The Secrets to Bootstrap Marketing – Part 1

Freya Sykes Written by Freya Sykes
on July 30th, 2007 / 6 Comments / Print this

So you’ve opened your doors and you are up and running…now the fun really starts in terms of marketing.

Now you’ve got to tell the world you are here but …the budget is limited.  Don’t get disheartened, this is where you can let your creative side really run riot…get ready to have some fun!

There’s a number of ways you can get your message across, and in this mini series of articles I’ll share a few ideas I’ve either used or come across over the years.  Starting with the “non-entity sponsorship deal”!

This one’s a great one, but it does require a little bit of creativity on your part…

Here’s the situation:

You’re already doing a bit of marketing, perhaps running a weekly ad in a local paper, or you’ve even got around to putting a bit of marketing blurb on the end of your email signature…whatever it is, if you’ve got a bit of marketing space, here’s an amusing approach that will cost you nothing and will make you stand out above your competition.

Sponsor that “something” that actually is a non-entity and is not “owned” by anyone but is relevant to your industry.

  • So for us at Homefinder its:

Homefinder UK - national
UK sponsors of stress free moving.

  • For a firm who sells flowers it could be:

Johnson’s Florist – National sponsors of floral scents.

  • For a firm who does house cleaning it could be:

Edwards Cleaners – National sponsors of Spick and Span/ clean floors/ dust free homes…

  • For a firm who makes and sells air conditioning units it could be:

Jim’s Air Conditioning Units, proudly sponsoring fresh, crisp air

That sort of thing…I’m sure you get the idea.  Make sure of course that it’s something no one else can lay claim to or make you pay for the association to, and then claim it as your own.

Sponsorship deals work…Companies will pay big bucks to be associated with something that enhances their image – so give it a positive spin, like our stress free moving angle and then start to work it to your advantage – become known as being linked with that idea, really start to work it in all your advertising and promotional literature.

All the while remembering that whilst some companies are paying millions of pounds to be the official sponsor of this or that – your sponsorship came with an added bonus – it was free!

About Freya Sykes

Freya Sykes

Freya Bletsoe is the founder and Group Director of the UK based Homefinder Group Ltd. The company was founded in January 2003 after Freya and her husband had spent 7 years buying and selling property and land for profit. As they did so they were approached by more and more people who wanted help when buying investment property or relocating. Out of it Homefinder UK Ltd was born and the company has now grown into the UK’s leading firm of Property Location Agents. Clients include First Time Buyers right up to Premiership Footballers and Rugby Internationals who are moving clubs. The website for the company is www.homefinderuk.com

Freya is also the Yorkshire Region’s Vice Chairman for the charity, the Variety Club of Great Britain, as well as being a member of the Sports Committee based in London. The charity is concerned with raising hundreds of thousands of pounds each year through various events held across the country each year. The money raised is then used to help disable and disadvantaged children across the regions. The website for the charity is www.varietyclub.org.uk

Finally Freya is a serious networker, attending many off line events as well as on line ones. She writes her own Blog at www.freyabletsoe.com and comes from a long line of successful businessmen. Freya also has a strong interest in the “dark art” of franchising as she is the lead director responsible at Homefinder UK for the companies expansion plans via a franchise model.

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6 Comments to “The Secrets to Bootstrap Marketing – Part 1”

  • Danielle
    July 30th, 2007
    10:10 pm

    Hi Freya,

    What an ingenious idea - I absolutely love it!! :)

    Cheers,
    Danielle

  • Mark True
    July 31st, 2007
    12:56 pm

    Great advice. While we often recommend our clients narrow their focus of audience and products and markets, the same is true for sponsorships. Don’t try to be all things to all people, throwing your money out to anyone who comes to the door. Find one amazing opportunity - such as a non-profit organization - that perfectly aligns with your brand and your market, and go for it. It’s better to be important in one arena than to be just another sponsor in a number of arenas.

    -Mark

  • Freya Bletsoe
    July 31st, 2007
    5:54 pm

  • M. Nafees
    August 4th, 2007
    6:41 am

    Thank you for sharing your helful and benificial ideas, we are a private limited company and about to luanch our online store.

  • Freya Bletsoe
    August 5th, 2007
    4:51 pm

    Hi there M!

    I’ve been and had a quick peek at tyour site and it looks good! I especially like the line you have in your “about us” section that says:

    “Sellers and buyers of reliable brands in the four corners of the earth are as near as your five fingers.”

    Very good! All the best with the company. Let us know how you get on. When is the offical launch date and what have you got planned for the launch? Anything special?
    Kindest
    Freya

  • Freya Bletsoe’s Personal Blog » more articles over at Small Buisness Branding!
    August 11th, 2007
    6:32 pm

    [...] http://www.smallbusinessbranding.com/777/the-secrets-to-bootstrap-marketing-%e2%80%93-part-1/#more-7... [...]

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