How to promote your business

Hi Billy, 

i have a number of customers from my contacts on Facebook. 

hi try your local listing first

Hi Billy, I moved you to the marketing forum as you were in the introductions and it seems to be a marketing query.

It's interesting as you are calling yourself a lead specialist? If you't main avenue has been word of mouth, how did you manage that?

Was it networking on/offline? Or more a case of going via friends, family, colleagues etc?

What type of business are you looking to promote and do you have realistic expectations and budget?

If no budget, then your choices are reduced, and you are probably looking at more of a social media approach.

There's no magic bullet and single solution, so a lot depends on business type, market and budget.

Hi Steve 

My trade is lead work as in roofing and decorative  lead 

Main sorcery of work is through existing  contacts but need to widen my scopes 

So are you looking at paid advertising? 

PPC could be a good place to start but time consuming if you are doing it yourself and have little experience of it.

Maybe touch base with local housing associations who work with local residents groups, committees and become known as a local trusted roofer.

Local Trades type websites and try a few adverts, see which ones work, and drop the rest.

Possibly social media could be an an angle but don't expect instant overnight success.

Hi,

Is this quite specialised work e.g. churches? I'm not sure what other types of property have lead roofs.

Houses with chimneys have lead

Conservatories  sometimes have lead houses with low level roofs 

You'd be quite suprised  at the amount of place that use lead

So if my house had lead on the chimney, which it may have I have no idea, how would I know I needed your services? Would a surveyor tell me when I bought the property or would my roof start leaking? Just trying to understand when I would start looking for a lead roof specialist or do roofing companies subcontract the work to you?

Oh my days, I was reading this as Billy was a Lead Specialist - as in sales leads....

So glad you clarified it was roof lead! Pesky English Language! 

Marketing, easy peasy! (If you have a tonne of time, a tonne of patience, and preferably a tonne of money!)

What's that? You don't have a tonne of money? Ah. Flip. Me neither. 

Fortunately, all isn't lost. You may not have time, but you have your own company, so you've got patience, and your totally hard working...

Here's the key:

Online -
Get a GREAT website. Can't afford one? Build it yourself if you like. It's a start, and is cheapers. 
Get a GREAT domain. i.e. www.billyslead.com . Also buy .co.uk and divert it (If your in the UK)
Get a GREAT set of key words logged. i.e. "Roof Lead TOWN, Roof Sealing TOWN, (Enter your own town name where town is, and do this for your products.
Get a GREAT load of backlinks with good directories (we never ever pay - but might just pay for one with this site, because it's looking refreshingly awesome)
Get a GREAT reputation for customer service online, with a chat client like Zopim, and a good contact us form
Get a GREAT facebook page, and keep posting to it, do the same with Google plus, and Youtube, make youtube videos, 'how to's' and name drop yourself throughout

Offline -
Get a GREAT toll free number (0800 in the UK), divert it to your office/home phone. Divert your home phone to your mobile after 3 rings, so you never miss a call.
Get a GREAT set of leaflets made up, print thousands, stick them through the letter boxes of loads of houses.
Get a GREAT set of posters made, A4, so they aren't too massive, and stick them in shop windows (Newsagents, and of course with permission!) ditto for community centres, churches etc etc
Get a GREAT portfolio done, of past work, a photo album if you will, so you can present your work.
Join your local Business chamber of trade / chamber of commerce. Go to networking meets.
Tender the local authority for opportunities, especially useful if you're able to work with period properties under conservation orders etc
Don't be afraid to do a few free jobs (They pay for the product) ESPECIALLY for churches, charities etc - then MILK the opportunity, get the press onto this lifesaving work your doing, and get your company name in the press (Including web link). Same goes for sponsoring nominated charities - Ex Army? Choose SAAFA. Someone suffered with Cancer in the family? Choose Marie Curie. Make sure there's a good reason to support that charity, make sure you do everything to help them, and your reward is not just in good Karma, and helping a worthy cause, but it's also in exposure of a company kind.

And you know what, I've used the work GREAT loads of times, that's because your business is GREAT and you are at the top of your tree - this needs to be reflected in all your marketing material.

This is about 1/3 of what can be done really, and I've chosen this lot because it's free, or dirt cheap - you don't need to outsource, if you can't do it yourself, friends and family can perhaps help. Just keep pushing, and never give up. Marketing seems like a nightmare that everyone else has sorted, except you, but believe me, everyone in business feels that, especially at the start, or when they are trying to grow.

Then suddenly, 'Click' it all falls into place, and you're figuring out where to stash your millions, and crying to the accountant because the tax man want's to share.

Good Luck!