Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Have you noticed that for virtual based businesses, the emphasis for advertisement is also virtual.  I have a virtual business with physical products.  My target market is in the local grocery store, the mall, out walking their dogs, playing golf, holding down a 9 to 5, otherwise leading busy real life. 

Now, I had a momentary flashback to my marketing classes.  Sales people always, no let me rephrase that - agressive and success sales people have a very passive way of establishing "presence", the ubiquitous business card.  I also remember some of my favourite boutiques and little shops in Colorado Springs, I found them because someone gave me a business card or I saw an eye catching card displayed somewhere.

With this in mind I have decided to extend by advertising budget and reach by giving our business cards. 

So, am I off on a tangent here?

What  is  the best way to tract ROI for my "3 1/2" x 2" advertisement?

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Gail, Better Health Now Exposure+Visitors=Customers Passive Income

Addassa - I` a HUGE proponent of the "calling" card or business card. It is the one item, that for me at least, I hang onto when someone has called on me. I have them organized in card managers and have some going back 20 years.

So, when I started my business, I printed a lot and have them on my person every time I leave the house, even for personal errands. You just never know who you`ll run into at the cashier line at Home Depot. BTW... this is the most inexpensive form of advertising so I`m not sure extended advertising budget will have much impact. I`ve also had small 4" x 6" post cards printed up like extended b-cards but with more of a marketing message.

ROI on B-Cards. Not sure specifically if you`re giving them out retail and people are picking them up randomly. However, if you do a card exchange, it`s much easier to track. I usually turn the card over from the person I`ve recieved it, write a note or two and the date we exchanged. Then I put them in my contact database and keep notes about any business relationships we forge. There may not be a direct revenue tracking option, but you could quantify how many cards you gave out versus how many return calls, web site visits etc...

For any business we conduct we intend to have an area that asks, "How did you hear about us?" You could add "Picked up you business card."

Good luck


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Shane Cooper http://www.altitudedreamcars.com - Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success!

Thanks, coscooper, I will definately modify my customer survey questionnaire to include your suggestion.

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Gail, Better Health Now Exposure+Visitors=Customers Passive Income

Gail,

You are smart to pull out the business card issue. I don`t care if the business is brick & mortar or virtual, a business card is always in order. One of the least expensive marketing tools ever invented. Even Paladin had a business card (50s western TV show for you youngsters on here). Paladin carried a one of a kind business card. The card read: “Have Gun Will Travel. Wire Paladin. San Francisco.” In the center of the card was the picture of a chess piece – the horse-headed white knight, a paladin - so chosen because a white knight is someone who champions for justice.

Sorry, I had an old fart flashback.

People also forget that a business card has two sides and most never use the other side. Get creative. As inexpensive as cards are, change the other side message as often as you like.

You asked about tracking. Suggestion: Promote your eNewsletter (you have one, right). Have a code on the card and instruct people to sign up for your newsletter, enter the code, and when they do, you track and send them a small gift or sample. Builds your email list for continous promotions, creates a stable of customer evangelists, creates viral marketing agents, and future customers who will try your free sample. And it ain`t expensive to do.

If you do different promotions beside the business card promotion, say, a cross promotion with a B&M store, use a different code.

Good luck and best wishes in your success!

R@

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Richard Arnold · Key Concept Writers · Business Communication: The "Key" To Success· Law of Attraction Blog · Life Ain`t Brain Surgery Blog

Wow.  Where were you  and coscooper  a few months ago?  I will certainly rework my marketing approach.  Thanks keycon 

 

  

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Gail, Better Health Now Exposure+Visitors=Customers Passive Income

I don`t know about coscooper, but I was right here ...since April `06

This is what SuN is all about ... helping, communicating, sharing, smiling, growing, learning, mentoring, and just having plain downright fun!

Later - R@

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Richard Arnold · Key Concept Writers · Business Communication: The "Key" To Success· Law of Attraction Blog · Life Ain`t Brain Surgery Blog

One of my salesman also works for a winery on the weekend and he is always passing out our cards. We know he`s getting a lot of business because it`s not a region we currently market to.

I have a method to track the ROI on my advertisements which I think would also work for tracking business card activity. I`ve created a separate email account so that I know anyone sending communications to that address had to see one of my ads. 

Nancy - great idea on the different email address for tracking! Thanks for sharing.

R@

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Richard Arnold · Key Concept Writers · Business Communication: The "Key" To Success· Law of Attraction Blog · Life Ain`t Brain Surgery Blog

You know I think that will definately work.  I have created different email address and linked them to different Private Phone Numbers.  And as I have more than one product in my portfolio, I assign for, instant, my weightloss program  it`s own email account and phone number on my business card.  My advertising is done for my entire website so I know where my business is coming from.  It may seem like a lot of work, but it is not, I have all my email forwarded to my one email account, and filtered into different folders.  So it is working. Has a few wrinkles, but they will smooth out.

You people are brillant!

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Gail, Better Health Now Exposure+Visitors=Customers Passive Income

Hi AdasssaMari-

FYI - three of the four links in your signature are broken

regards

Dvm

www.davidvmccoy.com

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Workhorse Communications www.davidvmccoy.com We make words work for your business.