Jim Cockrum - Free Marketing: 101 Low and No-Cost Ways to Grow Your Business, Online and Off

Contents

Praise for Free Marketing

Its obvious from reading this book that Jim Cockrum not only knows about marketing, but that he honestly cares about helping his readers succeed. Whether youre a seasoned Internet marketer or just getting started, Jim provides plenty of great ideas to improve your business.

Terry Gibbs
IWantCollectibles.com

Jim is a genius, but also a natural teacher. He has a heart for people. He has built a very successful business online and offline and doesnt mind sharing what he knows with others.

Rhea Perry
EducatingforSuccess.com

Free Marketing is incisive and to the point. Real information any marketer can use todayand its from one of the most trusted people on the Internet.

Skip McGrath
SkipMcGrath.com

Your book is unreal Jim. I cant read more. I have too much to do because of the first 22 pages! Ive never read anything with so many actionable tips and so little fluff in my life.

John Jonas
JonasBlog.com

Copyright 2011 by Jim Cockrum. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com . Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions .

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Cockrum, Jim, 1969
Free marketing : 101 low and no-cost ways to grow your business, online and off / Jim Cockrum.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-118-03471-2 (hardback); ISBN 978-1-118-12004-0 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-12003-3 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-12002-6 (ebk)
1. Marketing.2. Branding (Marketing)3. Internet marketing. 4. Corporate image.I. Title.
HF5415.C54237 2011
658.8dc22
2011014259

For Andrea

Foreword

A few years ago I decided to take one of the greatest risks I have ever taken by starting my first business while I was still pastoring a church in one of the poorest communities in inner-city Detroit. My plan was to create an inflatable games rental business and use it to employ and educate the kind of at-risk young people that I was trying to reach through my church. My wife thought I was crazy.

After wasting a year trying to get the new company established I remember making a call to Jim for some expert marketing advice. Up to that point I had only tried one marketing technique, which was direct mail, and it was costing me an arm and a leg with very limited success.

In one 2-hour phone conversation Jim coached me through and introduced me to several of the methods that you are about to learn. The results were evident quickly. We posted a 200 percent increase in profits over the first 45 days of implementing Jim's strategies. I was quickly able to start hiring many of the type of people I was trying to reach. This was the start of something big.

After the quick success and results I received from Jim's coaching I quickly found numerous local business owners coming to me for advice to help their own businesses grow so they could get the same type of results that I did. I worked with owners of a photography and media business, a professional sound and lighting company, a Bible bookstore, a copy and print shop and several other business owners. The results were astounding! In almost every case where the business followed through on the strategies (the same ones in this book), the businesses grew substantially. Get ready to learn from one of the most creative and proven marketing strategists you will find. Get ready to accomplish the goals and objectives you have set for yourself, your family, and your business, organization, or ideas.

May God bless you in whatever assignment you have in life and may you experience tremendous results in following the wisdom and coaching of one of His finest!

Pastor Kevin Ramsby
HopeVillageDetroit.com

All proceeds generated from sales of this book will go to support the mission of Hope Village Detroit.

Preface

Eleven of the Great Ideas in This Book

You must play defense with Google Alerts.

Six steps to monitoring and managing your online reputation while also spying on what your competitors are up to. See Chapter 2.

You must set-up a free Facebook page for your business.

Does your business show up in the third-largest country on earth? Put the most powerful social network on earth to work for your business for free. See Chapter 47.

You must automate your e-mail efforts.

You'll never run a higher-return marketing campaign than e-mail. Here's how to do it right even on a tiny budget. See Chapter 53.

You must post 24 short and simple videos online. Are you clueless about what videos to put online? These are the questions your customers are asking and they love seeing your video response. See Chapter 37.

You must make your mark on Google Maps.

You can improve what Google says about your business if you follow these five steps. See Chapter 16.

You must think viral.

Going viral isn't just for funny videos about kids and small pets. Get your message spread fast by tapping into the power of viral video. See Chapter 48.

You must automate the process you use to supply quality content to prospects and then follow up with them in powerfully creative ways. See Chapter 94.

You must realize that you'll never again be your own best salesman.

Your fans, partners, and customer testimonials are all far better at selling you and your business than you will ever beit's time to start leveraging your real sales force! See Chapter 70.

You must improve your guarantee and return policy.

Unless it feels a little insane when you are done, it's not good enough. See Chapter 3.

You must accommodate cell phone users.

The entire Internet is being rebuilt for smartphone users. What are you going to do about it? See Part 8.