0816_TOEFL-Test-and-Score-Manual-1997

144 ● 201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business
ask to be put through to the marketing executive. You’ll probably reach a
busy assistant, so practice your pitch. You only have about 30 seconds to
make a positive impression.
It’s usually easy to figure out a company’s e-mail format based on the
media relations person’s e-mail posted on the web site. Look for the public
relations or media relations page of the site. If the media relations person’s
e-mail is: John.Doe@bigcompany.com, you can be pretty sure that’s the
style to use.
Try cutting through the clutter by sending an old-fashioned letter. Yes,
a letter. Explain who you are, what you do, and how you can help the company
beat its competition.
Don’t get discouraged. It is very tough to connect with a big company.
It took me years to build a reputation as a small business expert to leverage
that into moneymaking deals. But you have nothing to lose by trying.
GREAT
Look Bigger Online
One of the best things about the Web is that even
IDEA
though you may operate a tiny business, you can
appear much bigger online. To do this, you need a professionally designed
web site that you can update frequently. Your social media platforms should
act as magnets, drawing traffic back to your site (see Great Ideas #63, #64,
and #74).
There’s no excuse not to have a dynamic and functional web site. It’s
critical to your success. Don’t scrimp on site design and functionality. You
want people to seek you out online and make a purchase, whether you sell
high-tech components for airplanes or low-tech rubber stamps.
Here are some quick ways to raise your company’s online profile:
• Customize your social media pages with logos, photos, and product
information. My cool Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages were
designed for around $200 by Brian Hanson. He can be reached via
www.customtwit.com.