Street marketing is often called “guerrilla marketing.” It is all about getting your name out there and advertising your business with little or no money. It is about replacing an advertising budget with time, energy and imagination.

 

 

Step 1: Develop Your Elevator Speech. Your first step is to figure out exactly what your business does and have the ability to explain it to people in one minute or less. This explanation is called an elevator speech because it can be told to someone during the span of a short ride on an elevator.

 

Example: “I have a catering business that specializes in small to medium sized parties. Our barbeque sauce is the best in the city and the kids love our hot dogs and hamburgers. Let us do the cooking, so you can focus on the party!”

 

Step 2: Keep Business Cards at All Times. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on business cards. You can get free business cards at Vista Print (you must pay for shipping).

 

Things to include on your business card are:

Step 3: Create a Website. Having a website is a must. Websites can be designed and maintained for very little through services like Yahoo! Small Business.

 

 

Step 4: Don’t Stop Talking. Make sure you tell everyone you know about your business.  Give them some of your business cards, so they can pass them out to people they know.  And remember, you’re not limited to the people you know.  Tell everyone: people in the grocery store, hardware store, barber/beauty shop, etc.!

 

The most important part of street marketing is to deliver a great product or service. The man you met in the elevator better love that barbeque sauce and you better give him a great price.

 

Maybe you could charge him for 25 dinners for a party of 30 people. It’s not nearly as important to make money from him the first couple of times he uses your service as it is to have him be a return customer for years and to get all his friends to become regular customers.