Marketing Ideas to Turn into Action Items
All of these items will work into your web-site to become an information center. You must work any area you desire to get readers to use your site as a reference site.
1. www.Poolsafely.com Use the material to make contacts with people and hand out your business card. This material is a very large public service to avail yourself of. Arrange CPR classes to be held at a local Walmart, park area, church or school. Firemen will bring fire trucks that always cause a lot of interest and they want people to participate. CHILDPROOFERS is a company that sells portable but safe pool fences and would be a good contact.
2. GARAGE SALES in your farm area. Be an organizer visiting door to door—read the Garage Sale Gal’s Guide to Making Money Off Your Stuff by Lynda Hammond. www.garagesalegal.com This can be a really hot activity and even form in church parking lots or door to door. People will love the opportunity to make money and you will find out a lot about plans of people such as buying or selling. Supply yard sale signs with your name, title company, pool service etc.
3. Tax time—Send a HUD 1 to all clients of the past year. Also, at every close of escrow, copy the entire title company transaction on to a CD to give to clients and archive 1 for your files.
4. DOG PARKS—for any area you work, compile a list of dog parks complete with their rules and hours of operation. Distribute via your web-site or your newsletter when someone subscribes. Gather a list of dogs and their names, from your farm area. People put a value on their dogs that may equal the value of a child.
5. Flag days, holidays and events such as Halloween, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day etc. are events that can turn into marketing opportunities. A 4th of July Bike decorating contest is always a winner in the park and needs a prize. Also fans that have your advertising on them, for use on hot days in the park etc. They can even be numbered and a drawing held for a prize. ALWAYS take lots of pictures (with a camera-not a phone) get the names and addresses of the subjects. Then deliver pictures that you have printed and get acquainted again. After that, then email the copies from your computer that they can put on FACEBOOK. I use Picasa for this but other programs are good also. Just use them. Another thing for community type activities is a Shredder truck shared by some sponsors—people will respond to this activity and in some cases even pay for it.
One of my favorite marketing ideas is the Easter bunny picture. Rent a bunny suit and take pictures of kids on Easter with the bunny and then have them hunt for eggs. This takes a community effort. Take pictures of each kid and then deliver it later to the parent and chat.
At other events, get a clown to make balloons, teach kids to juggle etc.
6. New home marketing and I recommend the next-gen style of home that is made for 2 parties such as kids living at home or the famous ubiquitous “mother-in-law” set up. Lennar is building this type of home with a separate garage and complete apartment. Check other builders also.
7. BOOKS FOR VETS—collect books door to door a couple times a year to give to the vets hospitals.
Jill @ Great American Title had a great campaign on this going on and can advise. Have bookmarks printed with your promo material on them. I even saw one for Queen Creek that was distributed, How to Keep Queen Creek Wonderful—or something similar where you live. Ask the residents for advice and input on this.
8. Marshal your farm area together for events such as breast cancer awareness, autism awareness or pet food and litter for such as Lost Our Home Foundation. Go on line and get more info. The residents of an area will always respond to events such as these when these events are being promoted locally or nationwide. Pet food is always a great drive—be involved in these events.
by Bob Stephens