5 Simple and No Cost Tips for “Getting The Word Out”
Written on October 31, 2007 by Amanda M. Gladden
This week Coach Sandra Martini offers concrete, effective ways to get the word out about our businesses….
“Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.”
– Napoleon Hill
When starting out in business, many small business owners want to get everything *right*. They spend hours upon hours designing a logo, picking letterhead and envelopes and focusing on their brand.
Is this important? ABSOLUTELY!
Is this *the most* important thing to be doing immediately? Absolutely NOT!
The most important thing you can do for your new business (or business-not-bringing-in-enough-income) is to get the word out. You want to tell everyone you know (and ask them to tell everyone THEY know) what you do.
In order to do that, YOU need to know what you do (yes, I’m serious here!).
I asked someone at the last networking meeting I attended (where I also happened to be the featured speaker) to tell me a little about her business. Her response: “I’m a business coach” and then she stopped as if this told the story.
OUCH! How many issues do I have with that?
She had the opportunity to dazzle me with the results she gets for her clients. Instead, she offered up a monotone, flat “job title”. ICK!
Here are some simple — and no cost — ways to get the word out about what you do:
1. Your elevator speech
Your elevator speech is one of the most important things you can do for your business. After all, why would I hire you if YOU don’t even know what you do and, more importantly, how what you do can help ME?
2. Your email signature
Once you’ve crafted and memorized your “elevator speech”, you want to create an email signature that goes out on EVERY email you send (you can use a lot of the language from your speech). Remember. . .the goal here is to tell EVERYONE about the results you provide. You never know who may need your services or know of someone who does!
3. Register on social networking sites
Take an hour or two and sign up on MySpace, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Ryze and other sites where you build networks of people who either worked with you, are friends, or are friends of friends.
You’ll be amazed how quickly your network can grow and this means more people learning about what you do and joining your community. 
4. Speaking
Offer to give a speech at your local Chamber of Commerce, library Rotary Club or other social organization on a subject related to your industry.
These types of places are always looking for good speakers and it’s yet another way to get the word out and build your community.
5. Online forums
Spend some time searching Yahoo Groups or Google Groups and join a few forums which relate to your industry or your target audience.
By regularly contributing to these forums, you will be viewed as an expert in your field. And remember to include your email signature at the end of every post!
It’s important when you’re just starting out or ready for more clients that you spend as much time as possible marketing your business (no less than half your day in the beginning). And when you have more clients than you need, you must STILL market your business.
As your business grows, you should begin implementing systems to put your marketing on autopilot and insure a steady stream of prospects continuously enters your marketing funnel.
Your Coaching Challenge
Put a note on your calendar or “to do” list to get the word out about your business in AT LEAST one different way each day this week. And remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It may take some time for your prospects to remember, and then, contact you.
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Sandra P. Martini, the Automatic Business Coach ™, is creator of the “9 Simple Steps to Creating an Automatic Business” system. To learn more about this step-by-step program for small business success, and to receive her FREE “5 Simple Steps to Putting Your Marketing on Autopilot” e-course/audio mini-series and how-to articles and teleseminars, please visit http://www.SandraMartini.com
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October 31st, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Ha! I’m so glad I found this. Until yesterday, I fell into the first type– obsessing over graphics, etc. Then I ran a survey and had to contact everyone I know to complete it. It was great to be engaged in dialogue over this product I am so passionate about. Good tips!
November 1st, 2007 at 6:54 pm
Great advice. Getting the ducks in a row is a challenge I’ve faced, too. Here’s a teeny bit of experience that might help others in a similar position.
Scenario: You’re launching a business, waiting for your website to be completed.
What to do in the interim?
I had to really observe the 80/20 rule. Knowing that 80% of the results are going to come from 20% of the effort, one can prioritize accordingly.
Here are some things to do while you’re waiting for your website to launch:
1. Build links! Even if you’ve got a coming soon page, the links count. Start now.
2. Draft letters - plan who you’ll tell, what you’ll say. Identify potential online partnerships.
3. Join brick and mortar networking groups. No website needed, just a business card.
4. Start drafting relevant content, geared towards your audience for distribution post-site-launch. Distributing this content will help SERP placement and positin your brand.
First time reader here… willd efinitely be back soon!
November 3rd, 2007 at 6:17 am
As someone who is going through the motions of starting their own business I can hear where you are coming from, the problem is that when you have a limited social network to spread the word to, then you get stuck about thinking of SEO strategies or other things to get stranger’s attention and feeling depressed that you don’t know who to tell
November 3rd, 2007 at 11:34 am
i stumbled on the page, and all i can say is great job done! the site is informative and its layout is awesome. im gonna bookmark this page. will be back soon!
November 4th, 2007 at 12:24 am
Those are some good ideas. I have had a lot of success with my email sig, both for picking up new subscribers and even new customers. Business cards also work well, but obviously cost more.
November 4th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
Sometimes we just need a little kick to get us going. These are great tips for business building. Sometimes I am just a little to shy to sing my own praises but that is exactly what I need to do. Self promotion is key.
November 5th, 2007 at 2:28 am
Word of mouth is the best way to get out the word. Participating in Forums related to your business is also good. A website is only a prescence on the web. Nobody will see it unless you promote it. Small business has to promote their business nonstop to get results/until they are known.
November 6th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
Sometimes I want to get things perfect. Sometimes I’m stuck in analysis paralysis.
This is a great reminder to stop planning, researching and pefecting and just get out there and start doing.
I’ll be stopping by a lot I think! Great advice, thank you.
November 7th, 2007 at 1:31 am
I find adding my website or blog to social bookmarking websites helps a lot, like:
http://digg.com
http://reddit.com
http://delicious.com
Also if you have a small business, social networks aimed at them are popping up all the time, one I just saw was:
http://www.littleengine.com
another is merchatcircle.com
November 27th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
I’d like to add “find a mentor” or “coach”. Someone in business and preferably in your line of work to help you with planning the business out and more importantly for making the connections you need in the beginning. the odds are highly in favour of most of your new business coming from referrals and relationship selling than it is from hard new customers who don’t know you!
December 4th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
Word of mouth may be a good way to get the word out, but I don’t think it’s the best. In fact, you don’t even have to actively do anything to get the word out by “word of mouth.”
One of my professors wouldn’t even let us include “word of mouth” advertising/marketing on our business projects. Everyone always wanted to include it, but in reality you can’t really do anything that you wouldn’t already do to help word of mouth advertising.
December 16th, 2007 at 11:09 am
you forgot to mention one of the most important parts of online marketing, google adwords, yahoo search marketing and adcenter. these online CPC engines bring in a great amount of targeted traffic and will help get your brand noticed. i always say there is not point in having a flashy website if no one can find it.
still a great post