Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/32232
WORLD FENCE NEWS • JUNE 2011 • 63 “With RealScape your customers won’t have to imagine how their fence project will look,” said Pearson. “Re- alScape brings the project to life right in front of their eyes. They can see their job from any angle, from any height, with multiple styles and colors of fence. You have control of details like structure colors, terrain and land- scaping. Trees, bushes and plants give a warm feel to the environment. Sell- ing is all about ‘visualization’. Re- alScape will breathe life into your fence project proposals, will make them irresistible to your customers and will distance you from your competi- tors.” For more information, contact Software Design Associates at 406- 294-0840. Visit the web site at RealScape3D.com or send an e-mail to sales@realscape3d.com. Carriage Machine Shop, llc Nine creative marketing ideas for small businesses BY LEA BAILES, CEO OF GUIER FENCE Marketing is expensive, right? Wrong. Many people have the mis- conception that coming up with ways to promote our businesses can be dif- ficult and expensive. I took some time to come up with a list of free or low-cost ideas that you can use to market your business. I hope these help! 1) Conduct a free demonstration, clinic, seminar, or webinar regarding a product or service that you offer. These presentations should not be sales pitches, but genuine educational information for your customers and potential customers. 2) Put together a video and post it on YouTube. Just like the presentation, this should not be a sales video, but a video that presents relevant, educa- tional information for your target mar- ket. 3) Write an article about a partic- ular aspect of your business, industry, product or service you offer and post it on your web site, blog, and other web sites. This is an excellent way to pro- mote yourself as an expert to your tar- get market. 4) Write a press release and sub- mit it to your local newspaper. Similar to writing an article for the web, you should write a press release that pres- ents relevant information for your tar- get market. There are numerous web sites to submit press releases to, and many local newspapers have their own sub- mission services on their site. 5) Volunteer to give a speech in your community. Talk about your business and a particular challenge you faced that you overcame. This will be a great way to present your business, but will also give great educational information to people in your community to strengthen their businesses. 6) Team up with a non-competing business to offer a promotional pack- age. For example, you could team up with a local pool company to offer a fence around every pool they do and cross-promote your businesses with their customer base and potential cus- tomers. 7) Create a monthly newsletter and start an e-mail marketing cam- paign. The newsletter should contain continued on page 67 Spring Sets & Handles Hinge Sets Gate Wheels Latches Drop Pin Kits Two Way Latches Call for a free catalog or to place an order. Abo assets can be o , v e por alScape makes this easier than other pr ceives an e-mail and a te RealScape has a Photo Overla y verla e be sent to web enab ts with the per spective alread d onto digital photographs of the actual pr When customer y mode where f led cell phones. xt messa g . e W y calculated. e Abo ograms because the 3D f ve left, nces and other RealScape nce ima (Software Design Associates photos) s respond, oject site . eb pa g e pr e oposals can the salesman re- Re- g e im-