In this month’s issue, our lead news story (p. 14) focuses on how some of the nation’s largest distributors are promoting their companies and products through marketing arrangements with national sports teams, radio, television and newspapers, and even advertising on billboards in Times Square. These distributors have taken advantage of their size, expertise, marketing savvy and technical ability to drive business and become household names to their customers.

But you don’t have to be big to get your name in front of customers. There are many steps small and medium-sized distributors can take to promote themselves equally well. And you don’t need a big marketing/promotional or advertising budget. Here are some things distributors can do to get their name in front of existing and prospective customers:

• Promote your company. If you’ve got new people on your payroll, have promoted others, gotten some new contracts, donated money to charitable causes, or added space to your warehouse, let your local or regional newspaper know about it. It’s simple to do: just write a short press release and send it in. It won’t cost you anything. Send it to the attention of the business department or news desk. Newspapers are always looking for such filler items.

• Start a newsletter. It won’t cost you much and can provide your company with a lot of publicity. Make sure you send a copy to your local newspaper, trade association, chamber of commerce, customers, and manufacturers. You might add some case histories as to how you solved some customers’ problems.

• Open houses. If you’re having an open house, promote it. Get some free publicity from newspapers and other local media. One distributor actually had a radio station do a live remote from the distributor’s headquarters.

• Web sites. Update your site with product specials, promotions and giveaways. Many distributors’ Web sites haven’t been updated in months and some, believe it or not, for years. Get people to visit your site by including news or sports links. Or you can provide links giving customers technical information as to features and benefits of your new products. One distributor we know is thinking of adding video to his site so he can actually show how his company’s products are being used.

Distributors have always been excellent at selling products. Now they need to be better at selling and promoting themselves and their companies.

jkeough@reedbusiness.com