Hi Karen

Our current newsletter is on just this subject (you can get a copy by subscribing to the newsletter on our site).

Do you know who your target market are? Do you want to sell online, retail, wholesale? Do you want to sell direct to the end user yourself or look at using a distributor? You also need to have done your budgets to see how much you can afford to sell e.g. at wholesale price in order to still make a profit. Without knowing what your product is or who your target market is it is hard to give advice.

Hi Karen,

It really depends on who your target consumer is for your product.

A really quick way is to sign up for Sourcebottle alerts. It's a free site that connects journos & feature writers with businesses. www.sourcebottle.com.au

There a callouts for new products to review which could get your product in front of your target.

It is really important to first determine exactly who your target consumer is and then reach them through their various touchpoints (or places/magazines/mediums where they see brands)

Hope this helps:)

Leona

Hi Karen,
This is not a comment to help answer your question. I wish I could!
Rather I am in a similar boat I think. I have started up my own business online and am keen to know how to get my information 'out there'.
I'd love some help from the WiB community too please if possible!!
Jen

Hi Leisa,

You might be interested in this blog post from Problogger - How to Choose a Blog Niche [6 Tips]

http://www.problogger.net/archives/2010/03/12/how-to-blog-how-to-choose-a-blog-niche/

He makes some great points including choosing a niche based on your interests (for longevity) and identifying its commercial viability.

I have found it is not so much the "call to action" that will bring you more customers, it is how often they see you and your branding/product in their day-to-day lives. You don't always need a "call to action" - it starts to appear too desperate. A good example is a particular "carpet" seller who is always "overstocked" or "closing down". After too many of these "drastically reduced" promotions everyone knows it is a whole lot of the proverbial!

Look at some of the biggest companies and how they market themselves - Coca Cola, McDonalds, etc. They only ever promote what they sell, and very rarely (if ever) reduce prices etc. We just know about them because we always see them - billboards, print, television, radio. So follow their lead.

If your advertising budget is limited, stick to doing regular letterbox drops so that people are regularly reminded about your business - don't constantly bombard them with special offers. Then, every now and then, give them something different that makes them think they need to act now or miss out. They need to feel familiar with your brand to want to use it.

Good luck.

I know that all the advice above is the traditional way to 'sell' your services but I do think we should think outside the box.

I personally HATE calls to action and particularly those that look like a MACK truck.

How about something that they can use like a calendar with a call to your website to get 12 helpful hints for preparing your shoebox for your accountant or some such. Or start thinking about your tax refund now - would an extra $250 dollars in your bank account rather than sitting in the ATO's coffers be useful for you? etc etc etc

Mount the calendar so it can sit on the desk or mount on a magnet so it is front of mind every time they go to the fridge.

Don't discount your services - you are probably operating on a shoestring too.

Find a demographic that you want to target and design your 12 helpful hints around that target.

My son gave me an interesting calendar - it was sheets of paper, sitting into a cd case that flipped out at the back so that it was the base of a display case. You can turn the sheets over and have hint number 2 for February or such - post out a different sheet to different people so they want to get the other month's and maybe have them come by your office, or mail / email you the other sheets??? Etc. Vicki

Try something that you can use to up-sell your services.

"For the month of April I am offering a free bookkeeping audit for all clients."

Draw up a template for the audit (it could be a checklist) so you implement it efficiently. Give them the results, then also have the opportunity to say "look you are doing this really well, but your xxx could really improve with this service I provide".

A referral offer is a good one as well do generate new leads from existing clients. A bottle of wine or discount on next service.

I am actually about to do a call to action myself. My thoughts are as above. Package deal, discount, possibly-a contest. Good luck x Julie Nelson

Offers are great.

Discounts! Time limited! E.g. "10% off -March ONLY! Call today to find out how I can make YOUR life easier."

Also: consider putting together a service package with a flat fee. For only $250 you will get this, this *and* this. It's easy for them, uncomplicated for you (as long as you offer the right sort of services). People love that.

Good luck with your next promotion!