As we all know, or at least most of us know, our economy has been is a state of disarray. Businesses are dying, banks are going bankrupt, and houses are foreclosing. There simply isn’t enough work and or money out there to sustain a lifestyle that most were used to in the 90’s and early 2000. So, in order for businesses to survive, corners are being cut, layoff’s made, prices slashed and creativity in marketing and a company’s offerings is at an all time high! Owners are forced to conjure up new and out of the box ideas to improve business to stay alive. I, being a business owner as well, am forced to do the same! Thinking out of the box, putting in my due diligence to find and market my company in the most cost effective manner possible. It may mean doing things for free every now and then, trading out services, doing the tedious marketing leg work, and offering services in a way no one else does.
I’m taking the guerrilla marketing approach. My 1st initial goal is market saturation! Get my company out there as much as possible. In researching other businesses like my company SUMMA Sports, I’ve found that forms of free advertising proved to be more effective than the means of paid advertising. Discovering that these free methods were more effective than the other, I plotted out my game plan and created a list or steps if you will that I need to take to survive and grow. Steps I am taking in order to ensure my success and continued existence is…
- Saturate the market with my logo so there is immediate recognition which creates and immediate connection to myself, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Mixed Martial Arts, Arizona, the East Valley, and Phoenix Fight Club!
- Post my business in every free business directory I can find and in every martial arts/gym directory I can find.
- Take advantage of free advertising and free classifieds such as local papers on-line and craigslist.
- Utilize social networking services such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Ning, Youtube, and the many forums out there established for your industry.
- Other on-line resources such as a website, blog, newsletter, various search engine business directories, and Yahoo & Google Groups.
- Offer free services on-line such as, free tips, free workouts, free passes, free instructional video clips, and more!
- Link trading with other site owners.
- Cross promotions with other local businesses.
So, far that’s my start. That’s not to say that’s the end of all my possibilities of free advertising, I would say it’s a good start. Other ways I look to market is through instructional video which is also an immediate revenue builder. I’m killing two birds with one stone. I’d offer DVD services such as…
- A monthly DVD service
- Instructional DVD’s that concentrate on particular areas.
- A monthly DVD magazine
- Custom DVD’s where the customer requests a certain topic and it is then customized to their particular needs.
Other revenue builders I am utilizing are…
- Posting affiliate banners on my site, blog, newsletter, and other on-line resources I currently make use of.
- Offer paid advertising packages where a company’s logo is placed on my team’s uniforms, in my gym, on my internet based resources, on my newsletter, and spots on the DVD’s that I produce.
- Sale of clothing and equipment.
- Sponsorship.
I am currently still in the process of launching this plan, and it will change a bit over the course of the process, however it will only change for the better. Ideas will be added and resources may be changed, business will grow.
If you have any questions or ideas you would like to add you can contact me at summasports@cox.net!
Jay Pages is a Martial Artist, a Coach, a Competitor, a Martial Arts Expert, above all, a student of the Arts! He is a Multiple Time Full Contact Karate, MMA, Jiu-Jitsu, and Submission Wrestling Champion. A Graduate of Western International University, he holds the rank of 1st Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 1st Degree Black Belt in JuJitsu, and Black Belts in Freestyle Karate, Kickboxing, and the Filipino Martial Arts. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-tips-articles/marketing-summa-sports-bjj-mma-1771484.html
