Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Add QR Codes to Advertising Materials to Boost Sales


How can adding QR codes to your advertising materials help to boost sales? They can provide additional information to help turn a browser into a buyer. These small, square codes can be placed on materials that you are distributing to your existing customer base, as well as potential buyers.

Here's where I think QR codes can be used to your advantage when trying to boost sales: consider adding them to your brochures and flyers. When the customer scans the QR code with his or her smartphone, your company's contact information will be stored in the device automatically. Your prospect will know how to get in touch immediately to ask questions or place an order.

Another way I can see the codes being used effectively is on your company letterhead. The recipient could simply scan the code to see special offers or promotions targeted to their needs. Again, you could set up the code so that your reader captures your business contact information on the smartphone. These codes can also be set to include Google maps showing your exact location. Your goal here should be to give your customer all the information he or she needs to find your business and make a decision to buy from you.

Adding a code to a business card is another great way to use this technology. The recipient can scan it to store contact or location information, or to be taken to the company website to see more targeted messages.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Mobile Marketing for Small Business Owners


Small business owners should develop mobile marketing strategies in order to stay competitive and reach their customers, but any promotional activities must be carefully considered before they are implemented. Since text marketing is the simplest method available to business owners, this is a good place to start. Even small retail businesses can use it to reach out to customers and help boost sales.

One way to help ensure that a text messaging program will be successful is to make sure that customers are aware of it. Placing signs near the cash register of the retail location is one way to let buyers know that the business is using text marketing and indicating how they can sign up to receive the messages.

Business owners will need to make sure that they are measuring the results from text messaging and any other mobile marketing to determine which types of campaigns are most successful. If the text messages are not generating the level of return the business owner is looking for, the program can be changed to make sure that the customers are receiving the messages. This will encourage them to take action by offering a special incentive or a free product for a limited time.

Once a business owner has tried text messaging as a marketing technique and feels comfortable with it, he or she can start looking at other promotional methods to attract customers, such as setting up a mobile website or using Facebook marketing.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Cell Phone Marketing Basics for Businesses


Mobile phone marketing has become very popular, and for good reason.  Many people carry their phone wherever they go, which makes them the perfect way for businesses to reach out to prospective buyers with advertising messages, special offers and digital coupons.

I can understand a business owner wanting to start using this marketing strategy right away but it will be much more successful if the owner takes the time to define the goals for the marketing campaign.  They should be specific and measurable so that the owner can track their effectiveness.

The next phase in setting up a marketing campaign for mobile phones is to conduct market research.  The business owner will want to make sure that he or she has at least a basic understanding of how it works, even if the plan is to hire a marketing firm to help.

The next part of setting up a cell phone marketing campaign is to decide what types of messages will be used to reach out to customers.  I think this is the most interesting part, since it involves using the creative process to determine what the text should be to encourage the recipient to take action to visit the business, use a coupon, or make a purchase.

For cell phone marketing to be successful, I think that business owners need to know their target market and what makes their product or service different from the competition.  This information can then be used as the basis for a successful mobile marketing campaign.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Small Businesses Benefit from SMS Marketing

I think that it is possible for small businesses that don't have a big advertising budget, to reach out to potential customers using SMS marketing techniques. This type of enterprise is, by necessity, focused on a specific niche market. That type of buyer likely won't respond well to a mass marketing campaign, which means that business owners need to connect in a more personal and targeted manner.

Sending text messages that contain relevant information directly to the customer is a marketing method that I think would work very well for small businesses. This type of company needs to rely on developing personal relationships with its customers, as opposed to spending time and money on brand recognition.

Customers like to be appreciated and when a small business owner takes the time to send a message containing highly relevant information such as mobile coupons, the customer is likely to respond in a positive way. The text message could provide information about a special promotion or a discount offered exclusively to mobile customers, and this strategy will help that customer feel that the business owner cares about his or her needs.

The best thing about SMS marketing is that it is relatively simple and cost-effective for businesses who are not working with a large advertising budget. Reaching out to customers in this way can help to develop long-term relationships with buyers and create a loyal customer base.