Market Smarter Not Harder---For FREE!

I know what you're thinking.

Free marketing that works??? No --- way!!!

Yes way.

In tough times, brands must operate their organizations as efficiently as possible. This means trimming down and/or realigning "nice to have" marketing investments as much as possible. Having said that, strategies and tactics allowing organizations to effectively and consistently promote themselves for free (which I am calling "smart marketing") won't let a recession or swine flu get in the way of keeping the dream alive, and keeping all hands on deck to push that organization forward.

Smart marketing is more than free. It’s more than Web 2.0. It's more than marketing. It's marketing and publicity rolled into one. How can this be?

Simply put: smart marketing is "live" in that it engages existing, supportive personal and professional relationships who are willing to help promote an organization using free online and offline resources. Here are examples I imagine you'll find immediately familiar:

• Posting marketing information on an organization's web site: Free
• Posting marketing information on an organization's official Facebook page: Free
• Posting marketing information on an organization's official Twitter page: Free
• Posting marketing information on an organization's official MySpace page: Free
• Posting marketing information on an organization's official Going page: Free
• Posting marketing information on an organization's official event listing pages on aforementioned social media web sites: Free
• Asking staff, friends and family to post marketing information on their personal social media pages: Free
• Asking staff, friends and family to Tweet marketing information: Free
• Asking staff, friends and family to e-mail marketing information to their own network: Free
• Asking staff, friends and family to text marketing information to their own network: Free
• Asking staff, friends and family to call their own network with marketing information: Free
• E-mailing or faxing relevant media outlets a press release with marketing information: Free
• Asking staff to verbalize marketing information to customers and guests: Free
  

Will ALL staff, family and friends accomplish ALL of the aforementioned activities? Of course not. None the less, these activities place a boatload of marketing lines in the water, and inherently mandate word-of-mouth marketing exercises in the process. Again, smart marketing is more than Web 2.0 because it engages help from people you already know.

Times are tough. Work together. Spend more time than money. Spend on the "human capital" of existing, supportive relationships. Practice smart marketing.