Tip 1 – Keep Them Close. You’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating. It costs 5-10 times more to get a new customer than to keep the customer you already have. So what’s the best way to keep the customer you already have? Keep them very happy. This may involve surveying your current customers to see how you’re doing, investing in employee training, adding a new product or service (in response to survey results), or staying in touch with your customers through social networking media (Facebook, Twitter) or email. Social networking can be a great way to build community among your customers and create a “Your Company – Nation” so to speak.

Tip 2 – Get Out There! Business networking events can be a great way to meet new clients and to make other business people aware of you and your company. I have forged several business relationships as a result of contacts I made at networking events. You may not be able to attend every event, but you can make the most of the events you attend:

• Practice your listening skills. Invite others to talk about themselves, their business, and what makes them unique.
• Be ready to tell a story about your business – for example, how you were able to help a client solve a problem.
• Bring plenty of your business cards. Your card should have a brief description of what you do or what makes you unique.
• Follow up after the event. If you met someone that has an interest in what you do or vice versa, call or send an email. Ask if you can set up an appointment.
• Above all, bring a positive attitude! Any new person you meet could be your next client! Smile!

Lady Gecko is a character we created to help promote Elliott Insurance in Yakima. She’s a sassy but classy little gecko with a quick wit and a deep disdain for big call center insurance companies. Lady Gecko is a big fan of shopping locally for insurance whether it’s in person, over the phone, or online. She’s not a sell-out like her brother.

In this commercial, Lady Gecko is all about technology.

Lady Gecko Loves Technology

She is on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. So, if you want to see the latest about the Lady, you can just look her up.

Chances are you have a Facebook account by now. If you haven’t yet joined the 300 million people making use of this social networking tool, you might want to give it a try. It’s a great way to reconnect with former classmates, colleagues, and even family members!

Recently, I attended a workshop about using social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace) to promote your business. We know that people are spending more and more time online, and that it’s increasingly harder to keep their attention and achieve top of mind awareness. Social media can be a great way to do that.

You probably have someone within your organization that spends a lot of time on Facebook or Twitter. So even if you’re not a big fan of social media yourself, it doesn’t mean your business can’t have a presence on these increasingly popular sites. Put your resident expert to work creating and maintaining your business account. Just make sure all of your social media accounts drive users to your website.

If you don’t know where to begin, your advertising agency should be able to help you. Or contact us!

In the meantime, follow Lady Gecko — the latest creation of Attention Marketing — on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.