Start-up journeys: Why free marketing is infectious

I recently rewatched the 2013 Brad Pitt horror movie World War Z, and I’m always amazed at how quickly the virus spreads from person to person but skips over people who are sick, diseased or dying. The virus seems to know that these victims can’t help it spread.

Slow-growing companies often have marketing plans in place that are a lot like the infirm. Your promotions are dead or without traction, so your message isn’t being spread by your “zombies.” To grow your company at a ravenous rate, you need a marketing plan that prioritizes movement and connection.

Key takeaways

• Focus on relationships: For start-ups, personal connections and handshakes remain the most effective and cost-efficient ways to grow a customer base.
• Utilize low-cost channels: Leverage local Chambers of Commerce, Facebook business groups and community trade shows to increase your “sales force” for free.
• Avoid premature SEO spending: Companies with less than $1 million in revenue should avoid expensive ad campaigns and focus on local networking.
• Monetize your expertise: Offering coaching or advice to “maybe” customers can build trust and eventually convert them into recurring clients.

Fostering local relationships

Melisa Arnold, ACE, owner of Horizon Pest Solutions in New Cambria, Kan., recently spoke with me about free or almost-free marketing ideas to help grow her two-person operation. With projected sales of $300,000 this year, Arnold is looking for more growth, and she’s finding it through the power of “infectious” networking.

In this era of search engine optimization (SEO) and door-knocking, many start-ups are forgetting the most important part of growing their business: relationships. Handing out business cards and shaking hands is still the most effective way to spread your message. It costs almost zero dollars and, in my experience, the relationships you build are much stronger than those built door-to-door.

Pete’s favorite free marketing tactics

Networking can consist of many categories, but here are some of my favorite ways to build a presence without a massive budget:

• Professional referrals: Hand out cards to Realtors, home inspectors and real estate lawyers.
• Community involvement: Partner with local chambers of commerce and join networking groups to passively increase your sales force.
• Digital reciprocity: Share Facebook posts that promote other local businesses—which, in return, encourages them to promote your company.
• Face-to-face events: Participate in home and garden shows, trade shows and vendor appreciation days.
• Social proof: Publicize referrals from happy customers to build immediate trust.

The risk of expensive SEO

Small companies should stay away from expensive SEO marketing as if they were bloodsuckers from 2009’s Zombieland. There are many dollar-eating SEO companies and picking the wrong one can be extremely costly.

My rule of thumb is: if you have less than $1 million in revenue, don’t spend money on expensive ad campaigns. Instead, shake hands, kiss babies and like people’s posts on Facebook.

Making the strategy work

Arnold has grown her business through triannual services and termite treatments, but she has done an especially great job at growing commercial accounts via her past work history in the grain industry. By building strong relationships with local elevators, she is currently signing up four more accounts for a total of 26 locations.

She has also taken an unusual approach by reaching out to “maybe” customers—people who didn’t buy services after the initial phone call. She teaches them how to do smaller jobs and what products to use. So far, she has convinced nearly a dozen clients to pay for her expertise and coaching. She has even flipped a handful of them into recurring clients after they failed at eliminating the problem on their own.

Conclusion: Spreading the message

Like the movie 28 Days Later, the goal is to “infect” your local area with your company’s great products and services. You don’t need a massive ad spend to make an impact; you just need to be active in your community. As a cowbell-seeking Christopher Walken might say, “I have a fever! And the only prescription is more Horizon Pest Solutions!”