16 Marketing Tips - WordPress.com · 2013-02-16 · Rebranding& Now!may!be!the!best8me!to!...
Transcript of 16 Marketing Tips - WordPress.com · 2013-02-16 · Rebranding& Now!may!be!the!best8me!to!...
ì 16 Marketing Tips
ì Focus on the customer
Does your company sell a great product or offer great services? Marke8ng is not only about products—it is about the promise you make to your customers. The most important thing to remember as you develop a marke8ng and public rela8ons plan is to focus your a?en8on on your customers.
1
ì Back to basics ì Target audience ì Channels ì Message ì Measurement
2
ì Rebranding Now may be the best 8me to freshen up your image. Evaluate your company’s strengths, weaknesses, uniqueness and promise to its customers. Then, posi8on yourself with a new look, messaging and promo8onal plan, staying true to who you are and what you want to be. 3
ì Monthly Mailer Deliver a unique monthly piece (postcard, newsle?er, email or brochure) to your customers on a specified date. Offer advice and 8ps about your products and services–don’t just sell your business–provide value-‐added informa8on that people can use and will want to read. Allow three days for mailing. 4
ì Business Cards Carry business cards with you at all 8mes and leave a few in the car just in case you forget.
Be sure to take advantage of the back side of the card.
5
ì Open House Are there things your customers don’t know about your business? Speaking engagements (internal and external) build your business and are an excellent way to showcase your business and exper8se. 6
ì Blogging There are many free plaRorms for blogging available. Create your own or partner with another. Posi8on yourself as the expert in the field. Remember that you’re sharing the control of your message with the audience–it’s a two-‐way conversa8on. 7
ì Volunteer/Sponsor Show that you truly care about your customers outside of the business realm and garner publicity.
8
ì Network GeVng involved in local groups like this chamber and others, young professional networks, and city boards and commissions provide opportuni8es for you to network and pursue business-‐to-‐business partnerships. 9
ì News Releases Write news releases with a feature a?ached to them or as a public service announcement/event for your business. Be sure to approach it from a humanis8c angle—reporters want to know how this affects people. 10
ì Bulk Mail You can get a permit for bulk mailing from the post office and get lists of target data for businesses and poten8al customers in your community. Or, send to a smaller list of businesses that will offer referrals. 11
ì Signage Place signage outside of your business or nearby. Check local ordinances regarding signage codes.
Sign companies can produce affordable sandwich boards that can be reused. Promote special events, sales or ac8vi8es with them in front of your business. Follow city codes regarding placement and size. 12
ì BulleKn Boards You’ll find these inside local coffee shops, laundromats, health clubs, neighborhood markets, and car washes. Bring plenty of your own thumbtacks and leave some extras behind for good business karma. 13
ì CerKficates/Coupons
Give them to local chari8es, local spor8ng events, fundraisers, and other businesses. Place them as adver8sements in the local newspaper or other publica8ons (keep track of them for measurement). 14
ì Online AdverKsing Online adver8sing can be very affordable and extremely targeted. MySpace, Facebook, Google, Yahoo and Bing offer adver8sing opportuni8es. Consider promo8ng your business at other specific websites as well. 15
ì Measure Define what success looks like to you. Create customer surveys, conduct phone interviews, monitor your website with Google Analy8cs, use a “call to ac8on” in your adver8sing (coupons, discount codes and special offers), and listen to the “word on the street.” 16
Lance Kissler Senior Community Development Officer, STCU Secretary, INBA Board of Directors [email protected] 509-‐344-‐2152