Tempted to cut your marketing spend during the recession? Here’s a couple of ideas that can help keep your name out-there without costing an arm and a leg!

(1) Reach out to local businesses so they can offer £10 Gift Cards to customers that spend £50+ with them. The  partner gains an incentive for customers to buy and your florist gains exposure to neighbouring businesses best customers.

Gift cards like this cost very little and the £10 value doesn’t hit until they are applied against a purchase. So unlike throwing money at a newspaper or other media types where there’s no guaranteed return, no money is spent until a purchase is made.

(2) Wallet Cards or Preferred customer program. Another local marketing effort that costs very little. Even in tough times, wallet cards can work wonders in terms of keeping customers coming back. One idea would be where customers earn a point for each pound spent at your florist. Each point could be worth 10p towards a reward of your customers choice – from discounts on flowers to a new mp3 player. Cards like these can work particularly well with office “decision-makers” who place regular repeat orders.

You will be able to see the success of the Wallet Cards by how many points are accumulated enabling you to see how many repeat customers are using them. They are easy to distribute and help create your own marketing activity. Each month you can send a newsletter with the Wallet Card to new customers or points to existing customers. Don’t forget to make your Wallet cards sturdy enough to comfortably live for years in your customers wallet and of course make sure there is a free-phone number on there.