information on nearly all journals and magazines in Britain. However you do it, make a list of the addresses, circulation figures, reader demographics and advertising rates.
Individual trade journals will provide a ‘media pack’ if you ask. The pack contains all of the necessary data.
Advertising costs money so at all times you must be sure that you are building your list profitably. The very best way to build your list for free is to get free advertising which you can do by offering an article to the journals.
The best free advertising is from the issue of regular press releases. Editors are always looking for news. Get to know the journals that cover your specialisation and issue a press release on a regular and repeating basis.
This keeps your name in front of your whole list, customers to prospects, and can offer information, free, this is what works every time ‘free information’. Don’t be daunted at the prospect of writing press releases. We show you http://www.be-your-own-business-expert.com/How_To_Write_a_Press_Release.html here.
Tip: ‘The man who knows most is the first to want to know more’.
Use press releases to offer him free information as part of your program of advertising.
Michael Harrison is an author, publisher and business consultant specialising in helping business owners and individuals to realise and release the full potential of their situation. He has helped many people to improve their business situations and advised and supported individuals to embark on new directions in their careers.
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