Try a different marketing technique.

What marketing do you do? Do you use more than one marketing technique? 80% of businesses only use one or two marketing techniques, so you are not alone. Use more than one marketing technique, more than two – try new ways and learn from them. Don't follow the crowd, don't just do what everyone else in your industry does, stand out from the rest and try something new.

If you can't measure it, don't use it.

Do you monitor your marketing? If you don't please do. How will you know if it's working for you or not? If there isn't a way to monitor it – stop doing it and do something that you can monitor.

Keep in touch with your clients, build a relationship.

Are you in regular contact with your clients? Do you have all of their contact details? What do you know about your client? Can you categorise them? Stay in touch with them, develop them, build a relationship with them, that way, they'll do more business with you.

Add Value to everything you do.

Go the extra mile for your client, make sure quality is paramount. Get your Staff really working for you. Are all of your staff committed to great customer service? Make sure they are, they are your ambassador.

Get an Internet strategy.

Do you have an Internet marketing strategy? This is the way of now and the way of the future. If you haven't already thought about it do so now.

Ask for referrals and recommendations.

Ask today, ask tomorrow, ask next week. If someone is happy with you, ask them for a referral or testimonial. Grow your business.

Form strategic alliances.

Do you know people who run businesses similar to yours but who don't compete head on with you? Businesses you can have some synergy with? Get them to recommend you and you can recommend them. Choose your alliances carefully though, you wouldn't want your clients dissatisfied with poor service.

Write Great Copy.

Always talk about benefits in your copy. You have a limited opportunity to grab someones attention. Tell them what they are going to get out of it.

You should aim to provide solutions and information. Most people market commodities, features and processes, this isn't what your prospect wants to hear, we are all selfish, we need to know what's in it for me. For example, for my business I have the following vision statement, it's a solution and it's value based:

Beckwith Communications helps businesses attract and keep clients.

Focus.

Be clear about what you do. Don't try to be all things to all people. Apply the KISS principal, Keep It Simple Stupid. Identify what makes you different from your competitors – can you incorporate this into your logo?

Enjoy yourself.

Marketing is fun – enjoy it. Don't worry about making mistakes, just as long as you learn from them.