When you’re thinking to advertise your SFI business, you need to take into account your time and resources. You want to make the most of your marketing dollars and effort to get your best possible ways to advertise your SFI business outside social media.
Being clear about your time and resources, here are ways to advertise your SFI business outside of online social media:
- Advertise using the Internet.
There are many different forms of (what can be defined as) internet advertising (which is fast growing/newly emerging), notably:
1. Your own SFI website/blog – a virtual brochure about your SFI business which includes your SFI/TC gateways.
2. Extending your own website functionality to enable direct communication via email or newsletter, podcast, etc., to prospects who have opted in to receive such contact/materials from you.
3. Adverts on other websites (notably Google's Adwords scheme, although there are hundreds of other big providers/agencies) - which may be anything from tiny text links and contextual links in related materials, to big video banners or audio ads - all of which can be targeted with great precision, (assuming you know your targeting criteria..)
4. Links and entries of your SFI company's details on Internet directories and listings websites (for example Yell.com, and specialist industry news/listings websites)
5. The promotion of SFI/TC products/services via websites such as Amazon. Think of the YCD program.
6. Blogs that you can write about your SFI opportunity, TC/products/services/etc - on the major blogging websites, and/or on industry/consumer/lifestyle-specific websites.
7. Articles (editorials or advertorials) and other online materials that you can post or have published on other websites.
8. Videos and clips that you can upload to websites such as Youtube and Vimeo promoting your SFI business.
Potential of Internet advertising:
Internet advertising generally enables a lot of testing and fine-tuning (of targeting of message, 'keywords', and audience). It's also very 'scalable' and adaptable - you can start small and increase the activity/spend/budgets, and change it in many ways, as you learn what works best. Origination and set-up time and costs are generally much less than for conventional design and print advertising methods. Also, lots of internet advertising costs only your time. You can use the banner/text ads available from the Marketing center or create with SFI approval interesting helpful materials, or simply a few interesting words on a very consistent enduring basis, then you can build a useful relevant following of potential prospects, and in doing so, a reputation and awareness for your SFI business and brand too.
It is one of the best ways of advertising your SFI business outside social media, which cost less/reasonable, yet effective in targeting and of high response rate.
- Other low cost advertising ideas, which with a little imagination and selective effort can be developed into a very effective local advertising campaign, which can produce a continuous supply of new business:
1. Posters in windows and on notice boards, and in staff rooms of local businesses.
2. A promotional stall at a local car-boot market or county show.
3. A stall or leafleting presence at a local relevant gathering or event.
4. Using SFI business cards/X cards in dispensers where local people sit and wait or queue or gather, for example: doctors, dentists, vets, church rooms, tourist information office, outpatients departments, library, nurseries, mini-cab offices, forces and services sites (e.g., police, ambulance, etc), launderettes, post offices, newsagents, hairdressers, takeaways, cafes and bars, hotels, pubs and restaurants, golf clubs clinics, leisure centres, etc.
5. Perhaps you can write a regular column relating to your specialism in the local free newspaper or parish magazine as way to get notice and build your brand.
6. Door-to-door SFI Grow A Second Income Postcards distribution through the postal service or other suitable service. (This is a particular effective method if your neighbours are potential prospects, and especially relevant for SFI business owners targeting locals.)
7. Attending local networking/business events – an opportunity to network and exchange business cards with other business owners.
8. Advertise your SFI business in your local trade directories - typically monthly publications distributed to the local community.
- Networking and clubs.
Using networking methods to develop contacts and introductions is an especially cost-effective marketing method for finding your. A variety of networking opportunities exist in all sectors and regions, including trades associations, chambers of commerce and trade, networking websites, societies, clubs, breakfasts, lunches, events, and anywhere that potential prospects and influencers gather, and the systems within which they communicate and socialise. Use your imagination. Always be prepared to speak to others enthusiastically about your business - the world is full of prospects.
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