By Natalie J. Armstrong,
http://www.MarketingMediation.com

In general, your mother was right. You get what you pay for, especially in marketing. It is very difficult to do good marketing without spending any money. Here are a few ideas for you to try.

Plan to Plan. Write a Communication Plan, or get someone to help you write one, so that you can make a commitment to spend nothing on marketing without knowing why and considering an alternative. The more time you spend on developing a strategy and designing your program based on it, the more cost-effective and economical your marketing will be.

Target Your Audience. Don’t waste time and money marketing to people or organizations that will never become customers. Identify your target marketing and attack it.

Be Creative. All things being equal, the more your market the more you sell. Outsmart your competition on the creative playing field, and you???ll walk away the winner.

Use New Mediums. If you structured your campaign to use direct mail alone, try the World Wide Web to mix things up. Our industry rarely uses national and regional magazines, give them a try. (start small to make sure the time and money investment will pay off). Call us for a list of periodicals and some general periodical advertising advice.

Don’t Give Away Your Services. To be competitive in the market place you must have competitive pricing. By giving away your services, you do not create a competitive or professional image of you and your practice. Look professional, act professional, and charge professional prices. You’ll be amazed at the outcome!! (see volunteerism below)

Volunteerism. A standard in our industry. Volunteerism is a fantastic marketing tool, learning tool, and social responsibility. You should never quit giving your community the benefit of your training and experience, but you can make it profitable. Volunteer for organizations that would and could become clients or referrals. Don’t volunteer for an equestrian association if your ADR specialty is human resources and labor law. Volunteer within your target market and/or for people who could and would provide referrals for your practice.

If you want to brainstorm your creative ideas or money-saving tactics, give Golden Media a call anytime!

Natalie J. Armstrong is the Founder and Managing Director of Golden Media, a marketing and consulting firm dedicated to promoting the resolution industry. She is the author of The Essential Guide to Marketing Your ADR Practice and speaks internationally on business development and the successful marketing strategies of the conflict resolution industry. More ADR Practice Development articles and information about Ms. Armstrong and Golden Media can be found at www.MarketingMediation.com.