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And of course once you have their free gift , the law of reciprocity kicks in and you want to send them something back .
For our purposes , think of something unusual and cost effective , such as …
• A pebble ( because of the rocky time they ’ ve had , or the rocky time ahead if they don ’ t get your product )
• Seed packets ( to ‘ grow ’ their business , grow their profits , etc .)
• A compass ( so they can find their way )
• A thumb drive loaded with your promotional materials
• Worry stones ( because they ’ re up at night , worrying about their business or how to pay the bills )
• Poker chips ( because they shouldn ’ t gamble on other products or providers )
• Aspirin in a packet to ease their pain
• A paper wallet because you ’ ll show them how to fill it with money
• A sand timer for when they ’ re running out of time
• And so forth . Again , there are services to help you accomplish this . For example , http :// lumpymail . com is a good starting point .
3 : Print Ads
The trick here is to make your ad look like an article in the magazine or newspaper you ’ re advertising in . Let ’ s say you ’ re advertising in a magazine – get an issue and see how their articles are formatted . Two columns ? Three ? What font do they use ? What about picture placement ?
Write your ad as more of an advertorial than a regular ad . You might have to put the words , “ Paid advertisement ” at the top of your ad , but it will still convert better than if your ad looks like an ad .
Have a great headline and use lots of sub-headlines to keep the reader on the page .
Have a strong call to action for an irresistible offer . The offer should be so good people simply cannot resist it , whatever it is .
4 : Get a local column
This is an excellent technique for local business consultants . If you live in a small to medium sized city , your local newspaper might be thrilled if you would volunteer your services to write them a column each week on a topic that interests their readers .
If not , you might consider taking out a weekly ad and making it look like a column . In some respects , this is actually preferable to writing the column for free , since you ’ ll have more control over your topics .
Be very helpful in what you write . Only the last line or two should promote your business . The bulk of your column should be helpful information that people can use .
This will set you up as the authority and the person people turn to when they need your services .
5 : Birthday cards
Here ’ s something that used to be common and no longer is , which is why it will make you stand out from the crowd of marketers like a beacon on a hill . Send REAL birthday cards through the mail to your best customers .
You might collect their birthday ( Month and day , not year ) when they check out . You might even tell them WHY you ’ re collecting it . Let them know it ’ s optional , but you ’ d really like to remember them on their birthday .
Most people will be eager share their birthdate with you . Or you can hop on Facebook and discover their birthday there if they have it listed .
If you don ’ t want to send the cards yourself , use a service such as postable . com , sendoutcards . com or the greetingcardshop . com .
Now then – a person might interact with a few hundred people and companies online over the course of a year . But odds are you will be the only one who remembers their birthday . That makes you pretty special .
You might include an offer of a free birthday gift in your card , too . Perhaps a video you recorded for their birthday ( you can use the same one for everyone ) and a download link for a free product .
Guaranteed they will be opening your emails and following you closely on social media after that .