20 obvious but often overlooked marketing ideas for small companies

As a small business owner and trusted adviser to other business owners, I often experience the same marketing challenges as my clients.

For most small business owners, money is indeed an object, and though we all know it takes money to make money, we often overlook the fact that many of the best marketing strategies are free. The next time you?re caught fumbling for a business card, remember that carrying current cards is just one of the obvious and overlooked ways to market yourself and your business.

Whether you are speaking at an event, sponsoring it or just attending, creating a company nametag to wear at networking opportunities will help you become more approachable and enable you to easily approach others. There?s nothing more effective to help others put your name with your face and remember them both next time.

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Join a professional association and take a leadership role that helps others network while you do too. Build relationships and network with everyone, everywhere.

When was the last time you gave your office reception area the once over? Everything about your business communicates your brand, so make sure your reception area is communicating the right message through customer testimonials, visuals and literature. Be sure your customers have a pleasant and memorable experience upon entering and leaving your space.

Embracing our so-called ?paperless? society while maintaining a grasp on traditional correspondence will set you set you apart and keep you top of mind. You can do this by creating a quarterly, useful e-mail newsletter; sending personalized, hand written notes; and by passing along articles of interest to let customers and prospects know you?ve got your finger on the pulse of relevant trends and issues.

Another quick way to reinforce your message is to include a tagline on key communications such as business papers and e-mail signatures. A longer-term strategy is to create or update a comprehensive collateral kit available in both hard copy and online formats.

Wondering how you?re going to accomplish this growing list of ?to dos?? Consider recruiting a marketing advisory team to augment your own expertise with that of local professionals. You can hire marketing interns ? they are free for you and the experience is invaluable for them. Call a local university or your alma mater for student contacts.

By offering yourself as an expert for speaking engagements, guest columns and as a source for articles relating to your industry or expertise, you can build your credibility, reinforce your message and get free publicity to boot. Next time you?re at an event, talk with the organizer about speaker selection. Contact local publications like this one to see if you can comment on an upcoming article.

Sometimes the best ways to reach others is to reconnect with people in your own office. If you don?t have an employee suggestion box already, consider installing one so everyone can have a voice and an opportunity to contribute fresh ideas. Your staff should also be knowledgeable about your marketing messages ? train employees to be brand ambassadors to ensure message consistency and increased morale through a greater sense of ownership. You can tackle messaging and training first by stressing the importance of real language and eliminating the use of acronyms and jargon so your message is communicated clearly to all audiences.

You?ve heard it is not who you know, but who knows you that counts. Creating strategic alliances and partnerships and leveraging ?two heads? instead of working independently can help you network with new prospects and cast a wider net. Your partner can introduce you to people you may have not encountered otherwise, and co-marketing opportunities can benefit both of you. Your investors, board members and partners also may be able to underwrite the cost of your marketing initiatives.

Still wondering what obvious, overlooked and underused ideas are lurking out there? Try initiating a brainstorm session with a marketing consultant who may donate or apply the time to a future project. Get counsel from those with experience in your industry as well as those who do not ? you might find that tried and true ideas in another industry can be fresh and effective in yours.
A quick but often overlooked tactic is to keep all directory listings current. You?d be surprised how many prospects turn to your competitors because your phone number, street address, Web site URL or key contact person has changed ? or the information is unavailable online.

And, because repetition never hurts, remember to carry current and accurate business cards at all times!

Bill Obermeier is chairman of STRATECOM, a 13-year-old marketing, advertising and public relations firm specializing in strategic insight and communication. Contact him at bill.obermeier@stratecom.com or (303) 440-2901.