Next step: Business starting

[Snoopy_inc]

good stuff... i remember back in the day when we used to deliver pamphlets for my folks. It used to work... now everything is digital

Thank God for the inet

[Dave A]

Pamphlets used to work for just about anything. Now it's not the same, and wonderful internet is so cheap as a marketing tool. Unfortunately the side effect of that is spam, but that is another story.

I can think of two big differences between nowdays to those days of old that might explain it - margins are generally thinner and everyone is more rushed.

Thinner margins means that you need a higher "hit" rate than you used to get for your marketing buck. Being rushed means we don't even have the time to read stuff properly anymore. Something gets shoved through our car window (if we're silly enough to have it down in the first place) or into our letter box; we don't much more than glance at it. The best we can hope for is to build a bit more subliminal brand awareness.

The two together is a double whammy that punishes the viability of distributed pamphleting for most businesses.

What does still work is having a pamphlet left where it is relevant and likely to be read. An example of this is day trip info brochures in hotel lobbies. It's the appropriate information in a location where there is a much higher probability that there are people actually looking for that information.

[Snoopy_inc]

Thanks Dave.

Anyone else had any response? Any form of getting something out there.... anything from SMS marketing through to lanyards.

I am curious now

[Chatmaster]

Your marketing method is closely related to your target market. So it is impossible to really advise you on what to do. If your business is in a an online environment it is even more tricky. A Viral campaign is very much the bet way to go imo. I would also suggest you do some reading on Lateral Marketing.

[Snoopy_inc]

Chatmaster any links?

If at all any people used online marketing and their results. This thread is more then just a thread for me its to help all of those that want to start a business but are nervous cause they don't know how or where to go.

Any reference material would be greatly appriciated.

[RKS Computer Solutions]

I'm actually contemplating doing some SMS marketing... In May when the site went live I took up my trusty Nokia 9500 and sent out 1 text message to all my clients I've had over the years... The response was phenomenal and was the biggest day for the site in May...

I agree with ChatMaster, your market should be the deciding factor in selecting a marketing vehicle for your company or business. Sit down and write down where people in your line of business, normally have interests in, whether it be papers/magazines/books/streets(pole ads)/buildings/online/company newsletters/internet mailings... There are so many options available, and if you had the cash flow you could certainly go with them all, but for starting, pick the one medium that will get the momentum going....

[Chatmaster]

Good response Riaan

I have little time today, but here it goes...

Let me word my original response differently. Look at what makes your business different, look at where you can create a buzz to obtain the publicity from your network of existing supporters or users. Look at examples within the industry.

Google has never spent one dime on advertising but they are the largest online company in terms of profits in the world. They were however not the first search engine and they entered a market with some super competitors. Still what made them the biggest in the world in just a few years?

One of the biggest talked about sites a few years back was richjerk.com He made allot of people talk just by being the most arrogant and secretive person on the web? He would keep on telling people how pathetic they are and how wonderful he is... At the end of the day,... he is nothing special and knows nothing special... But still he is one of the only people sending emails to their subscribers, swearing at them and insulting them, and they do not cancel their subscriptions.

One of the oldest Web forums is got to be webmasterworld.com what made them really popular amongst the SEO community? Googleguy?

I can carry on and on... You can use this exact same example with landbased companies as well. If you do not tell people what makes you unique they will not buy from you, even if you have the best product or service out there! What ever you do must be unique to you. It must make you stand out from the rest! If people drive past your business they must "NOTICE" you! If they get to your website... Visitors must "NOTICE" you.

Does it have to be some special service or product feature? No! It can even be because you have a wooden leg and a tattoo of a rose on your forehead. Something that will get people to notice you! A further improvement on standing out is by attracting only those interested in your service or product and therefore integrate target marketing instead of "shotgun" (Interrupt) marketing.

If you use lateral marketing closely related to the above mentioned you have even more options. By associating your business with something. If you look at a Petrol Station today, what do you see. If you look at it years ago, what did you see? How is selling petrol and selling a coffee at wild bean cafe related. Today, most of us expect these services and products at a petrol station. Same way you can associate yourself with something totally unrelated and use it to your marketing benefit.

[Snoopy_inc]

I know this may sound ignorant. But what is lateral marketing exactly. Maybe i call it something different?

[Chatmaster]

Mmmmmmmm. I gave you a practical example... OK I cannot find any reference on Google nor Wikipedia so I will try my best.

It is associating your product or service with a completely different idea. Something that can cause a reaction and make you stand out within your industry.

[Snoopy_inc]

Hrm... an example of .... lets say your business and lateral marketing