Create Your Own Marketing Madness

Wouldn't it be great if you could launch a marketing campaign so wonderful that, once implemented, you could effortlessly pull in leads that yield a high conversion rate? You can - just create your own marketing madness! Think it's easier said than done? You're right, but that doesn't mean it can't be done.

10 excellent marketing ideas

The following 10 tips will help you create your own marketing madness that does wonders for your profit margin:

1. Market a product or service that people want - This seems obvious, but sometimes it comes down to how you spin it. Do you want a mortgage broker who can get you a loan because they have 10 years of experience, or do you want a mortgage broker who can get you a loan because they'll go to bat for you to get a mortgage on your terms?
2. Give a teaser away for free - The best offer is a free offer. All of your marketing materials should feature an incentive-filled offer to your customers: a free guide, a free software program, a free estimate, a free sample ... all of these things inspire response.
3. Collect information - When you give something away for free, make sure that it's not 100 percent free: Your prospects owe you information before they get their incentive. Collect names, e-mail addresses, home addresses, phone numbers and any demographic or survey information you can so you can better position future campaigns; but don't make people fill out an overly long form. If the incentive doesn't warrant a long form (and sometimes even if it does), they'll likely move on.
4. Send postcards - Postcards are one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience. Direct-mail postcards are cheap, they look great, and they have influence. PsPrint usually has excellent deals on postcard prices.
5. Send newsletters - Another direct-mail mainstay, the newsletter affords you the opportunity to build relationships with your prospects before you ever sit down with them. They're a great way to establish trust and credibility.
6. Start a blog - A blog lets you consistently address the needs of your customers without costing a fortune. If you have a blog, update it every few days to stay fresh and relevant.
7. Network with social media - Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest and so many other venues let you promote your offer (promote your free offer, not your products and services) to the masses. If your offer is good enough, it will be picked up by others and promoted for you.
8. Publish a useful website - You probably have a website, but is it useful? Brochure websites are passé; today's browsers want information, resources, links, articles, blogs, widgets, applications, calculators and other useful tools and information they can use to their advantage.
9. Submit press releases - If your offer is newsworthy (and if it's not, it's not a good offer), you can get some free press and credibility by submitting press releases to relevant media. Plenty of online venues exist for this, and you can also submit directly to journalists and editors. Tip: It's often best to submit to journalists that cover your industry rather than editors, since they're the ones that typically do the writing.
10. Partner with others - If you can find a complementary business willing to partner with you on promotions, by all means take advantage of the opportunity. An established hotel can certainly send business to a new restaurant, for example; or the two businesses could partner with a local spa to offer a three-in-one pampering package.

These are just a few things you can do to create your own marketing madness. The key is to apply innovation to techniques that are proven to work. Take these ideas and add your own flair for a truly wonderful marketing campaign that delivers big-time results.