FREE Restaurant Marketing using FaceBook

Own a restaurant? Trying to find new ways to attract new customers and/or retain existing ones?

Well I have one of many solutions for you, and this one is FREE!!! Yup, the “F” word. A business owners favorite word. And the answer lies within another “F” word…FaceBook.

By setting up a free FaceBook account, you can create a “fan” page. This “fan page” can be all about your Restaurant.

What’s the advantage of this you ask? Well the power of FaceBook is exponential. Once on, you will be able to network with tons of friends you didn’t even know had accounts of their own, and are immediately exposed to each of THEIR friends. This could result in tons of people reading the things that you write…and follow you on to your “fan page”.

To create a page, you would click here.

The page about your restaurant (fan page) can now be used to announce specials, new meals, discount codes, and general promotion.What better way to get an army of people to see your business!! By the way, you can also easily upload pictures and video right from your computer without any special programming skills.

The sheer scope and range of FaceBook is amazing, and before you know it your restaurant will be packed with customers…most of whom saw it on FaceBook.

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE

Leominster Robotics

Youth gone wild!!!

What is Leominster Robotics??

Leominster Robotics is a group of students from the:

Fallbrook and Southeast Elementary schools

AND

Samoset and Skyview Middle Schools.

They are FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Robotics Teams, and as a work as a group of students that participate in the FLL Robotics Competitions.

Members of FLL Teams learn to program and build robots using the LEGO NXT Controller kit to perform tasks.  Students aged 9 to 14 are given the opportunity to design, build, and program a robot using LEGO bricks, sensors, motors, and gears. This gives the team members hands-on experience in basic engineering and computer programming.

The teams are all doing really well and are funded by the community…so please feel free to join Vero Concepts in helping to sponsor these great kids!

Please go to THIS PAGE to donate to the Leominster Robotics Teams!!

Their video skills are pretty good as well! Check out their latest video:

Reliable Hosting

An often overlooked aspect of having a web site is hosting. In Leominster, Hosting options are as limited as you think.

At Vero Concepts, we believe that hosting should not cost you an arm and a leg each year. However, I see a lot of businesses paying either WAAAY too much for hosting for the services they get, or even worse having a site hosted for “FREE” with some service that puts ads all of their site.

Free is ok if you are just starting out and can’t afford the $12 a month, but at least be working towards trying to host your own site.

Some services offer you hosting for cheap money, but have no additional services aside from just plain old hosting. No add-ons, no stats, nothing. If you want something done you have to call them to set it up for you etc.

With Vero Hosting, you are in control! With 250mb of disc space, 2 gb of transfer, UNLIMITED email accounts and up to 5 additional domain names all hosted on one account, I think we have put together a great small business package.

Another benefit is the fact that YOU are in control. YOU have complete access to your hosting control panel, which means YOU can add email accounts, add domains etc. Of course we will assist you 100% in doing any of this, but the availability is there for you.

Also, Vero is not a nationwide hosting company. We deal primarily with local businesses and understand your needs. If there is a problem, or you have questions, not only can we answer your needs, but we are local so a trip over to your business is not out of the question…actually its preferred!

So take a look at our hosting features..I think you will find our features and our customer service is head and shoulders abover the rest. HERE

Why bother having a GOOD website?

Why bother having a good website? Heck, why even bother having a website at all?

It seems I run into this on a daily basis when it comes to business owners. There are three ways of thinking when it comes to websites…

#1

In my business, I don’t need a website because no one would go to it anyway

Really…and you know this how? So you don’t even have business cards? If your business EXISTS, then having a website has the potential to bring you in business.

#2

I have SOMETHING up, so even if it is outdated or looks unprofessional it is “good enough”

“Good enough” is not good enough. Your website should accurately depict your business. The old phrase “You only get one chance to make a good first impression” holds true in this case. If someone is looking for your business online, and go to your site, and then your competitor, how does your site stack up? Does your site reflect the true essence of who you are and what you do? If not, it might be time for an update!

#3

I use my site to my maximum advantage. It looks good, it is fully functional. I update it on a regular basis and even use it to help promote my business!

This group gets it, so I don’t have to elaborate any further!

If you are thinking along groups #1 and #2, you are missing out on potential sales, and the opportunity to converse with your customers.

A website is MORE than just a place to toss up a virtual brochure. It is an inexpensive tool at your disposal that can be used to retain current customers, display your “brand”, and sell potential NEW customers on your service or product.

Email Marketing II

Ok, this is the final installment in this series. In this last writing, I intend to inform you of the possibilities available to you when it comes to “email marketing”. I will try and list some specific examples, and also leave something to the imagination, and hopefully this will spark some creativity on your end. Every business is different and you know your customers better than I do!

So we have learned a bit about the power of autoresponders. We know that we can set up series of pre-written emails designed to sell people on your list the benefit of choosing “you” over your competition. We have learned that we can also (and more importantly) converse with our customers.

Now it’s time to delve into HOW to use this email list to drive sales. Assuming that there is plenty of information being passed along to your customers for free, and they remain faithful members on your list, now it’s time to sell/promote/anything that will get them into your business and BUY.

People like to feel special. People on your list will be no different. In order to get people on your list in the first place, it’s a good idea to offer these “special” members “special” discounts.

One example may be a day-before-sale. Let’s say you are a retail store and plan on having a sale on a weekend. How about first off letting your list know a week in advance, then a day or so before offer them a 2 hour “day before” sale where they can come in and buy at the sale prices without the crowds? Heck, you could make the day before a “pre-sale” and hold it on one of your slow week days.

Printable coupons are always a winner, offering members a % off of a certain dollar amount purchase. You don’t have to get fancy with this, a printed copy of the email is good enough!!

You can set up a special page on your website to “poll” your customers. Maybe you want some feedback about something about your business and a “poll” is just the answer. So send out an email with a link to that special page, and anyone who fills out the “poll” (or questionnaire) get’s a special gift or discount on their next purchase.

Maybe you own a service type business. This is the type of business that relies on customers TRUSTING you, so the advantages to corresponding with people on your list is obvious. How about a free consultation? Maybe you are an electrician…offer up a free energy audit. A plumber? Offer to come in and test heaters and furnaces. How about a special discount on a service or maintenance plan?

As you can see the possibility’s are endless, and vary from business to business. I have not even got into affiliate marketing, which would allow you to make money without a customer ever stepping foot into your store! You could turn them on to things they need and get paid a commission when they buy! I know people that make over $100,000 a year just doing this!

Hopefully I have given you some food for thought. The advantages far outweigh anything you can come up with as a deterrent.

Thanks

Email Marketing Ideas

Owning a small business is a very time consuming task. Everyday you are presented with challenges to overcome, one always being, of course, getting more business…

Not only is getting more business important, but keeping existing customers happy and in touch with you is just as important. As you know, every customer has a certain value attached to them. Noone likes to think of it that way, but it’s true.

Now you may have customers that may only come in once and never return, and you may have customers that come in once a day, once a week, once a month etc., depending on what type of business you have.

Email lists can help you stay in touch with existing customers…AND also help converse with new ones. No one likes to be sold to. We all want to feel a part of something, and emails, when approached correctly can do this.

People want to feel comfortable with you and your business. Obviously having them in your business to speak face to face is the best way, but most times that isn’t the case. So conversing with them via email is the second best way.

Who would you buy a used car from? Someone you know, or a complete stranger? Of course someone you know. You can let customers “get to know” you by email (blogs are another form but a topic for another time!).

When you write an email that will go out to your email list, write like you talk. You don’t have to be fancy or super articulate, be yourself! I cannot express that enough. If you start an email like a college thesis, you can kiss your customer goodbye, they won’t get past the first paragraph.

In order to build a relationship with the customer and keep them on your list for future emails, they want to read something worthwhile. One of the most important things I can stress is that it’s not all about YOU. Yeah, you need to promote your business, but not to the degree of every email being about how great you are. They will make that decision on their own.

For example, let’s say you own a Greenhouse. How about sending out a weekly email with valuable gardening tips? What about a bicycle shop sending out an email about bike maintenance? A auto repair shop sending out reminders about tire air pressure as it relates to wear and fuel mileage? ADD VALUE. The more you give…the more you will receive. They will stay on your list and learn to trust you because you give them valuable info, and ask nothing in return.

In another post I will go over HOW to use the list for specific purposes, such as specials, coupons, and general promotion.

Creating a “BUZZ” about YOUR Business

Creating a BUZZ about YOUR Business

As small business owners, we ALL want people to go out and talk up our business…unless what you do is illegal, in which case this might not be for you(lol).

We all work hard day in and day out ensuring that our businesses run properly and effeciently with hopes of reaping the rewards and defying the odds of the “most small businesses fail within 5 years” mantra.

We all know the importance of word-of-mouth advertising. Heck, as small biz owners we actually might even consider that our entire marketing strategy! BUT, put yourself in your customers shoes…

Read more

Video for YOUR small business?

As you know, YouTube is a very powerful medium when it comes to video’s. We have all at one point in time gone their to watch a funny video, or maybe look up a “How-To” instructional video.

However, this is also a VERY powerful resource for small business owners! Have you ever thought about putting together a short one or two minute video for your business? If not…you should! The traffic alone is well worth it, along with the fact that you can easily copy/paste code from YouTube right into your blog or website(see example below) and use it as a commercial.

Video is a very powerful medium, and nothing says you have to use actual video. you can use Windows Movie Maker that is most likely right on your computer to make a slide show presentation. You can take pictures of your business, yourselves, logo’s, products…or whatever you can dream up! Always make a title screen with your business name and website and close with that to make a lasting impression.

Don’t have Windows Movie Maker?

Here’s a great tip: Animoto <—Perfect for slideshows! Go there(shhh, it is free)

Feel overwhelmed with how to use YouTube? Check out the video below:

Leominster Marketing Guerrilla Style

Does the picture on the right make you stop and stare? It should, and it is an excellent example of a guerrilla marketing campaign!

One of the best resources available today is the Guerrilla Marketing series by Jay Conrad Levinson.

I first read Guerrilla Marketing back when the very first book came out, and I was amazed at the creativity in my own mind that it unlocked. As you read through you need to keep a notepad handy because you will be simply amazed at all of the great ideas youwill generate!

Guerrilla Marketing is great for businesses on a budget or even NO budget when it comes to advertising. Some of the greatest impact campaigns were Guerrilla inspired, and cost almost nothing to implement. In today’s tough economic times, trying to find money to put towards marketing is nearly impossible.

Guerrilla’s embrace that fact and look forward to the challenge of marketing out of the box. In tough times especially, a business must learn to market themselves. Most cut back and any advertising they did do stops immediately due to cost cutting. That is perfectly understandable, and most “guru’s” that preach advertising in tough times must have forgotten what’s it like to wonder where next months rent is coming from…and how hard it is to pry ad money when you have to make payroll.

Here are some great free tools to help you get in the Guerrilla “mindset”:

http://www.gmarketing.com/articles/

http://www.dailybits.com/17-guerrilla-marketing-ideas-for-your-website/

http://www.bootstrappingblog.com/50-guerrilla-marketing-tactics-you-should-be-using