10 Steps to Marketing
This is one of the very first steps you need to take after you decide to market. You need to develop your target audience. In other words, who is it that will use you products and services? Chances are, not everyone will be able to use your products and services and you don't want to waste your marketing dollars on them. So take some time to sort out your audience. Things like age, gender, lifestyle, and even habits can help you decide how to market.
I'm talking about your media; now that you have defined your target audience, the next step is to decide what avenues of media to use. Where does your target audience go to get their information? For example, a student will utilize the TV, radio, and internet to get 99% of their information so it doesn't make sense to market to them through a newsletter. An elderly woman, on the other hand, would be relieved that she didn't have to log onto her e-mail account to see what you have to say.
Remember that media range far beyond the internet, television, and magazines. Media can also include newspapers, event programs, annual meetings, coupon books, school calendars, posters, signs, shirts, giveaway items (pens, notepads, etc), door hangers, postcards, newsletters, radio, advertorials, and more.
Lately, green means "environmentally friendly," but in the marketing world it still means money. Depending on your media, marketing can become costly in a short period of time, especially since you can't expect your customers to respond on the first go around. The rule of seven is a marketing staple which means that your target audience must see you message on seven different occasions before they act on it. You need to stay in front of your audience. Why do we all know the McDonald's jingle? Because we see their ads everywhere we look.
With the rule of seven in mind, it only makes sense to spread your marketing dollars out. Don't blow your entire marketing budget on one ad or brochure; instead, run a series of ads and send out a series of postcards in a short period of time. They call them ad campaigns for a reason - you must keep your products and services in front of your audience to successfully influence their decisions.
When you are developing your marketing campaign, be sure to focus on your customers. How will your products or services affect the lives of your customers? Do they save them time or money? How do they make their lives easier? All products have benefits, but the good products are fueled by their benefits.
You should be promoting the features of your products and services every chance you get. And when you do, make it clear how buying your product will improve and transform the lives of your customers.
You need to make sure that all of your materials are telling the same story. Of course, the more ads, brochures, sales members, and flyers you have, the harder it will be, but this is crucial. Too many messages will just confuse and discourage your audience, so create one message and stick to it. Your products may be cheap, easy to use, and luxurious, but focus on one of those items in your marketing. If your audience doesn't seem to be buying it, try another message.
Marketing is not always an exact science. It's OK to change directions if one message doesn't seem to be working.
6. Speak in Plain English
Actually, it doesn't have to be English, but speak using a plain, easy-to-understand vocabulary. If you start using acronyms and industry-specific phrases you will lose your audience's attention and your campaign will not be successful. Use this phrase for example: you wouldn't know that the "binnacle list" is a ship's sick list unless you frequented the open seas.
So remember to keep it simple and if you can't decide whether or not to use a word, run it by someone who is not involved in your industry. You'll learn very quickly what you should do.
Just like pitching a baseball game, don't keep running the exact same ad every week. Throw your audience a variety of pitches while keeping your message the same. Changing the color, images, design, layout, and size are all ways you can make your ad different without drastically changing the message you want to communicate. Making your ad different will give it a new look and draw the attention of your audience the second, third, and fourth time.
It's also important to change the type of media that you use. Advertisements can be even more effective if they are run in conjunction with a direct mailing, radio ad, or e-mail campaign.
You can also change the wording of your ads, but stick to the same idea. Your audience will respond to familiarity.
The whole goal behind your marketing campaign is to get your audience to take action and respond. If you don't have a hook, your ad will become a victim of the garbage truck. Hooks allow you to get a rough measurement of your marketing campaign's effectiveness.
Include a coupon with your ad or mailing, build excitement with an online drawing, invite your audience to call the office and receive a free gift. It's amazing how many people respond to coupons, drawings, and freebies.
Even phrases like "Call for an appointment today!" or "Visit our website for more information" let your audience know what you want them to do.
After you have offered your hook, you should be compiling a collection of names and addresses from your interested audience. Follow through with a letter, postcard, e-mail, or sales call. The names you collected have already expressed interest in your products and services, so you'd be missing the boat and a possible sale if you didn't follow up with them.
Develop a plan to follow up with these potential customers. After all, the goal of any marketing campaign is to generate new business.
10. Treat Them Like Royalty
You don't have to go as far as "your highness" and "my liege," but once you have secured your customer, don't let them fall by the wayside. Treat them like royalty and show them that you appreciate their business. A quick "Thank you" at the end of a conversation is rarely enough to make a client feel good. Take the time to write a thank you note by hand. This might sound elementary, but it's a foreign concept among the majority of businesses.
Rewarding your customers with goodies over the holidays, special VIP coupons, and gifts such as pens, mugs, or notebooks, are all ways of showing your gratitude.