How to Promote Your Business (Idea List)

• Advertise in the classified advertising section of your community newspaper.
• Advertise in the Yellow Pages.
• Advertise on a grocery buggy.
• Approach your prospective customers over the phone.
• Approach your prospective customers in person.
• Approach your prospective customers through the mail.
• Be a guest speaker at seminars and present on your area of expertise.
• Be a guest speaker on radio talk shows.
• Build and maintain a customer mailing and contact list on database software.
• Build your image with well designed letterhead and business cards.
• Design a brochure that best explains the benefits of your services.
• Design a mail order campaign.
• Design a point of purchase display for your product.
• Design a telemarketing campaign.
• Design an image building logo for your company.
• Design and distribute a quarterly newsletter or an industry update announcement.
• Design and distribute company calendars, mugs, pens, note pads, or other advertising specialties displaying your company name and logo.
• Design and distribute a free "how to do it" hand-out related to your industry (e.g. Tips for conserving energy in your home).
• Design buttons, decals and bumper stickers or balloons with your company name, logo or slogan.
• Design T-shirts displaying your company name and logo.
• Explore cross promotion with a non-competing company selling to your target market.
• Explore the costs of advertising in newspapers, magazines, on radio, television, billboards, bus shelters and benches.
• Explore ways to share your advertising costs using cooperative advertising.
• Follow up customer purchases with a thank you letter.
• Follow up customer purchases with Christmas or birthday cards.
• Have your company profiled in a magazine or newspaper that is read by prospective customers.
• Hire an advertising agency or public relations firm.
• Hold a promotional contest.
• Hold a seminar on your service, product or industry.
• Include promotional material with your invoices.
• Look for prospective customers at trade shows related to your industry.
• Look for prospective customers in associations related to your industry.
• Look for prospective customers at seminars related to your industry.
• Look for prospective customers in magazines and newspapers related to your industry.
• Package your brochure, price lists and letter in a folder for your customers.
• Place a sidewalk sign outside your store or office.
• Place flyers on bulletin boards and car windshields.
• Place promotional notes on your envelopes, mailing labels.
• Place signs or paint logos on your company vehicle(s).
• Prepare a corporate video.
• Prepare a list of product features and benefits to help you plan your advertising and promotional campaigns.
• Prepare proposals offering solutions to your customers' needs
• Provide free samples of your product or service.
• Provide public tours of your operation.
• Sponsor a charity event.
• Sponsor an amateur sports team.
• Sponsor a cultural event through a community arts organization.