Maketing advice for small company?

[Kristen H]

I am a recent college graduate.I have just joined a small it/multimedia company (been in business for four years) as marketing manager, there has never been marketing before (all work is from word-of-mouth). I just joined a network group but, how can I get clients with little or no cost. My boss is really putting the pressure on to perform!

[Stephen L]

It sounds like your posistion is going to be a sales one.

You should get a portfolio together with client references if possible. Then you need to phone around and introduce your company to prospective clients. Wear the rubber off your shoes.

Sales = see the people - see the people - see the people

You also need to have a plan like your target market etc

Good Luck

[mangal]

Your boss can't hire fresh graduate and expect him/her to perform. What firm hires fresh graduates and make them marketing manager before inducting them as marketing executive/marketing trainee - asst. marketing manager - and then perhaps marketing manager.

[Denise M]

Your job title may be marketing manager but it sound a lot more like you're being expected to be a sales person. Marketing takes a budget - because marketing precedes you - meaning it goes out in front of you. I sort of agree with the other writer - it kind of sounds like your boss is throwing a young guy to the wolves a little bit.

I suggest two things in your particular circumstance: PR (public relations) and sales. PR will not get you sales but if your business becomes known through the media, articles in trade journals etc - it will make the job of selling much easier. The book I recommend is "Full Frontal PR" by Richard Laermer. It takes you step by step through how to do PR and it's pretty much free.

Then you need to start selling. Find out what's worked in the past and what hasn't worked. Get on the horn and call and set up meetings and go see the people. Leverage any media exposure you've had when you talk with people.

Good luck - I wish you well.

All the best,

Denise Michaels
Author, "Testosterone-Free Marketing"
Get the book at http://www.tfmbook.com

[John R]

You didn't mention if you had a website.

1) Start or Review the existing site
2) Get your marketing presentation in text form for your site: 1 page, 3 or 4 paragraphs, 3 to 4 sentences each. Keep it simple, copy is important, but when starting emphasize your offering. Don't worry about graphics too much at this point.
3) Scan for key words and phrases that would attracted your target audience (do a brainstorming session on who your ideal customer is....use real names and positions from your existing customer set)
4. Make sure your site title, meta tags and key words match your text.
5. Add Google Analytics to your site (if it isn't already there)
6. Open a Google Adsense Account only up a few dollars in $10 to $100 will do to start. Create a very simple campaign with the Company's name, and URL and just a few key words. This will get the site indexed. Limit the geography close to your shop if appropriate. Think about using the alternative Map ad if appropriate (more expensive). At this point don't waste advertising dollars. Look at this as R&D for marketing. Advertising and big campaigns should follow your proof of concepts.
7. Do some posts on free Directories (Yahoo), Forums, Social networks and Digg (if you want and it is appropriate).
8. Put a classified for your area on Crag's list.
9. If you don't already have add Paypal and Google Check out. You can use the "buy now" function if you don't have a shopping cart and even if you do have one....
10. Products can be listed on Google's Froogle. Just do a few.

and on and on and on. Keep adding bells and whistles until you have the best marketing engine in your area for your industry.

This starter set will give you more information than most people can handle initially. (there are lots of other metrics which you use but as a one horse shop starting out remember you have get some work done and all input and no output is not good for the business or you). The initial information can give some nearly immediate insight into what people think of your offerings. Either confirming the conventional wisdom or pointing out new opportunities. Put the salesman's phone number and email on your site and posts. Then you will find out if you are a marketing manager or the salesman will a title (which is quite OK very common in small businesses). If you are the salesman, get an Open Source CRM or SFA package from SourceForge for free (if you or your company has the technical skills to download and install..not as easy as some would like you to believe..) or cheaply hosted if you are all alone from $9.95 a month. Start filling the system with prospects, set up campaigns and use bulk email on an opt in basis (keep the emails small to run your campaigns thru be very reasonable with your contact to the prospects. Remember, this is marketing not sales).

Very cheap, very easy to run, some assembly required. But, the starter set is scalable to play at a reasonably high level once you get it going. You are lucky...getting graphics help should not be hard for you. That is the biggest problem I have... good luck.

[Johnny B]

It’s rarely an instant return on the Internet. You need your website coming up relevant to what people "search for" on the Internet. It takes time to get placement in the right places within the Internet and if you're listed in the right category of searches you stand a better chance of returns. The following is one of the better ways.

For a small charge you can have a “Permanent” website advertisement placed in an index such as this in a choice of around 750 categories to target your business trade.

This will raise your website profile and increase its chances of extra sales because this site is indexed by the search engines placing your site within public searches.

The advantage of a site like this is that you don’t have to update your listing again.
For a permanent ongoing promotion:
http://www.search-the-world.com/form/listing

This will only cost you $6.00 for a permanent listing that will eventually get picked up in search engine searches.
You can also get a higher profile permanent advertisement as well for $20.00. You never have to list with them again.
This will broaden your long term chances of getting more regular work.