Start a Contest to Promote Your Business
Since many entrepreneurs do not have enough money to finance a massive awareness campaign, using viral or word-of-mouth marketing tactics prove to be very valuable. In fact, a powerful word-of-mouth marketing can turn your customers into your own sales force.
We already covered how video marketing works; this time you might want to consider contests as your awareness tool. Holding a contest is a classic tactic used way back before the internet era. Given the wider reach of the internet, it has evolved as a deadly weapon for many online businesses.
The key here is to make the contest related to the nature of your business. A good example is the IKEA Small Business Big Dreams contest. Entrepreneurs can submit the three-minute video about their business and its impact to the community. The winner will receive $5,000 cash and $50,000 makeover for his or her business.
The first thing you need to do is find an exciting contest relevant to your business. In our case, a logo design contest is very appropriate. (See our free blog logo campaign.) To ensure that this will build awareness and garner referrals, ask every contestant to refer their friends and family members who might also be interested to join. In case you plan to have an online contest, make sure that every contestant will provide their e-mail address and give at least 3 referrals.
