58½ Ridiculously Simple Marketing Gems I Wish I'd Known Years Ago: Quick, easy, low-cost profit-boosters that will cost you very little but produce a lot

By David N Russell

"I'm good at what I do, I have a great product. What really holds me back is that I'm not sure how to promote effectively." I've heard that endless times from people in small businesses. This book is all about the simple, common-sense things you can do to attract new customers, build momentum, and increas

• Language: English
• Publisher: Book Writing Founder
• Release date: Mar 15, 2024
• ISBN: 9781962380867

Book preview

58½

RIDICULOUSLY

SIMPLE MARKETING GEMS

I WISH I'D KNOWN YEARS AGO

DAVID N. RUSSELL

Probably the most common-sense marketing book ever

58½ Ridiculously Simple Marketing Gems I Wish I’d Known Years Ago.

Quick, easy, low-cost profit-boosters that will cost you very little but produce a lot.

For businesses great at what they do but which need help to tell people just how great they are!

By David N Russell

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David spent the first half of his 45-year career in small to medium sized businesses with very limited marketing budgets. He had to find clever ways to generate interest and enquiries. Many of the ideas and tips in this book are a result of that experience.

For the second half of his career he created and launched a monthly trade magazine. For over 20 years he highlighted some exceptional marketing and PR as well as gaining a greater insight into how basic marketing mistakes are made by smaller companies, many of which are revealed here.

He also developed the concept for a new exhibition and has years of knowhow both as an exhibitor and visitor to shows and events. You’ll read about plenty of real positive and negative experiences in the book.

David has presented marketing seminars in the UK, Europe and America, all designed to give attendees easy to execute strategies that don’t cost a fortune to implement. You’ll find plenty of those throughout these pages.

DEDICATION

For Jacob and Emma – Always remember, anything is possible!

A huge thanks to the people who kept me on track through the process – Pam, Geoff and Lesley.

Thanks also to Martin for his contributions.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE BOOK

A must-read for businesses struggling to showcase their greatness. The book is filled with quick, low-cost profit-boosting strategies that any business can implement. Wish I had known these gems years ago!

Sarah Davidson, Entrepreneur

Finally, a marketing book that focuses on practical ideas rather than abstract theories! The straightforward approach is refreshing, making this book an essential guide for anyone looking to improve their marketing efforts.

Ben Harold, Educational Consultant

As someone who struggled with marketing theory, I appreciate the emphasis on practicality. 58½ Ridiculously Simple Marketing Gems is a treasure trove of actionable ideas that won't break the bank. A must-read for small businesses!

James Amber, Retail Manager

No theories, just actionable ideas that can be applied immediately. A quick and valuable read for anyone looking to boost their business without a hefty price tag.

Brian Nicholas, Business Student

Copyright © 2023

All Rights Reserved

ISBN: 978-1962380874

INTRODUCTION

Over the past 40 years, I have been lucky enough to have fantastic marketing and promotion experiences.

However, my first career experience wasn’t quite so fantastic. It was at my very first job interview in front of the Marketing Director of a well-known company, who asked me…

What does marketing mean to you, David?

Well, I said, I suppose I could quote you something from a book.

Go on then, he replied.

I couldn’t. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t get the job.

Even back then, I clearly wasn’t that hot at marketing theory!

I was more interested in practical marketing, seeing which ideas would work and which would not.

This book is all about ideas and not about theories.

It’s the book that I wish I’d been able to read 40 years ago.

Back in 1995, I attempted to write an easy-to-understand marketing book. I was in my mid-thirties and fifteen years into my career. I decided to self-publish ‘The complete guide to quick and easy marketing that works.’ For a self-published book, pre-internet, it did quite well. You can still find second-hand copies online if you look hard enough!

After taking a big decision to go it alone, helping small companies to become better at low-cost marketing, my career took an unexpected detour, and I launched a trade magazine.

In over 200 monthly editions, I wrote millions of words for hundreds of articles and learnt a lot.

Twenty-eight years later, here I am again with a second marketing book. Like the first, I can promise you that you will be able to understand every word on every page. There’s no theory, just simple marketing ideas that won’t cost a fortune, just what you need if you don’t have a lot of cash to splash.

Every page includes something I wish I had known when I started my career and believe will help you build your business. Every page carries a thought, idea, or suggestion that you can use to help you succeed.

Good luck building your future.

David N Russell

WHAT’S IN HERE…

Section One – Creating interest and generating enquiries

Profit Booster No. 1 – Stop wasting your money on advertising until…

Profit Booster No. 2 - Get to grips with the advertising basics

Profit Booster No. 3 - Let Mrs. Jones from Harlow help

Profit Booster No. 4 - Use established tricks for better results

Profit Booster No. 5 - Spend a little more to look a lot better

Profit Booster No. 6 - Understand what’s working and what isn’t

Profit Booster No. 7- If it’s NEW, make sure you say so

Profit Booster No. 8 - Play the ‘freebie’ card

Profit Booster No. 9 - Drop in on the neighbours

Profit Booster No. 10 - Put your own stamp on an offer

Section Two – Turning precious enquiries into sales

Profit Booster No. 11 - Spend enough time on the initial enquiry

Profit Booster No. 12 - Stop being so nice that you forget to sell

Profit Booster No. 13 – Treat every enquiry like gold dust

Profit Booster No. 14 – Don’t stop selling too soon

Section Three – Reading all about… you!

Profit Booster No. 15 - Become Absolutely Fabulous

Profit Booster No. 16 - Understand what makes a press release work

Profit Booster No. 17 - Be in it to win it

Profit Booster No. 18 - Get competitive

Profit Booster No. 19 – Create your own news delivery system

Section Four – Pay attention to both existing and future customers

Profit Booster No. 20 - Never undervalue the power of a history lesson

Profit Booster No. 21 – Dare to be different, to be distinctive

Profit Booster No. 22 – Gain and keep the trust

Profit Booster No. 23 - Harness the power of customer loyalty

Profit Booster No. 24 - Mobilise your own army of free salespeople

Profit Booster No. 25 - Target that all-important second sale

Profit Booster No. 26 - Consider the gift that keeps on giving

Profit Booster No. 27 - Ask difficult questions and take note of the answers

Profit Booster No. 28 - Tell it as it is, even if it’s bad news

Profit Booster No. 29 - Beef up the shop window

Profit Booster No. 30 - Avoid minor irritations

Section Five - Becoming a proper show-off!

Profit Booster No. 31 - Make sure it’s the right place to be

Profit Booster No. 32 – Put the effort in before the doors open

Profit Booster No. 33 – Make sure your space works

Profit Booster No. 34 – Maximise the opening hours

Profit Booster No. 35 - Don’t think it’s all over when the exhibition closes

Profit Booster No. 36 - Fling the doors wide open

Section Six – Giving yourself a competitive edge

Profit Booster No. 37 - Specialise in being a specialist

Profit Booster No. 38 - Be on the look-out for the really different

Profit Booster No. 39 - Take advantage of what’s staring you in the face

Profit Booster No. 40 – Snap up the gems that could work for you in the future

Profit Booster No. 41 - Don’t ditch the winners too soon

Profit Booster No. 42 - Keep an eye on the competition

Profit Booster No. 43 – Don’t be a stranger. Make an effort to stay in touch.

Profit Booster No. 44 - Ask difficult questions and take note of the answers

Profit Booster No. 45 - Be aware of the money-making dates

Profit Booster No. 46 - Don’t forget - knowledge is king

Section Seven - Being that bit braver

Profit Booster No. 47 - Turbocharge your promotions.

Profit Booster No. 48 - Remove the risk

Profit Booster No. 49 - Launch with a bang, not a whimper

Profit Booster No. 50 - Unleash the inner child

Section Eight - Making online work for you

Profit Booster No. 51 - Keep on top of the website

Profit Booster No. 52 - Be realistic about social media

Section Nine – Using your marketing common-sense

Profit Booster No. 53 - The best is the enemy of the good

Profit Booster No. 54 - Invest in experience

Profit Booster No. 55 - Pay attention to two important and influential groups.

Profit Booster No. 56 - Give yourself time to think and develop the business

Profit Booster No. 57 - Be nice. Remember to say thank you.

Profit Booster No. 58 - Make each day count

The Final Thought…

Profit Booster No. 58½ - Never stop surprising!........

PROFIT

£200.00 can soon become £2000.00, and then you have an ineffective advertising campaign out of control.

BOOSTER NO. 1

STOP WASTING

YOUR MONEY ON

ADVERTISING UNTIL…

How much money have you wasted on advertising in the past few months?

How many advertisements have you paid for that have produced little or no results?

How many adverts do you have booked that will do the same?

If you are spending money on promoting, unless you are in a tiny minority, it’s a fair bet that some of it will be wasted.

Choosing where to advertise, what your advert says, and how it looks shouldn’t and needn’t be a gamble if you follow some simple guidelines.

You're not alone if your advertising isn’t as effective as you want. Pick up any newspaper or magazine; inside, you’ll find some good, creative advertising producing results. You’ll also see advertising that isn’t quite as effective as it could be or, in some cases, a complete and utter waste of money.

Sometimes it’s nothing to do with how well the advertisement has been produced but just that it’s in the wrong place. Each day hundreds of advertisements appear in magazines, newspapers, and online and have virtually no chance of paying their way.

Not understanding where to advertise before spending money is a surefire way to waste your money.

Suppose you’ve ever looked at an invoice for advertising and not been sure that the money has been well spent. In that case, it’s important to take a step back and take a long hard look at where you are advertising and why.

Have you ever just ‘tried’ an advert in a magazine, newspaper, or online to see if it works?

It’s tempting to experiment, but the problem is that, more often than not, you need to be advertising over time to see results. A single insertion won’t be enough to tell you what you need to know.

Your potential customers (the readers) often need time to get used to seeing your advert before they commit.

That’s why it is so important to know as much as you can about the media you are considering and to be reasonably confident that your target market is reading what you are looking to use.

Before you start spending on advertising, you need to understand exactly who your customers are.

Where do they come from? What do they read? What other products and services do they buy? Who do they buy from now? Why might they buy from you?

Unless you have a clear picture of who you are trying to sell to, you’ll never be able to create promotional messages that will strike a chord with prospective customers.

Take a good look at the media you are thinking about using. Are companies looking to sell products to the type of people who are your prospective customers? If they are, and they aren’t competitors, why not ask for advice?

You’ll be surprised how many people will be willing to help and point you in the right direction. As the saying goes, if you don’t ask, you don’t get it!

Another easy way to lose money is to make decisions about your advertising in a rush or when you aren’t fully concentrating. That’s why it’s important to NEVER EVER commit your money to advertising based on a quick phone chat or in response to an introductory email.

You’d be surprised how many people do just that. The same person who can spend ages scrutinising an expense claim for £50.00 will be happy to spend £200.00 in a matter of minutes placing an advert in a publication that they know very little about, just to see ‘if it will work.’

Unfortunately, £200 can soon become £2,000 or, if the budgets are larger, £2,000 can become £20,000. At that point, you have an ineffective advertising campaign out of control.

Don’t allow yourself to be sold into something you are unfamiliar with. For example, make sure that you understand the difference between readership and circulation. Media salespeople are keen to quote the highest figures they can for their product, and so you’ll sometimes find a publication that prints 10,000 copies, quoting a readership figure of 20,000 or 30,000 on the basis that 2 or 3 people read each issue.

The number of printed copies is the most important to remember. Of course, the magazine or newspaper may also be available online too. If it is, then look at how easy it is for readers to access and whether it re-directs them to your website or your social media when they click on a link in an advert.

All these guidelines are just as important when you are thinking of running an online advertising campaign, although you do have the advantage of being able to target your audience a lot more precisely, of course, these days.

Whether it’s a newspaper, a magazine,