Financial Marketing

www.FreeConference.com is a great resource for teleconferencing. It's a simple, convenient and reliable service at little or no cost. For webinars, I use www.Webex.com but you should also check out alternatives such as www.GoToMeeting.com, www.Glance.com and www.DimDim.com. These services allow you to show and record presentations, collaborate via whiteboards, use instant messaging, and talk and broadcast via your computer. Costs and features vary, so visit the vendor websites to determine which service is right for you.

Prepare your Power Point slides ahead of time and submit them to compliance. Or, if using voice only, submit your outline or script. Generate an invitation via email or snail mail, post some information on your website, blog, Facebook or LinkedIn pages, and tweet about your event if you use Twitter. A virtual meeting may appeal to people who cannot travel to your location for a live event. It also helps keep costs low – for you and your guests. A virtual event is also a “green thing” to do.

Here’s how one of my clients used a virtual event instead of a traditional in-person event. Tabr Capital Management is located in Orange Count, California. Bad traffic conditions in Southern California and the firm’s commitment to be environmentally conscious led them to consider a virtual Open House instead of a traditional “drop by” Open House.

To make the virtual event more real, Bob Kargenian and his partner Steve Medland send out small boxes filled with goodies (tea, coffee, chocolates, cookies, a branded pen and notepad, plus printed invitation to the virtual Open House event. They used www.Webex.com to show clients and guests what their new office looked like. And had they had a video cam connected to their computer, they could have shown visual images of themselves enjoying tea and cookies right along with their clients.

People loved the virtual event. Bob and Steve are happy they tried it.

Next time, I’ll provide additional low-cost marketing ideas that you can use to build your business.