It’s rare to find a brand willing to give away good information, especially when that information might even cut into sales. But that’s just what our client has done, and we think it’s brilliant!

There is an eCommerce client of ours that sells Greenhouses, Sheds, Garden Decor and more. It’s a new site, and it is already picking up a fair amount of traffic and high search engine rankings on big, competitive keywords.

Recently we discussed using viral video to attract people to the site, with good, solid, FREE information that its customers would find useful. Much thought was put into what these videos should contain, and it was soon decided that the first video would be a step-by-step how-to video for building a composter out of an old trash can.

Here’s the catch. The site also sells composters of various sizes and shapes. So the question was, would the video, intended to show an alternative way of getting into composting, siphon off sales of composters on the site?

The answer is a resounding “NO”. Studies have shown that those looking for DIY projects aren’t typically interested in buying off-the-shelf solutions, and vice-versa. But as a way to introduce people to a site full of other related products, the strategy presents some real opportunities.

Web videos are one of the top linked-to items on the web. Beyond providing good information to customers, the page on which the videos reside has become a strongly linked page, which boosts overall site strength.

Happy New Year! Some of you no doubt would like to put last year far behind, but if there was one word to sum up what this new year holds for all of us, in my opinion, it would be: OPPORTUNITY.

As a small business person, opportunity has always been found in the places where there is real need. In our case, those needs have centered on companies who are branding and creating marketing messages in various digital forms. We are so proud to have worked with such a great client roster during the past year, and hopefully met some pressing needs in web design, print design motion graphics design and video production. Thank you all for making last year such a fun one for us!

As a feeble thank you, here are 9 Low Cost Opportunities for Your Business in 2009.

1. Determine the stress points of your customers, and develop legitimate marketing that positions your product or service as the immediate relief they seek. Acute economic stress can become a great motivator to solve a nagging problem.  Do you know what your product or service addresses in today’s buying climate?
2. Down time during the first quarter? There is no better time to revisit your web site strategy and make sure it is really working for you. Some of our clients saw exponential growth occur in their business, simply by optimizing a few pages of text for search engines, or adding intelligent, descriptive video!
3. Take advantage of the holes in your market left by competitors who couldn’t weather the recession. Many competitors are thankful when a business offers to step up and take over a client roster, to support their orphans instead of leaving them in a lurch.
4. Position yourself as an expert in your market. Write articles. Take speaking engagements. BLOG! Much of the “getting to know and trust you” phase of new client development can be taken care of in this way.
5. Twitter. Share valuable links to solid, relevant information aimed at people in your marketplace.
6. Organize a small social event for people  in your client list who need to know each other.  Ask them to invite some of their best customers as well.
7. Revamp your business card. It’s an inexpensive move that can have a transformative effect on your first impressions.
8. Start a podcast to cover industry news, or tips and tricks, Q & A, how-to.  Offer the audio in a player on your site as well as a downloadable, and get your feed listed in a dozen or more podcast directories where people often look for information related to your area of expertise.
9. Has the economic news spooked your customers and made them overly price sensitive?  Find ways to redefine your value in terms that make sense to them in this light.  An example: KFC started a video commercial campaign that more or less dared people to try to cook a 7 piece dinner with two sides for less than could be had in their stores.  No one was paying attention to the fact that it used to be an 8 peice deal for the same price, because the focus became the value of the deal they were offering, compared to the time and expense of making it yourself.

Well, from the team at Harkins Creative, we sincerely wish you a prosperous New Year full of ripe opportunities! Let us know how we can help.