51 Free Marketing Tips from Growth Nation #41 through 51

Here are the last of the 51 free marketing tips. Thanks again to Francine Hardaway, Ed Nusbaum and Phillip Blackerby for having Growth Nation support the Fast Trac program, which inspired this list.

41. Write and distribute a good press release. There's two important parts - writing and distributing. First on the writing side, please please make sure the story will matter to more than whoever it's about. The days of pushing stuff out there have ended; it's time to tell great stories that educate, impress or inspire. On distribution, find out who really cares about your story. Pitch it to them, not to those who are writing about other things. You can do that directly and there are a number of free PR sites - google them - and post the story there, too. Don't be disheartened if the first story falls flat because sometimes it's just timing. Keep looking for great stories and someone will see it and tell it.

42. Provide a discount coupon. You might argue that this isn't free, but if it moves someone to visit your store or use your services that wouldn't otherwise, it's all good. Discount coupons do two things, they 1) get you noticed, and 2) move some customers that wouldn't be moved otherwise. Keep the discount limited to one or a few items if you can. Experiential marketing guy Ritchie Fliegler of Fountain Hills tells the story of how several local restaurants got the idea of discounting everything they had to get people from Scottsdale to visit. Two problems: 1) people from Scottsdale often are motivated by '20% off', and 2) restaurant revenue (and margin) dropped as the locals who already frequented the place paid less. It was a disaster - with several restaurants going out of business. First make sure your business is suited for a 'discount coupon' and second if you're going to do it, keep it focused on part of your offering, not everything. Discounts work best in days of tight pocketbooks, like today!

43. Publicly speak about what you know. Where are your target clients and what groups or events will they attend? If you can pinpoint an association or location, then find something to present to them. This works well for professional services - like marketing - as Growth Nation talks on topics in local associations and to specific groups on social media, internet marketing, branding, marketing planning, marketing implementation, etc. We're able to help a few people in those sessions, and those looking for more help reach out for more. Your topic doesn't need to be precisely what you sell. Brad Casper, CEO of Henkel/Dial here in Scottsdale talks about international business to local groups. It gets the word out about Dial, and it's a topic he knows a lot about having lived in Asia for many years. Use your passion - and so if it's education, jobs, economic development, or a specific charity - help out a group by fundraising or connecting to the community in some other way. It's all good.

44. Increase prices. This is a tricky one, but it's a great way to improve your bottom line. Think carefully before proceeding here. For instance, in the restaurant example in #42 above, there were certainly some special items on the menu at those that deserved a premium price. Here I immediately think of Giuseppe's on 28th in Phoenix that had their osso buco shown on America's Diner's, Dives and Drive-ins this past summer. It tastes as amazing as it looks - and it's the most expensive item on their menu, and worth every penny!! Hey Richard - don't raise it further - but I'd probably pay more!! Great products deserve high prices if the market will absorb it. Test it on one or two items and see the reaction. They key is to understand the target market customer and the value they place on the offering, and match those up. Another restaurant example is Randy's in Scottsdale which appeals to an older retired crowd living in the area near Hayden and Chaparral. Randy's has raised prices on a lot of peripheral items on the menu but their 'Randy's breakfast' which feeds a football player, is still only $4.99, and it includes coffee. Be smart about it.

45. Standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona. Sorry to the Eagles for the song reference, but sometimes your business can benefit from getting outside and reaching out directly to people - right on the corner of where they walk and drive. There are companies you can hire to help you with those sign twirlers. Have you seen that McDonald's commercial? It was filmed right here in Metropolitan Phoenix off the west-side 101! Anyway, whether it's a sign (like an A-frame), or a handout/give-away that presses the flesh, be professional, know your target and reach out to communicate your offering face-to-face and up-close and personal. It doesn't work for every business but it works well in retail if you can find places reasonably rich in your target market.

46. Take more payment up front. For a lot of us in B2B, 2009 has been a year of increasing receivables because customers are typically paying more slowly. Therefore consider taking more money up front with your service. At Growth Nation we almost always charge 50% down, 50% at the end of the month because that seems fair to us. We tested a couple clients with payment up front and it actually worked well. Several of our partners are more aggressive with this and God Bless Them, some can do it. You might try some testing here especially with new clients and those that have good cash flow. It can make a big difference in your own cash flow.

47. Reduce or eliminate print ads. Newspaper, magazine and yellow page ads are all a little suspect these days because they typically don't get the bang for the buck they used to. More and more people are getting their information online instead of in print. And so especially if your target market is younger, switch your marketing dollar investment over to the web and start to see web leads come in. Advantage Urgent Care in Metropolitan Phoenix shifted their yellow page advertising to the web and they now get more leads coming in from a lower marketing investment. Print ads will always be with us, but keep your mind open as the shifting sands bring more buyers to the web. This week the keynote speaker at Invest Southwest Michael Moe discussed 'e-commerce' as one of the primary 6 drivers of business in the next decade. Keep that in mind as you modernize or launch your business.

48. Build a referral network, and ask for referrals. Like with the press release tip above, this is a two-parter. First identify businesses and people who are going after the same target market as you with a different and complementary product. Reach out to those people and work out a relationship that has them speaking about you and vice-versa. The second part is just as important: ask them to help you in exchange for your helping them. By the way, do your due diligence; make sure they are a good company that consistently creates value for their clients. Teaming up with someone who creates problems is a nightmare. We fire partners! See partners of high integrity at high quality firms. We recommend the Referral Institute with Victoria Trafton in Metro Phoenix to learn the ins and outs of being effective with referrals.

49. Create and distribute a newsletter. To quote Mark Twain who had been sick, 'reports of my death are highly exaggerated', and so too are reports that newsletters are no longer effective. They still work in getting the word out about your business, but some things have changed. For instance the better economics of e-newsletters have helped replace snail-mailed newsletters. With everyone having an e-mail account, then it becomes a matter of finding those in your target market and getting your e-newsletter into their hands. Which brings up 'opt-in': make sure your audience wants to receive your info. If they don't, you become a nuisance. In any case, keep your news educational and helpful, NOT a continual product pitch. Those get old fast and your target will soon opt-out.

50. Add signature lines to your e-mails. It's so simple and yet there's still some fraction of the world that doesn't do it. It should include your name, phone number and website at minimum, and then ideally other good info like your e-mail address and links to info on you or your company (a recent article, a Linkedin profile, a blog, twitter, etc). Don't forget to set up your e-mail to automatically include your signature every time you send an e-mail. Then have a different, more condensed version for replies. And by the way, have everyone in your company use the same format, otherwise the different versions look odd when two of you communicate to the same customer.And finally...!!!

51. Stay connected to free and inexpensive small business and entrepreneurial resources. There are some great minds in every community that share the latest business info and tips. Stay connected and keep learning! Francine Hardaway has been a marketing icon in Phoenix for decades and she is connected to the business community many ways including Fast Trac, her daily blog, twitter (@hardaway) and the annual Entrepreneur Conference in Phoenix. Greater Phoenix SCORE and Tucson SCORE are not your old SCORE chapters any more. They've changed for the better, and they provide FREE, real-world business counseling to business owners looking to grow, sell and prosper. Can you believe that Greater Phoenix SCORE has a twitter, too? www.twitter.com/GreaterPhxSCORE It's a new day.

Stay connected and keep growing!

All the best, Doug

Doug Bruhnke
CEO, Growth Nation
www.growthnation.com
President, AZIGG
www.azigg.com

A Great Day at Invest Southwest is a Great Day for Arizona Business

Invest Southwest is the premier capital conference in Arizona and the Southwest. The conference dates back to 1992, and presenting companies have raised over $300 million over the years. The primary day this year was today in Scottsdale at the Four Seasons Resort, and we enjoyed a record crowd of investors and attendees.

If you are an accredited investor and you missed it, shame on you! And you missed a great event.

Invest Southwest started last night with a record crowd at the opening reception. Long-time conference sponsor Rudy Miller (The Miller Group) kicked things off with Terree Wasley (ASU Technopolis) and this year's Chairman Dan Mahoney (Snell & Wilmer). It was a very noisy crowd until David Zuckerman of Raytech, reception sponsor, got up and talked about the conference and Raytech. Dan Mahoney followed and welcomed everyone, and we were officially underway!

This morning things kicked off at 8:45am with welcoming comments from Dan Mahoney and Jennifer Lefere (Hool Law Group). Once again a record crowd appeared - including walk-ins all throughout the day. The program started with a panel discussion "Early Stage Financing from the CEO Perspective" that was moderated by Steve Stralser (Thunderbird School of Global Management) with CEO panelists Bruce Anderson (3rd Wave Solutions and Altivon), Clate Mask (Infusionsoft) and Mark Rukavina (iMemories).

The discussion was excellent! One question was 'What are the benefits of starting up a company in Arizona?". Some of the reasons...

• Low cost of living
• High quality of life
• Strong entrepreneurial community
• Reasonably strong tech labor pool
• Good networking - especially in tech

Next was the first batch of presenting companies including Regenesis Biomedical, RecycleJet, intelliCyt and Pure Energy Solutions. Tom Curzon and Bill Hardin of Osborn Maledon introduced this group. All did a great job! Regenesis is based in Scottsdale that has a proprietary technology that uses radio waves to help patients deal with pain and wound management. RecycleJet of Canada - relocating to Phoenix - uses a patented technology to improve recycling of car tires.

After a taste of presenting companies we were treated to a panel moderated by Michael Hool of Hool Law Group, "Angel Investing through an Organized Network". Panelists were Base E. Horner (US Capital Partners, and Desert Angels), Rick Gibson (HOTVentures, and Desert Angels) and Jeff Walters (Catalyst, and ATIF).

Rick Gibson made the announcement of the formation of Surprise (AZ) Angels. The remainder of the discussion centered on how enterpreneurs can use the existing angel network in the Southwest - like Arizona Angels, Desert Angels, Main Street Angels, New Mexico Angels, et al - to fund their start-up.

Next was the lunch sponsored by Snell & Wilmer and featuring Michael Moe, Investor and Company Builder. Michael took us through a rapid fire view of world trends that was extraordinary. Michael, author of Finding the Next Starbucks, has a unique perspective and a tremendously successful background in picking successful stocks based on his visionary worldview. He made many interesting observations, including that there are 2,700 new businesses formed in the US every day, and 2,200 that go out of business.

Michael discussed a variety of topics including the importance of compound interest and high earnings growth rates. He shared some new megatrends - including sustainability and 'free-conomics'. He also shared the 6 E's of picking winning companies, but I only caught 5 of them:

1. Education
2. Elderly support
3. Entrepreneurialism
4. E-Commerce
5. Environmental

Michael Moe also shared his own 'Why Phoenix' list for entrepreneurs:

• Strong Universities
• Businesses in the right areas (6 E's)
• Entrepreneurial sensibility
• Young population
• Taxes 1/2 of CA, 1/3 of NYC
• High quality of life, including plenty of sun
• Strong charter school system
• Strong tourism

After lunch we were treated to the next group of presenting companies, including TruTouch, Synbuild, 7 degrees, Invoy Technologies and Vertical Power. TruTouch has a technology that can detect blood alcohol level immediately with a simple touch. The police could have used that with Tiger Woods ;-) Invoy Technologies analyzes your breath and determines health problems including diseases, diabetes and cancer.

In the final presenting group, we heard from the following companies: Engineering Synthesis Design, SiO2, All Optronics and MedApps.

Jonathan Ariano of Osborn Maledon shared a past presenting company update, and final closing comments were made by Brian Smith of Peninsula Ventures and next year's chairman Stephanie Spong of EPIC Ventures.

In the evening at Invest Southwest at the Four Seasons there was the Presenting Companies Forum and Reception, sponsored by Steinberg Financial Advisers. Rudy Miller and Dan Mahoney closed the program, and investors and entrepreneurs continued on discussing business in Arizona well into the night.

More at www.investsouthwest.org. See you next year!

Growth Nation has been a proud Sponsor and Conference Partner for Invest Southwest for three years.

51 Free Marketing Tips from Growth Nation #31 through 40

There are hundreds of thousands of small businesses in Arizona and unfortunately most do not survive or thrive. Hopefully these ideas may save a few and help get our business community back humming again. Also small business owners should be turning to great free and nearly free small business resources like Fast Trac (by Francine Hardaway, Ed Nusbaum and Phillip Blackerby), Greater Phoenix SCORE www.scorephoenix.org and Tucson SCORE www.scoretucson.org.

We've collected 51 free marketing tips, and here's 10 more.

31. Send holiday greetings. During the Thanksgiving-New Year holiday corridor we all get loads of e-mails wishing us happy this and happy that. Sorry to say that the practice can end up appearing pretty lame. Unless you're going to send something of real interest, the value to both parties is low. If you're going to do something like an e-mail, think about other holidays during the year to trigger your greetings, and provide something of interest and value that stands out. A snail-mail greeting card can work, too, but make it something memorable. I know our Growth Nation cards stand out from the pack because they are high quality, and we've had recipients say so. Harvey MacKay tells the story about how his daughter sends out her annual greeting cards around March or April. How's that for a memorable stand-out? Whatever you choose, don't just go through the motions - do something special that makes you better and different.

32. Pay if forward. Well this is definitely not free, but hopefully over time it turns into a net zero financially and pays other dividends. Pay for lunch or coffee with your best friends and connections. Forget splitting things, just pay to thank them for all they do for you. If you believe in karma, this is a no brainer. Our experience is that karma works most of the time, and so don't let some knuckleheads spoil your good karma - keep it going and others will follow. And we've found that not only does it feel good, it pays dividends for your business, too.

33. Put your logo on your shirt. This is so simple and is truly a good conversation starter. Don't forget to get a good logo first! In Arizona a logo on your shirt is a no-brainer because we wear shirts without sweaters and coats almost all year. This is a near-free way of spreading the good word about your business in a low-key way. For ladies it gets a little trickier but you can find a good promotions person who will find some pretty amazing ways to get the word out on various items. Let us know if you need help finding someone to help.

34. Sticky notes with your logo. As long as we're talking about putting your logo on stuff, how about sticky notes? This is ridiculously inexpensive and yet can really stand out as you put them on letters and other materials that you send or hand out. Again a good promotions person can help - we have 3 we're working with that are amazing.

35. Sponsor an event. There are plenty of local events that will get your name out there for your volunteer efforts. People: it's free! Find a group frequented by your target market and talk to the organizer. What could you provide that has value to them and can get you mentioned on their website, in their e-mails or at their events? We're trying to get your name mentioned by other people - and this is a great way that most people don't even try. Of course some major events ask for $10K or more to get your name mentioned. This can work for special occasions. Televerde here in Phoenix gave at least $30K to sponsor Ballmer of Microsoft to speak at a Tech Council event several years ago. They used the opportunity to speak with him in depth about their services, and that seemingly large investment turned out to be small compared to the business they eventually got from Microsoft. So be thoughtful and creative - and definitely don't just throw money at events and expect to reap benefits.

36. Add strategic partners. Other businesses have and seek your target client. Great! Team up with them on marketing campaigns, events and other partnering venues to share the cost of adding and serving clients. The amazing Lon Safko (The Social Media Bible) recently partnered with Ron Cates (Constant Contact) on setting up a series of events on social media all over the country. Constant Contact will get the word out and benefits by being affiliated with the world's leading expert on social media. Lon benefits because more people hear his valuable ideas on social media. Look for win-wins like this!

37. Slip your business card in where the shine don't shine. Have plenty of business cards that have all your contact info - including social media sites - and tuck it in books, at restaurants and into the hands of everyone you meet. But don't be the person who just walks a room handing out cards. Not cool. Talk to people first, and then when you've understood what they do and how you can help them, hand them your card and explain when it makes sense for them (and people they know) to contact you. One effective approach is to add other info to the back of your card - like websites (besides yours) or other info like phone numbers of interest to your target client. The pennies per card cost will be well worth it if you do it right. If not your card will end up in the dumpster and your brand will suffer.

38. Selectively give your product or service away. If you're not totally busy, pick some strategic partners or clients and give some of your product or service away to prime the pump. This will give the recipient an idea of what you do and presuming they see value, they'll purchase the next time. I was totally floored when after tweeting that I was headed to Roka Akor in Scottsdale for some hamachi kama, it was delivered to our table when we arrived - compliments of the owner for tweeting about the restaurant. They confirmed for me that they are the best Japanese restaurant in Arizona from the food to the service, and I'm talking about them again right now. A small investment pays dividends when people start talking about you and your business.

39. Enter business awards. There are dozens of business awards in your town that are completely free. Just find out what they are and apply, and the next thing you know, you're a winner! What a great way of getting the word out on your business. Two great examples this year are Advantage Urgent Care (Phoenix Chamber IMPACT Award and Arizona Companies to Watch) and Solugenix (Phoenix Business Journal Ace Awards and Arizona Companies to Watch). It cost them nothing but a few minutes of time to apply, and both reaped plenty of free publicity and stage time as they collected their awards. And again I'm talking about it here ;-)

40. Pull a publicity stunt. OK, the balloon boy was tried and ultimately failed after a great run of 24 hours. Don't do that! BUT, there are plenty of ideas out there that the media will be interested in that can get your business out there. One of my favorites is Joe's Barbeque annual free day, which is always covered by the press before and after the summer event, and attracts hundreds or thousands of visitors lining up for hours to enjoy the spectacular taste of pecan wood-smoked barbeque in the heart of Gilbert. Yes this is not 'free', but it is a nominal investment that gets people in the community talking about just how amazing Joe's is. The Crab Cooker in Newport Beach pulled off a totally free stunt 40 years ago that still reverberates today. They denied President Nixon a reservation because they 'don't take reservations'. On our last visit we heard the story 3 times while waiting in line to get in - 40 years later!!! What can you do that stirs up the pot and gets people talking about your business in a good and free way?

Now that's the first 40 of 51 free marketing tips. Thanks for reading, and we'll sneak in the final 11 shortly. Happy marketing and growing!

Thanks, Doug

Doug Bruhnke
CEO, Growth Nation

51 Free Marketing Tips from Growth Nation #21 through 30

Here is the next batch of free marketing tips from Growth Nation. Thanks again to Francine Hardaway, Ed Nusbaum and Phillip Blackerby for inviting me to share these with the current Tempe Fast Trac group of entrepreneurs last month. We've collected 51 free marketing tips, and here's 10 more.

21. Get some content out there. Francine Hardaway is the queen of content. She's unique - you won't be able to keep up with her. But you can do enough to get your information found if you do a little thinking ahead of time. Consider your audience as we discussed previously and then maintain a regular pattern of content-writing on key platforms like a blog, twitter, facebook and linkedin. In the case of these 51 free marketing tips it would be a lot to bite off all at once, and so I'm doing 10 a week and sticking to that pattern. Do something similar to fit your own personal style. It won't always work out - I skipped a week while traveling in Utah last week - but hopefully you can keep close to a pattern going. Good content focused on your key audience(s) will get you found and build awareness and credibility for you and your business.

22. Tweet. Building on #21, twitter is just about the easiest way to get info out there. You're limited to 140 characters AND it's easy to log in and out of. Once again - know yourself and your audience! Provide bite-sized morsels that are refreshing, interesting, or both. Retweet items that you think would be of interest to your audience. In effect you're giving props to people you know who have something to say and you're creating a connection between people that may not have been there before. Rules of courtesy apply in twitter for professional usage as they do everywhere else on the web. And don't forget to stay professional. If you're going to rag on people or institutions, it's better not to do it online.

23. Link in. Again building on #21, linkedin is THE business social networking site. Anyone in business should have a professional linkedin profile - it's free, used by nearly everyone and it is an extremely valuable tool. I have Ed Nusbaum to thank for encouraging me to join way back in February 2005 when it was easier to add connections, and so I've got a few. Find folks like Ed and recognize that almost everyone worth their salt is already connected to him - and so if you connect to him, you'll be only one connection away from nearly everyone. Pretty cool, eh? Of course I welcome connections, too ;-) You might also try joining an open networker group if you're looking to grow connections. Another good strategy is to absolutely ONLY link to people you know very well. That's also effective although it will limit your reach somewhat. Either approach works. People ask me 'with all those connections does it take a lot of time to maintain?' Maybe 3 minutes a day - hardly a problem and well worth the time and effort for the value it brings.

24. Facebook. Is facebook a verb? Either way, again building on #21, facebook is fast-becoming a great place for business to communicate. It's still pretty retail and consulting-oriented, but fan pages are a hot item these days even for B2B firms. I suggest setting up your own page and then creating a fan page for your business. Reach out to your customers, friends and partners and let them know about what's going on. Keep your info focused on things that can directly or indirectly benefit them or people that they know. If you do, they'll pass along your info to people they know, and well, you know how that works. Before you know it, people you don't know know about you - and that's what we call MARKETING.

25. Have a guest blogger. What a cool idea to have a guest blogger. I haven't done it yet and I've only seen it done a couple times, but it seems like such a win-win. For your guest they are introduced to your audience and have a chance to expand their scope. For you, you take a break for a week AND you get the potential of really good information communicated to your audience that adds value for them. To set it up, discuss your audience with the guest and then some ideas for them to write about. Have a general agreement up front, and then let them go. Be clear in the posting that the writer is a guest. Encourage comments - was it useful? Informative? Cool?

26. Embrace cause marketing. One of the best uses of cause marketing I've seen is Coldstone Creamery who encourages every franchisee to donate some percentage of store-opening proceeds to Make-A-Wish. It helps a great charity do more great work. It helps kids and adults who benefit with fulfillment of a wish. It helps the franchisee because it attracts more people to the store. It helps the customer because they're giving to a great cause and that feels good. It helps Coldstone because they've facilitated a good thing and can take credit for an ever-increasing donation amount. How about that for a win-win-win-win-win?

27. Put up a sign. Signs work - on buildings, walls and cars. They don't need to be expensive: a sandwich board sign can be $150 or less, and a vinyl sign $100 or less. A see-through sign on the back window of your car is even less investment. If you're going to do it, do it professionally. So if you have a sign on your back window, don't put other stickers on your car advocating your college or political view. Keep it all focused on your business. Again if it's your car, don't put it on your door - that's hard to see. Put it on the back where more people will see it. Finally, don't try to put too much information on the sign. Keep it simple - which will have a greater impact.

28. Personalize your license plate. This could be the best $35 you can spend. Put your business name on your license plate for all the world to see. Everyone will be decoding it if your company name is a little long to fit the 7 letter maximum. How about GRWNATN, or GRTHNAT, or GRW NAT? Which one works for us? Oh by the way, if you do this, drive professionally, OK? No cutting in and out of traffic, or road rage! Drive just like your business, keep it cool.

29. Pick up the phone. For goodness sake reach out to people you know and talk to them. This is so easy NOT to do when you get busy. Stay engaged if for no other reason to see how folks are doing - perhaps you can help in some way. Subsequently they might put you top of mind and consider you for that next project that comes along. That's good nurture marketing - stay in touch by calling and asking how they're doing. What's new? What has changed? What types of things are they doing now? What groups are they in? What types of clients? Are they using social media? Do they have any suggestions for you? It's all good - just carve out the time to do it!

30. Have coffee with people. Like #29, this sounds so simple but it can be so difficult if you have the kind of schedule that I have. It hurts me that I can't meet with more folks regularly because we're SOOOO busy. I'm working on that! Anyway, figure out your own situation and don't lock yourself away hoping something will happen. Have coffee with people you know and don't know, have rich discussions, and ask for people they know who you should connect with. In this way one meeting becomes three, becomes 9, becomes 27, etc - you get the drill. Once I received 10 contacts in a coffee meeting - wow! It took me two months to follow-up, and they were great contacts. If you can manage to have coffee with some key folks for your business, do it today. Force yourself to do it if you're an introvert, and perhaps have meetings with three so that you don't have to do all the talking.

Those are the first 30 of 51 free marketing tips. Thanksgiving week: free marketing tips #31 through 40.

All the best, Doug

Doug Bruhnke
CEO, Growth Nation
Scottsdale, AZ USA

51 Free Marketing Tips from Growth Nation #11 through 20

Thank you for your interest in the 51 free marketing tips. These were inspired by Francine Hardaway and Ed Nusbaum of Stealthmore Partners and Fast Trac. Here are the second 10 (of 51) free marketing tips for small business.

These next 10 are sprinkled with foundational items that every business should do but most don't.

11. Practice the 6 P's. Be prepared, personal, persistent, patient, passionate and positive. There are certainly many instances of people and businesses becoming famous overnight, but the vast majority of us grind it out over many years, executing a solid plan that steadily gets good, then great results. The long grind can lead to something like the 7 year itch in marriage as the marketer wonders, are we on the right track? Should we try something different? Great question - and keep asking it. Make adjustments, but stick to the plan if it appears that the foundation is solid. Results will come when you stay the course and have the right attitude. People migrate to positivity when it is genuine. Have it and share it!

12. Stay focused. A complementary tip to #11 is to stay focused on the prize. Which is? From the first 10 tips...know your target, deliver value to them, and repeat. And that's NOT droning on and on with your sales pitch over and over. Seth Godin had a great blog about this recently http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/10/notice-me.html which talks about "being trusted, engaged with, purchased from, discussed, echoed, teaching us and leading". He is the master - don't preach, educate.

13. Listen to your instincts, but also check. This can be hard when you're getting various market, customer, friend, partner and other feedback on what to do. It might be dangerous, too if your instincts arent' too good. I'm going to assume that they are, otherwise you wouldn't be reading this ;-) Spend quiet time doing what you love to do and sort out the best path. My approach is bicycling or golf - and then testing ideas that come from the gut during or afterwards with friends. If your thoughts can survive the test of another good business mind, you're on to something. If only the designers of the Pontiac Aztec, New Coke or presidential campaign of John McCain had done their marketing homework - we'd be thinking about them all differently today.

14. Build credibility. Having people talk about the virtues of your service introduces more people to your service and increases the chances that they will buy. Gather up the list of people you know and mark off each one that you feel can and could speak well of you or your service. Ask for a recommendation in Linkedin like shown on my personal Linkedin profile http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougbruhnke or reach out to them for a sincere testimonial. Have them talk specifically about the value you or your company created for them and what it meant for them to use your product or service. Never, ever fake a testimonial. Some very good people have suggested faking testimonials when they didn't have enough gathered yet. Yikes! People can see right through those: "Y.L. from Tucson said...". No, no, no! The sincerity and satisfaction of real people will go a long way to build your credibility with target customers. Here's a good recent blog post on the topic of gathering testimonials: http://www.needmoney.com/2009/10/using-testimonials/

15. Be everywhere. Today it is easy to have you and your company everywhere on the internet. There are sites like Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Namyz, ZoomInfo, Fast Company, Merchant Circle et al that allow you to post your business and personal information in most cases for free. Take advantage of it without abusing it. Get in early. I joined Linkedin thanks to a suggestion by Ed Nusbaum of Stealthmode Partners before the primary wave. That was at a time when other early adopters were more open to connecting. That's going on right now with Twitter. You're advised to at least 'lurk' in Twitter and see what it's all about. For other sites like Naymz and ZoomInfo that automatically set up a site for you - claim and modify the information to be correct and current. Keep your information broadly out there and consistent - same info, logos etc.

16. Be courteous. With the new wave of social media there is also my warning to be responsible. Twitter and most social media make it totally easy to connect with others, and so being courteous both in the initial connection and on an ongoing basis is critically important. "We could spam, but we choose not to." seems like a great game plan. Seth Godin again is a great source of information on this. He has always advocated for education versus spamming and has been a consistent leader on this. Get the daily feed of his blog for great ideas. Here's another good thought on taking the long, high road with your contacts in business and on the web: http://www.e2ecoaching.com/2009/10/27/in-business-life-is-long-and-so-are-peoples-memories/

17. Do things that are unexpected. We thrive on surprise. The Sixth Sense was an pretty boring movie until the big surprise at the end. Huh? Wow - cool - dead people! Now we're engaged! It's the Purple Cow - our brains are wired through cognitive dissonance to see the weird stuff and ignore the same old same old. So when Todd Davis of LifeLock shares his social security number, we say WOW. Politically correct or not, critically accepted or not, Bob Parsons of GoDaddy creates a buzz around his being untraditional. He sticks out, and people (in their target market) notice AND buy. If your target market can tolerate irreverance like that of GoDaddy, go for it. If not, stand out in a more professional way.

18. Don't do things that are too political. This tip applies to 99% of us. As soon as you air a political opinion, 50% or more of people will disagree with you because they feel differently or they misunderstand what you're trying to say. File this under one of the many things your Mom taught you NOT to talk about outside the kitchen table - like religion. Politics and religion are almost always immaterial to dealing with a company and yet it can turn someone off in a heartbeat. Ask WholeFoods how the political leanings of the boss hurt them and created the need to do a PR fix. Have you ever had a positive view of someone and then have them spout something off the cuff that you totally disagree with? Don't be that to others. Stick to the central, ethical beliefs that are shared by 99% of the public and keep your next level of opinions reserved for your best friends over a glass of wine at the kitchen table.

19. Change your phone message. Give people a break who either call you for the first time or might call you often. Keep it short, sweet and current. The worst case of this abuse is a partner who had a long (well over one minute) greeting about his company. Have you seen that commercial 'too much'? No one wants to hear how great you are in a phone message when you just want to leave a message. On the other hand mention your name and company in your own message. What's worse than leaving a voice message and hearing no personal message, like 'thanks for calling 555-1212, please leave a message' or something similarly unprofessional? And when leaving a message with someone else, don't drone on and on - keep it short, sweet and simple - limited to the basics of time you called, name and return phone number, repeated in case the phone transmission breaks up. As with everything that is public facing, your marketing needs to be consistently solid and informative without going over the top.

20. Do cross promotion with a partner. It is amazing to me how many people I don't know. I'm humbled walking through the Phoenix airport - I rarely see someone I know. The good news is that people I know have connections to almost everyone - and that's a powerful thing in marketing. You have the same thing - and using this effectively is one of the secrets of marketing. Who are your best referral and business partners who share a target market? List them out and take them to coffee - and discuss doing joint promotions. Now you'll both win because you're each splitting the cost of the promotion AND you're each reaching people that you wouldn't have reached alone. Food companies have been all over this for years - teaming chips with salsa, drinks with snacks, etc. Greater Phoenix SCORE www.scorephoenix.org does this extraordinarily well with local partners who are also going after enterpreneurs and small businesses - like the Chambers, the Phoenix Business Journal, SBDC, SBA, IRS, et al, who all benefit by working together and giving this target what they need - free, nearly free and effective business help. Do joint events, e-mails or direct marketing - it can be both productive and cost-effective.

Next week: #21 - 30 free marketing tips from Growth Nation. Thanks for reading.By the way, if you're an entrepreneur looking for support of your business idea, connect up with Francine and her team.

All the best, Doug

Doug Bruhnke
Growth Nation
www.growthnation.com
Scottsdale, Arizona

51 Free Marketing Tips from Growth Nation #1 through 10

Francine Hardaway and Ed Nusbaum of Stealthmore Partners recently asked if I wouldn't mind stopping by a Fast Trac group to discuss bootstrapped marketing. I figured that this might mean 'free', and so I put together a list of 51 free marketing tips for small business that everyone seemed to have fun with, especially since the list was free, too. I promised Francine that I'd post it on our blog, and so here we go.

We'll get 10 free marketing tips out approximately every week. Thanks Francine and Ed for all you do for small businesses and entrepreneurs in Arizona, including the upcoming Entrepreneurship Conference in Phoenix November 12th.

Here are the first 10 (of 51) free marketing tips for small business. The first 10 are mostly foundational things that every business should do but most don't. Remember that marketing is all about getting people who don't know you today to know you tomorrow. Getting them to buy from you once they know you is sales.

1. Know and be your brand. Every business owner should be able to articulate the firm's target market, the offering, how the firm is different and the key message. These are the primary four elements of your brand. Hopefully your firm's brand is congruent with your own personal brand, but they don't need to be identical unless your business is you, and vice-versa. I'd recommend against this for most business owners but that goes beyond a marketing issue. Oprah and Donald Trump are good examples of making them nearly one in the same for better (Oprah) or worse (Trump).

2. Know your target market. This is #1 of the 4 elements of your brand. There is nothing more important than knowing who your target market is. It is NOT who your customers are. Ever had a bad customer? They may not be in your target. Those great customers you have? Think about why they're great and you'll likely identify a target group that you should attract more of. Are they typically a man or woman, what title, what car do they drive, where do they live and work, how do they vote - know each group, rank them and know your #1. This is one of the things that GM has messed up for 40 years and hopefully it's not too late for them to salvage a few brands.

3. Know your offering at a deep level. This is the relatively easy one. We all know what we offer, but defining it succinctly might be a challenge. And at what level? It is XYZ product or service, and at a higher level it gives your target customer something very special. What is that special thing? If you can get to that special thing at a deep emotional level, you'll be able to better message it. So Wheaties is a bowl of wheat and when adding milk it is a breakfast meal. But when you add the box cover with a super athlete, it becomes 'Breakfast of Champions' that motivates children to excel and parents to buy it in the first place. It becomes all about achievement and not your standard breakfast meal. Seems criminal, doesn't it? Great marketing!

4. Know how you’re different. My grandfather Joseph W. Brings was a small business owner in Queens, NY and he always used to say 'be a big fish in a small pond'. There's a lot of wisdom in that one phrase. One inherent concept in the big fish theory is that by being big to a small group, you'll stand out. For goodness sakes stand out - why blend in? The world is a noisy place and you'll need to know how you're different so that you can communicate it and prospects will notice! Las Vegas stayed on the right track when it realized that what it offered was all about pleasure, and that appealing to families at the same time sent a confusing message both to people seeking pleasure and to those with families. You can't mix and match or you risk confusion.

5. Have and communicate a message to your target. So wrapping up this section - once you know your target, your offering and how you're different, you can create a message that incorporates it all in a way that means something to your target group of customers. Tie it to one of 6 basic areas – achievement (Wheaties), wellness (Mayo Clinic), security (Allstate Insurance), family (Jif peanut butter - choosy mothers choose Jif - and so if you don't, you're a bad mother!), pleasure (Las Vegas) or relationships (eharmony.com). You must speak to how you’re special to the target in a way that highlights the special benefits they receive by buying from you! Then keep reinforcing it so that they confirm their great decision!

For the last 5 in the first 10 we'll be a little quicker...

6. Simplify. Don’t expect people to digest complex topics and come up with the right answer. That’s your job. Make it easy for them. Lifelock has done this so well even though what they do isn't so complex. They make it drop dead simple with a brilliant, unexpected catch (Todd Davis' social security number). Simply powerful.

7. Keep your story personal. Seth Godin is the king here with the groundbreaking book All Marketers Are Liars. Read it and learn the greatness of stories and Seth Godin. Behind every great brand is a great story.

8. Have other people tell your story. During a visit to the Crab Cooker restaurant in Newport Beach, CA three people waiting in line outside told the story of how 40 years ago the restaurant had turned down an aide to President Nixon who wanted to make a reservation. They don't take reservations! What a great story, and now I'm telling it to you. What story will people tell about your business that attracts more customers?

9. Attach your offering to a movement. Get relevancy for your business through a hot current frame of reference, like "green", social media, safety, innovation, society’s victims (if you seek progressive clients), tax breaks (if you seek right-leaning clients), etc. The press will be more likely to cover you, too. Starbucks has done this effectively with "green", spinning a story about how they help coffee growers in the rainforest.

10. Prepare a media kit. Create a “pitch” letter, press release, business card, backgrounder, testimonials, data sheet and photos, together in a folder. You'll be ready to pitch something relevant to the media and your target market once you've nailed your brand, told a few stories and have some folks in the community telling your personal story. The exercise of putting this together will help you pull it all togetherfor your business.

Next week: #11 - 20 free marketing tips from Growth Nation. Thanks for reading.

All the best, Doug

Doug Bruhnke
Growth Nation
www.growthnation.com
http://growthnation.moguling.com/
Scottsdale, Arizona

Some Upcoming Events Supported by AZIGG

Preparing for the H1N1 Flu - Tuesday, Oct 13th, 7 - 9:30am
Phoenix Business Journal event - Preparing for the H1N1 Flu: Is Your Business Ready? Register by noon today. http://twitter.com/AdvantageUCareG

PCFR Event on Global Terrorism - Tuesday, Oct 20th, 6:00 - 9:00pm
Kenny Leahmann on why Osama bin Laden is still at large. www.pcfraz.org

SREO Logistics Event - Wednesday, Oct 21st, 5:30-8:30pm Tucson
"Benefits of a Nogales Location", $25 contact Al Altuna al.altuna@treoaz.org

World Affairs Council of AZ Annual Dinner - Oct 22nd, 5:30 - 8:30pm
Featuring guest speaker Bradley A. Casper, President & CEO of Henkel Consumer Goods, Inc. (The Dial Corporation). Scottsdale www.wacaz.org

Grow My Legal Practice - Wednesday, Oct 28th, 4:00 - 6:00pm
"The Professional Use of Social Media". A seminar offering CLE credit by Doug Bruhnke at The Phoenician Resort. $75, includes networking after the seminar with wine and appetizers. RSVP at yvonne@growthnation.com

November AZIGG - Monday, Nov 2nd, 7:30 - 9:00am
"Finding and Supporting Large Global Companies" - panel discussion at SkySong featuring Arizona business leaders Shashi Jasthi (Solugenix), Jon Enwiller (The AIT Group) and Susan Cordts (Adaptive Technologies).

Special Event on Switzerland - Tuesday, Nov 3rd, 7:15 - 9:30am
Expand your business to Switzerland. Free Event at the Ritz

Celebration of Companies to Watch - Friday, Nov 6th, 6:00 - 9:00pm
Attend the official festivities honoring these high-performing second-stage companies from across Arizona at the Sheraton Downtown www.asba.com

Building a Winning European Sales Strategy - Nov 10th, 9 - 11:00am
At ASU SkySong, by the US Commercial Service BuyUSA Link

Governor's Celebration of Innovation (GCOI) - Nov 19th, 4:00 - 10:30pm
It's the annual Arizona Technology Council event. Always amazing. GCOI