There are many ways to win customers, but I'm sharing three of my favorite strategies with you. It's good to go into each year with new strategy using information and results from the prior year's marketing efforts. You should test your strategy in the first quarter (at least 3 months) and always have a backup plan in case results are not panning out the way you expected. Here are three proven ways to win at marketing.
Target a Lifestyle. Most small businesses do not have enough of a budget to launch a major advertising campaign. So the goal is to pick a target audience and make them think you have a huge budget. Be everywhere they are, as often as you can. OK, so I don't mean, females age 45 plus in homes valued at $300,000 and above. That's not targeted enough. Choose a lifestyle like "people who go to the symphony". Stop and think about all the ways you can reach them. Try KXTR advertising for a low cost per reach. Then take out an ad on the symphony bulletin or sponsor an event. The same strategy applies towards movie watchers, sports fans, dog lovers and more.
Target an Area. Another great strategy is targeting a neighborhood or area that you know has the type of people and homes that make sense for your business. Reach them with door hangers, direct mail, newspaper, school sponsorships, neighborhood directories, etc. Bombard their world and work hard at it. No one said it was easy, but if you want results in today's world, you have to earn them.
Target a Media. I see more businesses move their dollars around like bare feet on hot coals. At the earliest stages you should get the stats from a vendor to find out if their packaged mail, TV station, magazine, radio station, or newspaper is the best channel to reach your audience. Once you determine the best option, stick with it! The sign of the times is that offers are harder to pull off and the messages are watered down with too many advertising vehicles out there. So the best that you can do sometimes is to have repetition with the same audience so you develop a name for your company. This is otherwise known as TOMA (Top-of-Mind Awareness). Currently this is a favorite method because it can have the lowest cost per reach and most vendors offer discounts for volume and repetition.
Of course there are many more strategies and each business and industry's DNA helps determine the final outcome. I encourage everyone to at least go into a year with a strong strategy and be ready to adjust the sails with the wind, but don't let the wind blow you every which way because your marketing will suffer.
Cowtown Marketing Strategies has a successful history of customizing strategies and marketing plans for small businesses of all types. We can help you rise above the muck and win new customers.
ready! After a long and cold winter, Kansas City has had it. You can only keep people cooped up and their wallets closed for so long. Get ready to capture business when it walks by. It's not a complete bounce back, but be prepared on all levels of your business to out-perform your competitors. A friend of mine says to deliver "Unmatched" service...I agree. This month's short read offers different approaches to marketing your small to mid-size business. The primary goal of this newsletter is to help generate leads for sales, increase market share and/or brand awareness. I wish you the best in all your local marketing efforts!
Question: How important is a deadline on my advertising? More specifically my direct mail pieces? I want to get some mileage out of the ad in case they need my services several months from now. So if I have to have a deadline, I would like to make it at least three months from now.
