I provided some counseling to a business owner who wanted to sell bulk lots to commercial buyers. The question being posed to me was how to send a flier to as many businesses as possible ONLINE.
The products could literally be anything. The target audience could be in a wide variety of niches or stores that sell broad inventory. She did not want to receive inquiries from the general public.
That’s a bit of a challenge. Usually when I consult with a business, we’re able to identify unique target audiences and niche needs.
Ultimately I advised the following:
- Contact:
- NJ Small Business Development Center (www.njsbdc.com)
- Local/surrounding Chambers of Commerce
- State Chamber of Commerce
- Do not rent email lists.
The quality tends to be poor. It’s best to adhere to CAN-SPAM legislation rules and regulations about sending unsolicited commercial email. You can learn more by searching Google for info about “CAN-SPAM” or “email marketing best practices”. - Identify your online competitors and try to figure out what they do. Sign up on their email list.
- Expand your website beyond 4 pages. Increase the number of pages, making each focused on a specific product to increase your visibility in the search engines.
- Use Google to research “small business marketing tips” and “search engine optimization tips” to help give you more ideas how to get found online and increase your visibility.
- Evaluate paying for online advertising, display media ads that appear on sites that the target audience visits.
- Create Search Engine Advertising campaign (Google Adwords) around the keywords that retail buyers might be using in the search engines.
- Find sales people with connections to the type of procurement agents/buyers. Maybe they get commission on sales made on your behalf.
What would you add to this list?
-Roland
