Ever feel constrained by having no dough to spend on marketing? Fear not … today’s guest was in that boat. I stress WAS. He got to the point of spending a million bucks a year on just one marketing channel. Then something very cool happened.
Today’s episode is all about how to market your business on a shoestring.
Aydin Mirzaee co-founded Fluidware, an online survey company that was recently purchased for an undisclosed sum by the 900-pound guerrilla of online survey companies, Survey Monkey. In Aydin’s first few years as a start-up, he had little or no marketing budget, so hustle he did, coming up with all sorts of clever, inexpensive ways to market his business. Clearly this proved successful, as the business grew to at one point being able to spend over one million dollars per year on online advertising alone!
Then came that call. “Hey Aydnin. It’s Survey Monkey. We want to buy you!”
Well, it wasn’t that simple, but you get the picture.
So sit back and discover some clever ways to market your business on a shoestring including:
- A sneaky use of Twitter to get more clients
- A Lunch & Learn Strategy
- A launch strategy his wife used in her lingerie business
- The importance of blogging
- And plenty more
Plus I share some amazing feedback from a recent guest who’s been blown away by the response after appearing on my show; as well as a listener who’s also been blown away by the fantastic experience she had using 99Designs to get a logo she loves.
Yep. Another big show. Let’s do this!
EPISODE TIMELINE
00:35 Welcome & overview
02:51 Time for a check-in on the week
05:48 Insights in to Netregistry & 99Designs
08:10 Today’s guest introduction – Aydin Mirzaee
09:33 Interview with Aydin Mirzaee
37:23 My top 3 marketing learnings fro my chat with Aydin
39:37 A social media analogy using donuts … yep, donuts!
41:06 Great feedback from a guest who’s been blown away after appearing on this show
43:07 Wrap-up and insights in to next week’s guests
EPISODE SPONSORS (PLEASE SUPPORT THEM)
Netregistry special offer – Get your online marketing sorted. Websites from $79 / month.
99Designs free coupon – Get a design you’ll love. in 7-days. 100% guaranteed.
RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED
Aydin Mirzaee’s curent website FluidReview
Aydin’s wife’s lingerie business Amanda May
Sneaky Tony’s – a very cool bar in Perth
The video testimonial from past guest David Warne:
TWEETABLES
(GO ON, SHARE THE LOVE, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO)
MY TOP 3 MARKETING TIPS FROM THIS EPISODE
- Use Twitter to identify people who are using keywords relevant to your business in their tweets, then hit them up with offers to come across.
- If you’re holding a launch party then invite someone of influence along – if they accept, then use that news in your media release (Oh, and real live lingerie models will help, as well ;0)
- Blog. Just start blogging. Now!
INSPIRATIONAL MARKETING ANALOGY USING DONUTS!
Social Media explained with Donuts:
Facebook: Please like my donuts
Twitter: I’m making #donuts
Pinterest: Here’s my favourite donut recipe
Instagram: Here’s a vintage shot of my donuts
LinkedIN: My skills include donut making
YouTube: Here’s my dog eating a donut
Spotify: Listen to my favourite donut making tracks
Blog: My top 10 best donut flavours
Google+: Share donuts with Google employees
OVER TO YOU …
What was your biggest marketing learning or ah-hahahha moment from this episode?
Leave your comment below.
My guest and I respond to each and every comment.
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16 thoughts on “258 – How to market your business on a shoestring with Aydin Mirzaee”
Hey Timbo,
Really liked the interview with Aydin. I know you keep saying just do it with the blogs. I need to. I haven’t yet consistently, but I want to make sure that the content is there to be interesting not just there for SEO (Don’t get me wrong SEO would be good too, but I don’t want that to be the only reason I am doing it). Any silver bullets to killer content?
Cheers,
Dan
Great episode, Tim. I learned a ton. AGAIN. Your questions are just the ones I would ask…And I was a TV news reporter! Good job!
Thanks Tracy. I spend a lot of time thinking about interview questions – plus watching other interviewers go about their trade. It’s the part of podcasting that I enjoy the most, I’d say.
Daniel, firstly just start. Write a few blog posts with the intention of never publishing them. I have a Forum Member (Drew), he’s a financial adviser who speaks passionately about how blogging helped him find his voice. He now can’t get enough of them. There’s also the challenge of finding your editorial mission, a three part question that will enable you to clearly identify what you do and don’t blog about. We talk a lot about blogging inside the Forum. See you inside the inner circle – https://smallbusinessbigmarketing.com/forum-signup/
I have been inspired by this interview. I’m only new to the small business game, and it can be a little scary when the funds are getting low. My takeaway from Aydin was that there is nothing to lose. Just because the dollar amount in the business account aren’t huge, it doesn’t mean it’s time to give up. Prove them all wrong and keep going, continue and stick it up em!
Thanks Timbo and Aydin for the “Fire”!!
Chris
See you on the road, you can’t miss…
http://Www.yourlocaltyretruck.com.au
As always, I love hearing that my listeners are inspired to create great marketing, Chris. Now, get out there and action one idea you heard on this episode. In fact, share your intention inside the Forum and we’ll hold you accountable. You can run then, but you can’t hide ;0)
Ok Timbo, I will get on it! Bloody love an accountability challenge!
I really liked Aydin’s suggestions around localised blogging: using it to rank for local searches. Also reckon his twitter strategy was #fantastic.
You could take that strategy to the next level by replying with a twitter native video. Wouldn’t that say “hey I noticed and I value you” super well?
Easy way to start Daniel: what was the last question a customer asked you about your area of expertise – write your answer. Boom! What a helpful blog post 🙂
Thanks Timbo
Thanks Adrian, thats a great suggestion
Ooooh, I like your thinking re the Twitter video, Adrian. Nice work. Is that called a Twideo?
Timbo I agree with Adrian and Aydin about blogging and using it for local services (in our case, Financial Planning Adelaide, where we rank on page one these days). Since meeting you at conference, we have blogged (and published same on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook) every week – consistency is the key. Here’s my latest, http://wealthontrack.com.au/5-things-to-do-in-a-falling-market/
Hey Timbo,
What about having Peter Combe, the children’s entertainer on the show. He has started re marketing himself to 30 year olds that remember him from their childhood. I saw him at the national folk festival with hundreds of “grown ups” going crazy to news paper moma!
Cheers,
Colin
Nice work, Steve. You’ll have a book before you know it.
Interesting Colin. Do you know him?