 |
|
| Getting Customers |
|
Becoming a Marketing Maniac By Ty Freyvogel Picture this: It's opening day for your business and you've just thrown open the doors. And in walks...Wait. Where are all of the customers? You peek your head out to look at the empty parking lot. Not a human in sight. Where could they all be? Unfortunately, they are probably all shopping at the well advertised competition. If this happens to you, it's likely you've neglected one key area when it comes to opening a business: marketing. No matter how great you are at starting a business, you have to get the word out-and get it out to the right people-in order to build a successful one.
Figure out your target audience. Too many small business owners waste valuable time and money marketing their business to the wrong people. Focus on keeping your target audience small and specific. Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of reaching out to a broad demographic, because they think that a bigger net will catch more fish. Not true. No product exists that appeals to everybody, so the narrower your marketing target, the better. You don't want to waste valuable time and money on a broad marketing campaign. For example, maybe your product is technology-based and therefore might appeal more to a younger demographic than an older one. Or maybe the nature of your product would appeal more to women than men. Aiming your campaign at a specific group is the best way to build your customer base. Create great print ads. You want your business to appeal to as many people in your market segment as possible. An effective print ad can help you achieve this. The best ads evoke three qualities. They are simple, catchy, and informative. If writing isn't one of your gifts as an entrepreneur, hire a copywriter to help you develop some great copy for your ad. (A nice, clean design is important too, but in my opinion it's the words that compel people to take action.) Make sure your ad clearly presents your business's address, website, and other contact info. You want to make it as easy as possible for new customers to find you. Of course, no matter how well done your ad is, if you don't place it in the right publications, it's wasted effort. If you are looking for only local customers, you'll want to choose the newspaper in your area with the largest circulation. If you want to advertise on a national level, you'll have to do some research to figure out which publication is best for your market and your pocketbook. One last thing to keep in mind: You want your ads to compel customers to come to your store immediately. One way to do this is by including a coupon or highlighting a onetime offer in your ad. This will help you increase the chance that someone will see your ad and want to take action immediately. Play up what makes you unique. Figure out what makes you different from your competition-maybe it's longer store hours or excellent customer service-and make that difference the focus of your marketing campaign. Explain how these differences will be good for your customers but do it without putting down your competition. You don't want to encourage them to put out an ad that points out all of your weaknesses! Advertise benefits, not features. If you are going to sell herbal teas, it is okay to mention the soothing honey lemon flavor, but it is more important to advertise the tea's antioxidants and homeopathic qualities. People who want to buy herbal tea will be more impressed by its healing elements, while the tasty flavor is just a perk. Ask yourself: In what ways will my company benefit customers? Once you've figured it out, never miss an opportunity to get that word out. Set up a booth. Tradeshows can be very beneficial for a growing business. For a small fee, you can set up a booth and spend a day wooing potential clients as they wander up to your booth. This is a great chance to pass out fliers, free samples, coupons, and chat up perspective customers without the distractions you have when you are in the thick of things at your business. The best thing about tradeshows? The attendees are there to shop, so it will be simple to make some connections and get the word out about your business. Take your product to the people. Humans are creatures of habit, and as a result most are reluctant to move from something that is familiar to something that is unfamiliar. This means that small business owners often face an uphill battle when they are trying to convince potential customers that their product is better than the one they already use. A great way to convince people that you have a product or service worth their time is by showing them. Product demonstrations, giveaways, and for you foodservice folks, taste tests, are fun and effective ways to do this. You can hold these mini-events during your normal store hours or you can set up shop at local events in your area such as sporting events or festivals. The tradeshows mentioned above are also great opportunities. Just make sure that you can provide your potential customers with easy ways to remember you after the fact. Have plenty of business cards or fliers to hand out to make sure people will be able to remember your business later. Create a great website. It's hard to be a successful 21st century business without a website. A lot of people won't think you're legitimate if they can't check you out on the web. So create a well-written, cleanly designed, user-friendly website to help spread the word about your business and to make it easier for potential customers to find you. Hire a web designer to design an easy-to-navigate website that can be your calling card on the web. Be sure you include your web address on your business card, any ads you place, and all of your labeling. Your website will be an important element as you begin to build your brand. If you want to make your website a significant part of your business, set up a page that allows you to take orders from visitors and look into search engine optimization so that you can ensure your site is one of the first to pop up in online searches for your business's product or service. Try email marketing. Email marketing is a cheap and easy way to reach out to your current customers and gain new ones. Set up a system at your business that enables you to capture the email addresses of your customers. You may even want to ask them for the email addresses of their friends and family members who might be interested in your products or services. Then use email marketing to stay in front of these customers and potential customers. For example, if you own a landscaping business and you are running a special on your services, send out an email blast that lets your customers know. Or if you own a sporting goods store and you're having a golf pro come in to help customers with their swing, use email marketing to let as many as your customers know as possible. You can team up with one of the various email marketing companies out there, or if you want to really do it on the cheap, you can send the emails out yourself. Remember, the messages need to be as clear and captivating as possible, so hire a copywriter to write them if you think you need the help. Form relationships with other companies. This is one of the cleverest ways to meet new clients, because you are, in essence, borrowing another business's existing clientele. Here's an example of how it works. To promote your pet grooming business, team up with a veterinarian and offer free "clips and dips" coupons to everyone who brings in their pooch. It works on many levels, because not only do you meet new potential clients, but these clients will automatically trust you because they already trust the company you've teamed up with. It gives you credibility by association, and with this step taken care of, you can get right into why your product is so great. Treat your existing clients like royalty. As I've mentioned before, many entrepreneurs make the mistake of forsaking their existing clientele in search of new customers. This mistake can cost you, so don't do it! You can always find new clients, but in order for the customer base to grow, you must hold on to your loyal fans. There are several ways you can let your clients know that they will always be number one. • Give out "preferred client" coupons discounting your services. • Send out birthday cards with a coupon for a free service. • Offer incentives based on how long a client has stuck by you. For example give out a 10% coupon after one year, a 20% coupon after two years, etc. Be creative. Being a marketing maniac doesn't have to mean spending tons of money on advertising. In fact, sometimes advertising won't work. When I opened a NutriSystem in Altoona, PA, with my sister, we were having trouble getting any foot traffic because it was such a small area. Our primary target was 22,000 people, but no one was responding to the print ads we placed in the local newspaper because no one was reading the local newspaper (except for the sports section!). That's why-as I've mentioned before-we decided to give local DJs free memberships in order to get them excited about the program. In turn, they gave us free plugs on the air. There are lots of ways to get the word out. It doesn't really matter how you do it, just that you do it. A bit of well-planned-out marketing will help you turn an empty store into a bustling, customer-filled business. Plan a mini public relations campaign. When you are trying to get the word out about your new business, a small public relations campaign is a great way to do it. Here's what you should do: Write up a press release (or hire a copywriter to do it!) that talks about a newsworthy event related to your business-maybe it's your business's grand opening or maybe, as mentioned above, you've helped a bunch of local DJs lose some weight. Once the press release is written, send it out to your local media outlets-including print, TV, and radio. The print outlets may run your release as is, while the radio or TV outlets may contact you for an interview. Any and all coverage should be looked at as a great opportunity to spread the word about your business very inexpensively. If you don't get any feedback, don't be afraid to follow up with the media outlets where you've sent your press release. As long as your story is newsworthy, they'll be happy to hear from you. Don't be intimidated by the marketing process just because you don't have a college degree in the skill. When you get down to the basics of marketing, it's all about knowing what's great about a business and spreading that word to as many people as possible. Push yourself to market more than you think is necessary. The best way to effectively market a small business is by taking advantage of every opportunity and creating even more opportunities on your own. So, if you're running a print ad one week, by all means show up at a local sporting event to show people how great your product is that same week. Or if you are partnering up with a local company, send out a press release about the partnership to garner some local press mentions. Once you see the direct results of some well planned marketing efforts, you will understand just how valuable it will be for your business.
|
||
|
Did you enjoy this article? Smarts, Guts and Luck features 25 chapters brimming with tips, insights and sound advice. Find out why Cindy Potts of The Retailer's Advantage says "Ty Freyvogel has a formula: 1/3 Smarts, 1/3 Guts, and 1/3 Luck add up to exactly what you need to make it as an independent business owner. In a short gem of a book, Freyvogel delivers countless secrets for success, ranging from developing one's intuition to recruiting the ideal employee and balancing life and work. There's a lot of powerful advice in here that speaks directly to the reality of being an independent business owner."
Looking to Start a Business? You Can’t Afford to Make Mistakes! Now with the Virtual Incubator Network at your disposal you can get all of the help you need to launch your business quickly and with confidence! The Virtual Incubator Coaching Network updates this proven business development concept for the 21st century. You provide the space and we give you all the advice, training, coaching and support services you need to successfully launch your business ... all under the guidance of an authorized Virtual Incubator coach. As a member of this dynamic network I now have the opportunity to combine my 35+ years of entrepreneurial experience with a proven success system! With the Virtual Incubator you receive …
For more information on the Virtual Incubator program and how you can get your business of to a fast start,
|
||
|
Sure, you might get lucky and have a few walk-ins here and there or a few people who hear about you through word of mouth, but the vast majority of your customer base will have to be found. And in order to find them you are going to need a strong marketing campaign. Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs don't come equipped with the know-how needed to successfully market their products. So, where do you begin? Here's a start: 
