TBCS, help me out; Small business marketing ideas.

[Omega]

aha, yes. I'm sure most of you didn't know, but my dad and I started a small business here in the north bay.

Anywho, I'm looking for tips on marketing. We're an IT Support business (we do both in-home personal computer support, and full-on professional grade network building and full support for businesses... yeah), and we're trying to get as much work as we can, but I need ideas.

Pretty much, I've been tasked with figuring out marketing and business partnerships, but I figure tB will be able to give me at least SOME decent ideas to get our name out there and start making some money.

So other entrepreneurs/business owners/marketing students or professionals/etc, help me out!

Thanks,
Mike

[Trace]

Website,
Word-o-mouth,
Local Paper Ad, around here, we have a GoldPanner which is a free paper, so it gets alot of reading,
If I think of more, I will post here.

[Omega]

Website

Check. http://www.MIBsupport.com

Word-o-mouth,

need clients for that to work.

Local Paper Ad, around here, we have a GoldPanner which is a free paper, so it gets alot of reading,

costs waaaaay too much money, only decent local newspaper is The Press Democrat, and they want too much

[nevermind1534]

Some restaurants put paper placemats with ads on them at the tables.

There's also church papers, but they can be somewhat expensive.

[Trace]

Your website's news page needs updating, FYI

Post some flyers on telephone poles maybe?

[Datech]

If you are doing residential and just basic computer support, you may want to reach out to local area blogs.

Do a search for all the blogs run by a person or group in your area, or blogs that deal with a subject in your area. Comment on the blogs regularly and try and get to know the author, then ask them if they would put a small blurb or ad about you on their site. Say you will offer a 50% discount to any website owner that does that, and a 10% discount to any client who finds you through one of those sites.

Then there is always Craigslist and your local Starbucks.

[Omega]

Your website's news page needs updating, FYI

Post some flyers on telephone poles maybe?

Trust me, I already know about the website. I edited and uploaded it after I revised it, but my dad re-uploaded the ENTIRE website to add a page or two.

If you are doing residential and just basic computer support, you may want to reach out to local area blogs.

Do a search for all the blogs run by a person or group in your area, or blogs that deal with a subject in your area. Comment on the blogs regularly and try and get to know the author, then ask them if they would put a small blurb or ad about you on their site. Say you will offer a 50% discount to any website owner that does that, and a 10% discount to any client who finds you through one of those sites.

Then there is always Craigslist and your local Starbucks.

eww, starbucks. i would see them as a viable advertising opportunity, but we don't service Macs and I don't want to answer a ton of phone-calls and e-mails explaining that.

but to that degree, there's a few local chains with corkboards for community businesses and events to advertise, so we were planning that. Already have a CL ad up, but planning on redoing it (it's not exactly stellar).

[Trace]

And I believe Costco has a wall for you to put your business card up. Should get a fair amount of traffic from that.

[BuzzKillington]

Craigslist, pennysaver ads, business cards, custom pens, magnets.

Large stickers on your vehicles. I would personally only target to nicer/newer vehicles of the family. A business sticker on a beater vehicle will scare people away.

t-shirts. 100 bucks will get you at least 10 printed shirts. Give them to friends who are out a lot in techy places.

[Omega]

Craigslist, pennysaver ads, business cards, custom pens, magnets.

Large stickers on your vehicles. I would personally only target to nicer/newer vehicles of the family. A business sticker on a beater vehicle will scare people away.

t-shirts. 100 bucks will get you at least 10 printed shirts. Give them to friends who are out a lot in techy places.

business vehicle is a white ford escape, 2004.

we're getting 20 shirts customly embroidered for free (one of our buddies does that kind of stuff for a living)