It is important to learn and understand the market through different methods in order to boost both visibility and awareness and attract customers.
You should use modern techniques to advertise your business and gain more customers effectively after understanding market demand.
Marketing a business involves much more than advertising. All advertising efforts should be complemented with other marketing strategies, which are as limitless as your imagination. Tried-and-tested examples include:
Freebies
Free items distributed to potential customers obviously have to be paid for, but the attention they attract often makes them worthwhile. Freebies are excellent for grand opening events and networking opportunities. They can include free samples, bookmarks, coupons, refrigerator magnets, T-shirts, pens, buttons, drink coasters, or any useful item onto which a logo and business name can be placed.
Local Events
Neighborhood gatherings offer wonderful opportunities for targeting specific customers and their families. Remember the dog-waste collection businesses mentioned in Chapter 3? One enterprising business owner in this industry dressed up in a Superman costume and attended a dog show where he handed out business cards. He attracted so much attention that he barely needed additional advertising afterward.
Mail-Outs
Although sending brochures, postcards, letters, or leaflets through direct mail campaigns can be time-consuming and expensive, mail-outs can help follow up with customers who have already shown interest in your business.
Mass mail-outs that are not targeted to a specific audience usually generate a response rate of only 1%–3%, so the results may not justify the effort. Knowing details about the intended recipients beforehand greatly increases the chances of success.
Unfortunately, collecting addresses can take months, printing costs can be high, stamps must be purchased, and collating, folding, and stuffing materials into envelopes can take days to complete.
To improve success, establish a database of genuine names and addresses before launching a direct-mail campaign. Also, include an incentive for recipients to respond quickly — for example, offering a five-percent discount if the customer responds within two weeks.
Social Media
Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and other digital media channels have their place in modern marketing. However, do not rely on them too heavily without supporting them with more substantial marketing efforts.
Press Releases
Newspapers, magazines, newsletters, television stations, and radio stations are constantly searching for new stories.
Is your business opening in a struggling area? Does it serve needy clients? Perhaps you are planning to donate products or services to an orphanage or hospital. Maybe your business or marketing methods are so unique that they create a story of their own.
Whatever the angle, the media will not know what you are doing unless you make the first move. Try to find a reporter or journalist who specializes in your field or industry and provide them with materials from your media or press kit.
Journalists can sometimes make mistakes with facts and figures, so supplying accurate information is extremely helpful. If you cannot attract a journalist’s interest, consider writing an article yourself.
Remember not to make your product the central theme of the story. Instead, focus on the benefits your product or service provides to the community. Also, try to write the article in the same style used by the publication. Editors appreciate content that resembles their own format and tone.
Promotional Tie-Ins
Can your product complement or enhance another business or event? If so, remember that other businesses may have customer lists, mailing lists, email databases, and newsletters that could benefit your marketing efforts.
To access these resources, explain how the other business will benefit from the collaboration. Always approach promotional tie-ins from this perspective.
For example, if your product is aimed at young people, demonstrate to a local school how it can improve a scholastic activity program. Similarly, your product or service may benefit members of a local association or club. If so, consider donating your time or services to these organizations in exchange for mentions in their promotional materials.
Speaking Engagements
Consider speaking at conferences, seminars, Toastmasters meetings, or similar gatherings that may benefit from your product or service. Face-to-face communication is especially effective for promoting service-based businesses.
Final Thoughts
These are some of the best ways to market your business and increase awareness and visibility for your products or services, even in remote areas.
In today’s world, many businesses use social media platforms and websites for marketing because they are among the fastest ways to reach large numbers of people, especially as smartphone usage continues to grow.