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Putting Your Quirky Marketing Plan In Motion
Once you have figured out what zany or non-traditional campaign or offer to make, you must promote, promote, promote. This is critical to the success of ANY marketing program or project. And I’m not talking about taking out a full-page ad in your local newspaper or a one-minute spot on local TV. I am talking about inexpensive ways to begin promoting your project. These can include getting interviewed for local radio, writing articles, posting content to a blog, being a guest blogger on a related blog, volunteering for a non-profit and more.
The important thing is to spread the word to customers and prospects in as many ways as possible. The bottom line is that even the best promotion will fall flat if not properly promoted.
The Media ~ The success of any quirky marketing idea hinges on getting the media’s attention. Getting media coverage is what every businessowner prays for. It’s the end-goal of all that public relations stuff we do to get our companies, ideas and organizations noticed.
And it isn’t easy. Far from it! It’s one of the few efforts we do to promote our business that we have little, if any control over -making it challenging and sometimes frustrating.
Look at each media and determine which one(s) will work for you. Each media has a variety of strengths and weaknesses for youTo consider. Price versus value versus number of people who would actually respond to or pay attention to the media you are considering are all important factors in determining your options. At this stage it is important to develop a Media BUDGET – one you can live with and have a fair amount of certainty will pull the results you expect (return on investment).
Put Your Quirky Marketing Plan in Action and monitor the results.
More great marketing ideas can be found in the Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ How to Use Zany and Non-traditional Holidays to Promote Your Business 365 Days a Year!
Pat Montgomery said,
February 27, 2010 @ 4:34 pmGreat info, Heidi and Bev. I am trying to take everyone’s advice on this subject. What I have figured out is that doing nothing does not work.
Heidi Richards Mooney said,
March 1, 2010 @ 12:55 amBeverly,
I couldn’t agree more! When i wrote Rose Marketing on a Daisy Budget some 13 years ago, I dedicated a whole chapter to Advertising – it was called Fire Your Advertising Agency. I had several people in the industry up in arms about my take as a small business owner. My main thought was that small business people cannot really afford advertising, that it should be low on the marketing plan. There are so many ways to garner “publicity” and get known that advertising often becomes a waste of time and money.
Glad to hear that from a journalist pro!
Your fan,
Heidi Richards Mooney
Heidi Richards Mooney´s last blog ..February 28th is Romance on a Budget DAY! 
Did you know March is Quirky Marketing Month? @ QUIRKY MARKETING CALENDAR said,
March 1, 2010 @ 10:30 am[...] Month ~ What better time than March to start your Quirky Marketing Plan and then putting your Quirky Marketing PLAN into MOTION! Imagine having your own board of directors made up of people with diverse professions and [...]
Pam Archer said,
March 5, 2010 @ 7:17 pmI have learned the hard way about putting advertising dollars where they don’t work, and spending inordinate amounts of time with social media that isn’t going to help grow my business. I’ve learned how to target my demographic, but it’s still difficult to stretch advertising dollars when one doesn’t have that daily revenue.
Like you say, learning to use the media to your advantage, via press releases, writing articles, gaining coverage of a special event, is all free advertising. That’s the best way to promote.
Thank you for your helpful info. You are always on top of things. :0)
Pam Archer´s last blog ..Calla Lilies Show Off in Centerpieces
Heidi Richards Mooney said,
March 5, 2010 @ 11:00 pmThanks Pam for affirming what I believe to be true. And small business owners especially do not have the luxury of large advertising budgets. Our money is much better spent coming up with creative ways to get the media’s attention!
Have a great week… and then some,
Heidi
Heidi Richards Mooney´s last blog ..March 5th is Nametag Day
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Beverly Mahone said,
February 27, 2010 @ 1:55 pmTake it from someone who KNOWS, you don’t always get what you pay for when it comes to advertising with the “traditional media.” Media advertising is EXPENSIVE–although the rates have been lowered somewhat due to the impact of social media. And once you pay for advertising on radio or TV, you may be subjected to an ROS schedule (run of schedule) which means, they could place your ad during the wee hours of the morning when hardly anyone is watching.
I would say never pay for advertising in traditional media unless you are guaranteed great time slots. It’s probably better to utilize the Quirkly Marketing Calendar and come up with an plan for free media coverage. Or better yet create your own ad through YouTube.
Beverly Mahone´s last blog ..Life’s an Interesting Trip on Facebook