By David Brownlee, CEO, CASHWEDDINGGIFTAs small business owners, we know how important it is to find marketing strategies that will grow our customer base. We also know how challenging it is to find those new markets and turn those new contacts into new customers. Finding new market opportunities boils down to what I call the SUCCESS strategy.  This acronym can be broken down into seven easy steps to help grow and market your business. S – Start with a clear goal in mindYou had clear goals when you started your business. Do the same for each new marketing strategy. Decide how much new business you would like it to generate.  Your goal can be in the actual number of new clients, target dollar amount, or ROI.U – Use a marketing budgetCreate a marketing budget and stick to it!  Examine your current situation carefully and determine how many marketing dollars you can realistically spend.  Use those dollars on strategies that will most effectively target your prospective clients.  Look for special offers from various advertising resources, and always try to negotiate a reasonable price.  It doesn’t hurt to ask for a discount. Getting a good deal may even help you afford other marketing outlets.C – Create a blogA blog is a great marketing tool.  It gives you a platform to inform and interact with your current clients while attracting new ones.  Blogs can be set up and maintained free of charge or for a relatively minimal fee.  Your blog can even become searchable on the Internet when you use industry relevant keywords in your posts.  Include interesting photos, current events in your industry, and company news.  Set up Google Alerts on your industry to find interesting news that you can comment on in your blog.  This will keep it fresh and fun to read.C – Contact your Circle of InfluenceYour circle of influence is those people who know how good you are and will refer others who need your services.  I have found this to be one of the most effective ways to market my businesses.  For many professionals in the wedding industry, referrals make up 70-90 percent of their business.  Referred clients tend to be less demanding, more receptive to your message, and are more willing to pay full price because they’ve been personally told that “You’re the best!” by someone they trust.  So, remind your friends, family, past clients, and local merchants you do business with how good you are. And remember to personally thank them if they help you get new business.E – Email or EzineA monthly emailed newsletter or ezine about your latest news is a great way to remind everyone about your service and its benefits. It’s easy to set up an email marketing campaign through companies like Constant Contact, Mail Chimp, and others. Make sure that you’re emailing relevant, helpful information and not just the same old marketing line. You don’t want your contacts sending your messages to the trash bin before reading them.S – Strategic PartnershipsTeam up with professionals in other industries that also serve your target market.  Offer their clients discounts and treat them like royalty.  In the future, you may even be able to offer complementary package deals.S – Social mediaSocial media is quickly becoming one of the most cost-effective marketing platforms.  The key to social media success is consistency.  Update your profiles. Send tweets and messages on a regular basis.  Engage your audience with thought provoking questions that will encourage them to continue a conversation with you that will eventually turn them into customers.  Use photos, coupons, discounts, and incentives to keep your pages interesting.  Be sure to include your social media profiles on all marketing materials (business cards, brochures, etc.).Marketing strategies work when they are carefully planned and efficiently executed.  You don’t need to spend a lot of money on marketing, but many low-cost strategies require consistency. Try a number of different methods but stick to the ones that work best. Above all, have fun and keep providing your customers with excellent service.