302.382.0410
302.382.0410
Are you thinking like a marketer all of the time?
You should be!
Many business owners would define marketing as the 4”x6” postcards they send out to their list of customers every Christmas, or that thirty-second radio ad they blasted out a year ago. But very few would be willing to adopt the mindset that their marketing rests in everything they do.
The way you answer the phone, how your employees present themselves at the register, the type of music you play in your store, the way in which you react to negative complaints, all of those examples are forms of marketing.
Your marketing efforts define the success of your business. There’s no delegate way to put it folks. If you fail to market yourself every day, you are destined to fail. Now don’t get overwhelmed by that statement. Coming up with new ways to let people know that you exist is simpler than you may perceive.
In the next six bullet points, I am going to provide you with six simple solutions to your daily marketing conundrum. I am not going to list out 365 methods to market your business, but what I am going to do, is give you an insane head start over your competition.
Unless they are reading this post as well! Then you might want to call 815.441.2219 and schedule your exclusive consult with me TODAY!
OK, back to business.
It’s that simple! Sit down at the beginning of each month, and plan out your daily marketing. It doesn’t have to be crazy complicated; it just needs to reflect the one thing you are going to do that day to increase awareness of your business. Just be sure to track your success!
Here’s a quick example.
Beginning on the 15th of August, I am going to instruct my employees to answer the phone as follows: “Thank you for calling XXXX, did you know you can now follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/XXXX?! How can I help you?”
That single statement is both a nice way to acknowledge a customer, but also provides them with additional ways to find you on social media. Be sure to say it every time though, or you won’t be able to track the effectiveness of your new marketing tool. Now all you have to do is keep a close eye on your Facebook page, and see if your instruction is resulting in increased followers online.
You see this performed by servers in restaurants all of the time, but a simple expression of gratitude to a customer will go a long way. In our busy world, very few businesses take the time to outwardly exclaim how happy their customers make them. Don’t worry about creating a hold up in the checkout line. It only takes ten seconds max to pen a simple note.
If that simple scratch of ink on paper results in several repeat customers, then that ten seconds could quickly turn into to an additional $10,000 in annual profits!
I’d say that’s worth it.
Similar to the Thank You note, referring to someone by their first name is an amazing way to let them know that you don’t view them as a simple debit card swipe. Top salesmen know the importance of interacting with their prospects on a personal level. I use this tactic all of the time, and let me tell you, it has really paid off! I’ve received more help from complete strangers than ever before. And all I did was ask them for their name, and use it whenever I would address them in the future.
It takes some practice learning how to commit it to memory, but if you link them name to a physical feature, it gets easier every time.
I know…”I JUST DON’T HAVE TIME!” But what if I told you that doing so would increase awareness of your business? And instead of people driving by stating that they would like to stop in sometime, they’d actually slap the car into park and walk through your front door! Everyone is short on time these days, and it’s your job as the owner of a business to provide them with a reason to carve out a chunk of that precious time, and visit your store. Facebook does a great job at letting people know that you exist.
But in order for it to be effective, you have to post at various times a day, and frequently enough to stay on their radar
I’d like to put one hundred exclamation points behind this one, but it would look stupid in print. Nothing is more important in your daily marketing routine, then consistently adding new names, numbers, mailing and email addresses to your growing customer list.
Nothing.
For more information on why building a list of customers is so important, be sure to read the post I authored following the fire that demolished most of the shopping district in Prophetstown, IL.
Marketing Lesson Taken from 8 Businesses that Burnt Down in Prophetstown, IL
Not everyone reads the paper these days. With the introduction of smart phone technology, iPads, Kindle and a ton of other WiFi equipped devices, you can now harness the power of video to promote your message. Video remains the number one most shared form of content on the web!
Do you have a smart phone? If you answered yes, then chances are pretty good that you have an awesome camera stored in that compact device. A camera that shoots web quality video that you can use to introduce your staff, record a product description, capture customer testimonials or provide the viewer with a virtual tour of your business.
And the last I checked, which was yesterday, shooting a video and loading it up to YouTube.com was FREE.99!
No more excuses. It’s time for you to take control of your future, and begin marketing your business like a ninja master. Filling each attack with new punches, kicks and head-butts that keep the public asking…”What are they going to do next?!”
The key is to never become too predictable. If you want a perfect example of how to ensure your marketing never becomes boring, consider reading Joe Vitale’s bestseller There’s A Customer Born Every Minute: P.T. Barnum’s Amazing 10 “Rings of Power” For Creating Fame, Fortune, And A Business Empire Today – Guaranteed!
Until the next time we cross paths, stay cool and keep your head up!
P.S. I am holding a class exclusively covering Facebook Marketing for Businesses on the 12th of September 2013 right here in Clinton, IA. If you are interested in attending, CLICK THIS LINK!
Or if clicking links freak you out, call me at 815.441.2219 and we’ll get you setup with a front row seat to the only class that will change the way you use Facebook!