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How Small Businesses Shine
Through the Information Avalanche
by Jay Conrad Levinson
Feb. 2, 2002
Technology makes life easy,
doesn't it? Internet banking can be done 24 hours a day -- saving
a trip to the bank. E-mail allows us to send a single message
to many people, instantly and without stamps.
While these uses of technology
are helpful, there is one caveat: Americans are now buried in
an avalanche of information.
This creates an obstacle for
small businesses trying to market themselves, especially on a
limited budget. Thousands of businesses compete for consumer
attention daily. How can small business set itself apart from
the sea of others?
It can be done by following
these simple principles: variety, frequency and memory. Use various
marketing tactics that complement each other. For example, if
you advertise in the classifieds, consider a Web site promotion
as well. Communicate often. Repetition will enable customers
to remember your company's name. Finally, make your company's
name memorable so people think of you first when they're
ready to buy.
Here's a good example. Remember
1-800-FLOWERS? The CEO paid $9 million for a bankrupt company
just to have that phone number. Their sales skyrocketed because
the company marketed frequently in a variety of mediums -- and
the name is easy to remember!
Some small businesses are finding
ways to meet these three principles affordably by using services
like 500 PLUS (www.500plus.com), which offers a toll-free 500
number (like 1-500-CATERING), a matching Web site address (www.500catering.com)
and matching e-mail address (jack@500catering.com).
It's tough to compete in an
information avalanche! Small businesses must always stay on their
marketing toes, using the principles of variety, frequency and
memory to stay ahead of the competition.
Jay Conrad Levinson is the
author of the "Guerrilla Marketing" series of books,
the best-selling marketing series in history. His books have
been translanted into 37 languages and more than one million
copies have been sold.
Article reprinted from www.napsnet.com.
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