If you want to increase exposure for your own business, you should. Every time you comment you have the opportunity to invite people back to your site, and on many blogs you’ll even have a live link back to your site. As you know, the more relevant links to your site, the better for your own search engine optimization.

Note that I said “relevant.” That means the blogs you comment on should be in your line of business or one that compliments your line of business.

For instance, it makes sense for a Realtor to comment on a blog about mortgage lending, home inspections, or staging. Even a blog about landscaping or building construction would make sense.

But if you’re a Realtor, don’t try to increase your Google rankings by commenting on a blog about a movie star (unless he or she was talking about buying a home). Your comment there won’t add to your standing. Neither would a comment on a blog about car racing or stamp collecting.

Note that not all sites allow live links. But if you’ve said something interesting, your web address can lead that site’s visitors back to you.

When you comment, say something that adds to the conversation. My blogs get a lot of comments that are clearly there just for the links. Right now I’m being bombarded by brief comments with links to sunglasses sites. There’s nothing offensive about the comments so they don’t prompt me to label them as spam, but that’s what they really are.

Those folks should instead be seeking out sites about sunglasses, sunscreen, eye health, or summer recreation. Then they should be making comments about the topics in those blog posts – NOT just saying “I like this blog.”

So stop and think about the kinds of blogs that would offer you the opportunity to add a thoughtful comment. Every business has other businesses that are complimentary to it, so seek them out.

Adding to the conversation isn’t that difficult. You and I do it every day when we’re conversing with friends and family. They say something that sparks a relevant thought in our minds, and we offer that thought for their consideration. As long the thought isn’t offensive, that’s a fine way to go about adding comments to blogs.

For instance, if I write a blog post about writing home page copy you might disagree with one of my points. Or you might agree but think I’ve failed to mention a point or two. Either thought is fodder for a blog comment, and either will show readers that you know enough about the subject matter to give a thoughtful response.

On the other hand, you might have learned something new, so might want to say thanks and tell me how you’re going to use the information. Doing that can also raise your standing with the reading public, because they’ll see that you’re open to growing and considering new ideas.

Of course there’s nothing that says you have to have one – after all, you got along without one all this time. And, if you’re perfectly content with the amount of business you do, then you might not want to bother.

But if you dream of earning more, a good website would be a wise investment. After all, you have your regular customers, but hundreds more might begin using your establishment if they knew it existed.

Just think, dozens of people each day might be passing by just a block or two away and not even realize you’re there! Dozens more might be moving into your neighborhood, or a nearby neighborhood, and not even think to give you a try.

Through your website you can:

• Let people know what kind of products you offer
• Post your hours
• Give directions to your store
• Draw in people who are new to the area
• Pull in customers from nearby neighborhoods

But you can do even more than that. If you make just a little more effort, you can begin gathering the e-mail addresses of all those regular customers, and turning them into PR people for your business.

By sending even a monthly letter informing your customers of your specials, and by including a “bring a friend” coupon, your traffic could begin to increase exponentially.

Even better, once in place, that e-mail blast could soon replace the costly ad you might be running in the local newspaper – while it brings in a lot more customers.

The result: More business at a lower advertising cost.

For ways to jump-start sales on a limited budget, read my new e-book on small business marketing.

If so, business probably isn’t increasing at a very rapid rate. So try these three simple steps to connect with more customers and build loyalty from your current customers:

• Write thank you notes
• Hand out more business cards
• Send “how did I do” letters

Thank you notes will create a buzz about your business that may surprise and shock you.

Why? Because nobody does it any more. Sure, store clerks are trained to say “thanks” when a customer spends money. And stores that use e-mail might have an automated thank you note they can send at the touch of a key. But hardly anyone takes the time and effort to write a thank you note, put it in an envelope, and mail it.

So when you make it a habit to send at least one thank you note every day, people will start talking – and the talk will be good.

At first you might not have an easy time thinking of who to thank. But if you put your mind to it, you will. Of course you can thank people for coming in to your store or for allowing you to give a presentation. If you sell on a party plan you can thank your hostess – and you can thank every person who attended a party. You can even thank the clerk who works in the local deli for slicing your cheese just right!

It takes a little effort to get some names and addresses, but when people start talking about how thoughtful you are, the effort will pay off.

Take the time to be specific in your thanks, so the people who receive your notes will know the thanks are genuine.

Next – hand out more business cards. Hand them out to people you know and people you don’t know. If you’re in your store, hand them to customers and ask them to let you know if there’s something they wish you’d stock, or if they ever spot a problem with your store. If you provide a service, hand them to everyone and say “Please call me when I can be of service.” If this is the 2nd or 3rd time you’ve given them a card and they ask why, tell them it’s in case a friend of theirs needs you.

Send “How did I do” cards. This little card needs only about 4 or 5 questions – which must relate to your business. If you have a storefront you can ask if they found what they needed, if the store was clean enough, if your help was friendly. You can mail these, or hand them out when you ring up a purchase. If you ask customers to mail them back, bribe them with the offer of a special coupon or a free something.

If you provide a service, ask if you answered all their concerns, if they felt that you understood their needs, and if there’s anything else they’d like to know. You can even ask if there was something they wish you had done that you didn’t do.

People like to be noticed, they like to singled out as someone special, and they like to be asked their opinions. So build relationships with your customers and future customers by giving them what they like

To help you build your local business, I’ve written an e-book outlining a simple plan using these ideas and more. Whether you have a storefront, sell on the party plan, or sell your services, this e-book will help you build your client list faster and easier than expensive ads could ever do. So find out How to Build a Local Business…

If you have a pen, a piece of paper, an envelope, and a stamp, you can do just that. You can write a thank you note.

In fact, you’ll do even better if you write a dozen thank you notes. And if you make it a daily habit, you might just be amazed at the results.

Even if your business is already doing well, those notes will give it a boost.

Taking the time to send a hand-written note of thanks will set you apart from your competitors, and it will lift you up in the minds of every person who receives one. That’s because hardly anyone does it, and because a hand-written, well thought-out note shows that you actually thought about the recipient – and that you do appreciate whatever they did.

Your notes don’t need to go just to people you do business with, but can be just as effective when sent to people who perform services for you.

Why? Again, because this has become an unusual practice. So unusual, in fact, that people will talk about it. The mechanic who repaired your car might be sitting at the lunch counter visiting with other patrons and start to brag about getting your note.

“Hey, I got a thank you note today – you guys ever get one of those? Mrs. Jones wrote to thank me for getting her car in and out of the shop so quickly – and for not leaving any grease on her carpets like the last guy did. You know Mrs. Jones don’t you? She runs the …. down on ….”

A thank you in person does leave a warm feeling – and you should hand one out at every opportunity. But a written thank you is something people can show their spouses and friends. It’s something that gives them bragging rights along with that good feeling.

Thanking customers and would-be customers…

Remember that there is a difference in thank you notes. A printed card that says “Thank you for your business” and bears your signature is not very special.

A blank card with “Thank You” printed on the front or a hand-written note on a blank sheet of paper is special – but only when it contains a specific thanks.  So think before you write.

What did that person do? Did they give you some of their valuable time to present your product or service? Did they follow your recommendation about something? Did they refer a friend to you? Did they alert you to a problem in your business? (Yes, that one deserves BIG thanks!)

Try it right now – and you’ll be glad you did.

Not only will you feel good right away because you know you’re making someone else feel good, you’ll be activating the powerful law of attraction. That law says that when you feel gratitude and give thanks for something, you’ll attract more of the same. So the more people you thank, the more people you’ll have to thank.

Yesterday I learned about a system called Mail Chimp that you can use for free as long as your list stays under 500 people.  And since it takes a while to build a list when you’re starting out, that sounds like a good deal to me. The price fits right into any marketing budget!

Other programs give you free trials of 30-60 days, or let you use them free when you have 100 or less on your list. And really, 100 isn’t very many.

The system came highly recommended by posters on Active Rain, so I am assuming that it works well and is easy to use. If you’ve been hesitating because of the cost, go check it out!

It’s true that a whole lot of people write about nonsense. They blog the details of their lives that are best written in a diary or a personal journal. That’s not what business blogging is all about.

A business blog is a tool to stay in touch with your past, present, and future clients and customers. It’s a tool to show a bit of your personality so they know you’re a real person, and to show your knowledge and expertise. It’s a way to let people know that you, through your business, can help solve a problem or provide something they want in their lives.

It can also be a way to demonstrate what your products can do. Many business people hire ghost writers to keep their blogs populated with articles and information that help their customers. I write blog posts for a few clients, just for that purpose.

If you’re in real estate or some other profession that revolves around the benefits and features of your community, it’s a tool to let people know about the things to do and see in your community – or about changes taking place. That not only promotes the community, but demonstrates your knowledge of the community.

If you’re in non-profit work it’s a tool to let your supporters and would-be supporters know about your challenges and successes – and to alert them when special help is needed.

Because I’m interested in natural health, I have a blog that passes on interesting information I’ve come across. I write about everything from the benefits of cinnamon to warnings about the side-effects of common prescription drugs.

This blog, on the other hand, discusses things like why a particular ad is effective or not, and gives tips on writing good copy and reaching out to new customers.

No matter what business you’re in, you have some kind of knowledge that you can pass along to your customers. It could be anything from how to take a grease stain out of the carpet to how to install a shim to make the closet door hang straight, to what kind of fertilizer to use to make roses bloom.

I don’t think you need to worry about giving away too much information. The things you know took years to learn, and giving your readers a few tips isn’t going to mean they’ll never need your help.

Remember, your posts don’t have to be long. They just have to be interesting to those people who are interested in the subject matter you offer. If people aren’t interested, they aren’t going to read your blog no matter what you write about.

So get started – and once you do, make it a point to post a new entry at least once a week.

Here’s to prosperity,

Marte

Because of the price of fuel, truck sales are down – way down.  But they aren’t giving up. Instead, creative officer David Lubars was quoted as saying “We know the amount of people out there who are going to buy a truck is going to shrink. It’s a smaller group than usual, and we have to get all of them.”

Wow. That’s an ambitious goal. But why not adopt it for your own business?

Does it sound mean, or even greedy? I don’t think so, because you couldn’t help your competitors thrive even if you tried.

You know that when times get tight, a whole lot of them are going to curl up in a ball and hide, afraid to spend a dime on marketing because they think there’s no use. So when you take the opposite attitude, and begin to market aggressively, you aren’t hurting them, you’re only helping yourself.

AND – you’re helping your prospective customers. They’ll be dealing with an up-beat positive person, and that will help them to be more up-beat and positive as well. Energies do rub off on other people, you know.

Start thinking about that. You aren’t Chrysler and (I assume) don’t have billions to spend on a media blitz to market yourself.  What can you do instead?

Of course I believe that sharpening your message to show your prospects the positive benefits of doing business with you comes first. The words you use make all the difference in any marketing effort – be it yours or Chrysler’s.

Then consider all the places you advertise and focus only on those places that have given you a good return in the past.

Then reach out for all the low or no cost marketing opportunities on the web. Craig’s List comes to mind, and there are plenty of others.

Get your web site up to speed with search engine optimization – and strive to come up on the first page in an organic search, so you don’t have to pay for clicks. Make sure your landing page reaches out to visitors with the benefits you offer them. Give them something in exchange for their email addresses.

Then implement a solid email marketing campaign using an autoresponder to stay in touch with all your customers and prospects – and encourage them to forward your messages to their friends. Give them a reason to do so by including valuable information – or even a tasteful joke or two.

In short, stretch the marketing dollars you do have by focusing and using them wisely.

You can do it! And if you need help making your marketing message sparkle, write me. Helping other people make more money is what I do.

Yours for success,

Marte

Remember also to market at the end of every email you send, so that no one can forget what you do.

In my ebook, Getting Clients, I outline many methods of low-cost yet effective marketing techniques. One of the first is wise use of business cards. They’re so inexpensive that you could actually have different cards for different niches.

Try adding a tag line such as “Making short sales simple.” Be sure to include your URL – to direct people to your site, where they can learn more about how you’ll help them.

If you’re strapped for cash starting out, go to Vista Print and get their free business cards.

The real challenge is in deciding how you’ll present yourself, and making sure that everything you do shows the benefit you’ll bring to your customers and clients. Your tag line needs to be short and attention-getting. So the first step is deciding what you’re trying to accomplish, and then distilling the message down to a few words.

Now is not the time for “Me too” or “I’m here” marketing – it’s the time to separate yourself from the crowd and show people how you can help solve their specific problems.

About those business cards – hand them to everyone! Hand them to people you’ve handed them to before, and if they ask why, tell the truth: “I hope you’ll give this one to someone you know who needs my help.”

Do you see a theme in what I’ve said? The more you focus on how you’ll help people, the more business you’ll have.

Above all, remember that the Law of Attraction is at work – so focus on what you want, expect to get it, and start each day with positive confidence!

Yours for prosperity,
Marte