Small Business Marketing Kit For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Finding Marketing Opportunities throughout Your Business

For all the money that small businesses spend on marketing, they often look right past free opportunities to add marketing messages to their own products, vehicles, and more. With the right moves you can amplify your marketing message with practically no investment at all.

Turning your packages into ad vehicles

Every time you package a product for a customer, you’re creating a vehicle that can give your marketing message a free ride. You incur practically no cost when you add an in-pack advertising message that’s certain to reach a valid prospect because the recipient has already made a purchase.

Manufacturers can affix or print ads right onto product cartons or enclose materials in the box to invite the purchase of accessories, warranties, service programs, or other offers. Repair businesses can affix service labels that remind owners who to call for future needs.

Retailers can drop into each shopping bag an invitation to join a frequent customer club, to request automatic delivery of future orders, or to redeem a special offer on a future purchase (called a bounce-back offer because it aims to bounce a customer back into your business). For example, a pool or hot tub chemical supply company can enclose a flier offering a monthly service program, automatic twice-a-year chemical delivery, or an annual maintenance visit.