Grassroots marketing,  is one of the best ways to start out..especially if you don’t have a budget for marketing, like most of us. It’s really about culivating relationships with your customer or people who can refer you.

Krispy Kreme started out in grass root marketing..sampling their customers – it’s been the emotional connection to their customers that has made a difference

Girl Scout Cookies – they raise money to cover costs of their trips.. – who doesn’t have a hard time turning down a girl selling her cookies?

Even Heart@Work, started out in grass root marketing..in some ways we still are..just because it is much more effective than doing ads. I am in the relationship business..developing relationships is how I grow my business.

A community needs to be bigger than you..the ideas to flow..the connections to connect..listen to get new ideas for new products. To listen and have everyone heard. We all want to be heard and understood.

Ask questions like:

• How do they feel about you? Your products and services?
• What do your customers want you to improve upon?
• Can you write an article about your company?
• Can you package your knowlege and create samples or bite-sized pieces so they have an experience with you?
• Do you provide resources or other people to help them?

How to get the Buzz going?

• Do you know what people are saying about you?
• Are you nurturing relationships with people?
• Do you offer them special access to you?
• Do you solicit their input?
• How are you standing out?

How to create a community for your customers..

• Are you helping your customers to invite others to join you?
• Ask your customer to help you create a community program
• Ask them what kind of programs they would like to have
• Add community features like a group online, bulletin boards or your website
• Put a human face to your group
• Solicit testimonials
• Give special benefits
• Is there a cause that you can add to the group? Is there an issue in the society that youe can address?
• Instead of selling products sell a dream..What would change how your customers see you?

I recommend that you read this book about “Creating Customer Evangelists” bu Ben McConnel and Jackie Huba it’s a great read, and goes into much more detail of how other companies have created evangelists for their business.