What’s a better incentive to encourage your clients to refer prospects to your business?

Slip ‘em a hundred bucks for every prospect who becomes a client?

Or…

Let’s say, you’re a high-end kitchen and bath design/build firm that works in Scottsdale,AZ…

Where in the middle of summer, it’s like 110 degrees in the shade…

Maybe it’s better to offer your clients the chance to win a Cool Summer Get-Away to Vail?

WWSGD?

Here’s what Seth Godin suggests in “How to Unleash an Ideavirus?”:

“One of the things that drives someone to become a promiscuous sneezer is the opportunity for a change in lifestyle. Certain rewards, though small, are not as enticing as slightly less certain rewards that are much larger. Human nature (especially among the optimists) will give you the benefit of the doubt on the risks, but it won’t cut you any slack on the rewards.”

Yep, if I’m happily sweating my ass off in the heat of summer in Scottsdale, I’d love the chance to escape to the mountains…

How ’bout you?

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

Image via Wikipedia

As a local small business owner, you’ve heard lots of buzz about The Internet…

Gotta have a Website…

Gotta get search engine rankings so people can find you when they search…

You can buy search with Pay-Per-Click…

Get all your clients’ email addresses and start an email newsletter…

Get on MySpace and Facebook… Those social sites aren’t just a bunch of kids hanging out anymore…

Write a blog…

Promote your blog on the social marketing sites…

Whoa… Whoa… WHOA!!!

Time out there marketing geek!

I’m a ___________ (plumber, CPA, hair stylist, architect… insert your business)…

I’m too busy for all that slick online stuff!

Ok… but how about your prospects and clients?

Are they online?

Are they reading blogs?

Are they on social networking sites talking and sharing their opinions with other like-minded people?

Hummm… are they possibly on these social sites talking about you?

Now, you’ve no doubt, enjoyed “referral rewards” from your clients talking about you, spreading word-of-mouth about your quality products/services and that “extraordinary” experience you deliver. Most local small business live…or die… from referral marketing.

But, how do you bridge that gap from folks talking about you in the real world into the online social marketing world?

How ’bout…

A Business Blog.

Yep… a blog. Like… you’re reading right here.

But here’s the thing.

Your business blog ain’t about you.

It’s about your readers, your prospects, your clients.

How do you know what information your readers want from your blog?

Simple.

Michael Werner just posted this Four Step Formula at the lively discussion where small business marketing pros are sharing their marketing secrets: Small Business Trends:

1. Ask your clients what they want.

2. Listen.

3. Listen again, and harder this time, to what they say.

4. Give ‘em what they ask for.

Oh, yeah… one final thing:

“Have a take… and don’t suck!”

___________________________________________

___________________________________________