4 Out-Of-The-Box Marketing Ideas
   By Lee S. Schaffer

Small-business owners should always be on the lookout for imaginative—and cost effective—marketing strategies. Here are four ideas guaranteed to help you bring in business.

1. Trade Show Tricks
   Don’t spend big bucks to exhibit at a trade show.
   
   Instead, market your small business at trade shows by offering your expertise. Contact the trade show organizer and offer to conduct a seminar on a topic relevant to trade show attendees. Or offer to be a speaker at a lunch or dinner event. Or offer to be part of an expert panel discussion.
   
   Each of these public appearances will put you in front of potential clients and position you as an expert in your industry. If you land a speaking gig, be sure to invite members of your audience to introduce themselves after the event. This gives you the opportunity to collect and distribute business cards for follow-up.
   
   While you’re at the show, attend seminars and events that feature potential clients. After the event, introduce yourself to the speaker. Explain who you are and what your company does, without making a direct sales pitch. Compliment the speaker on her presentation. Request her business card and offer yours. Then follow up after the show.
   
   Also introduce yourself to others who attend the seminar. Exchange business cards. You never know who might be your next big client.
    
2. Odd Holidays
   Every business celebrates major holidays. Set your shop apart by promoting odd holidays that can be tied specifically to your trade or industry.
   
   There’s National Golf Month in August and National Hot Dog Month in July. May is National Bike Month. You can find more bizarre holidays and special days listed by month at the Holiday Insights Web site, www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays.
   
   After you identify an odd holiday for your small business, host a special sale or event. Conduct a whacky contest. For example, a retail store that sells outdoor equipment could celebrate National Golf Month. You could conduct a contest and give winners free tickets to the local putt-putt golf course. Make your promotion creative. Make it imaginative. Make it fun.
   
   If you simply can’t find an odd holiday to make your own, develop a twist on a traditional holiday. For instance, a store that sells candy could design a customer contest around Easter.
   
   The National Confectioners Association reports that more than 90 million chocolate bunnies and 16 billion jelly beans were produced for Easter in 2004. Ask customers to guess how many bunnies and beans your store will sell during the Easter season. The winner receives a big chocolate bunny and a bag of jelly beans. Put out a press release that quotes some fun Easter facts and promotes your contest. The media will love it, and you’ll get free publicity.
    
3. Sweet Tooth
   Give your best clients a treat with customized M&M’s® chocolate candies. They make great giveaways for contests, customer appreciation, free offers, open house favors and other promotions.
   
   You can imprint custom messages on the colorful candies and choose your packaging. There are some restrictions on imprinting. You can’t print a business name, like Sanders Law Firm. But you can print Sanders. And you can certainly print Thank You, which gives you a memorable way to show appreciation to your top clients.
   
   You can choose your M&M’s colors or opt for a color blend. Your personalized candies can be packaged in gift bags or silver tins.
   
   Get all the details and costs about personalizing the goodies at the M&M’s Web site. You can order online in three easy steps.
    
4. Go Team
   Shared marketing helps spread your business name and saves you money.
   
   It works like this: Non-competitive, complementary businesses pool their dollars to create marketing materials that promote each individual business.
   
   For example, a plumber, electrician, fence builder and house painter put in equal dollars to develop a single refrigerator magnet. Each business lists its name and contact information. All of the businesses give the magnet to customers for free. Presto! That single marketing piece gets spread to more potential customers.
   
   A graphic designer, copywriter and printer could the same. An auto detailer, tire shop and mechanic could market jointly. Put together your own team to expand your marketing reach.
   
   

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