Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

If you've got time, talk to people face-to-face. Find out about their needs/problems and then offer your solution.

Have you targeted WHO is likely to need your services? The more you can narrow down your market, the better you can target them.

Have you contacted your past satisfied customers for recommendations? Testimonials?

Narrow your target audience so you can really focus on just a few companies. Interview the decision-makers at those companies -- strictly to get information. Then ask them if they'd be interested in learning about some ideas that can really help them achieve their objectives (as disclosed in the interview). That's the way to build your business ... by doing an awesome job for each customer ... one at a time.

The 1000 fliers approach doesn't work for a high-touch service business.

Consider putting your phone number at the top of every page of your site, as well as your email marketing messages that you deploy. Putting it at the bottom just means someone has to scroll down to find it. Putting it at the top makes it that much easier for people.

Also, this is a no-brainer, but make sure your phone number in on every piece of material you put out, i.e. any promo items, etc.

And, consider advertising in your local community paper, joining your local LikeMind group where you can network.