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Direct mail or print ad? Pay-per-click
or trade show booth? National press or networking
meeting? Feeling overwhelmed by the seemingly endless
ways “to market”? Change the way you think
about it. Consider this: there are only three ways
to market. Yes, that’s right - only three ways.
There are hundreds of techniques within each of these
ways, but there are only Three Core Strategies you
need to think about when attracting new customers:
You can go to them. (proactive
approach)
You can go to the people who have
access to them. (proactive approach)
You can wait for them to come to
you. (passive approach)
But how do you know which core
strategy you should use?
Strategy #1: Going to Your Customers
If you have specific targeted audience
members—i.e. you know who they are, where they
are, what organizations they attend—then you’ll
use the first strategy because you can go straight
to them.
Strategy #2: Going to the People
with Access to Your Customers
If you have a broad audience that’s
not easy to “get to” (this is often the
case when marketing to consumers) because you need
to reach them at home and in a way that doesn’t
violate things like Do Not Call lists, then you need
to step back and figure out who is already reaching
your audience. You’ll use the second strategy.
This also known as relationship marketing.
Strategy #3: Waiting for Customers
to Come to You
If you have a great reputation,
strong client base, and large number of referrals,
you may use the third strategy. But beware: Waiting
for customers to come to you is the most risky of
the three strategies and should NEVER be your only
approach.
For example, you might think that
getting some press nationally and locally is enough
to attract new business.
And the truth is it might be. But what happens when
your article becomes “old news” or— worse—it
gets you exposure but no sales or new customers? Has
your marketing failed? Not necessarily.
This is where you need to leverage
your marketing, which is when you cross over core
strategies. You
need to send out a press release alerting customers
of your article. You need to get article reprints
and include them in a kit for new customers or as
a takeaway item in your store or office. You need
to post the article on your website. All of these
tasks are proactive—you’re marketing directly
to your customer.
Even multi-billion-dollar companies
with solid histories leverage their marketing. How
many ads did you see
for Coca-Cola during The Big Game? Advertising falls
into Strategy #3—you’re waiting for the
customer to come to you. But is that all Coke does?
Of course not. It also does the following:
- ·attends industry
trade shows
- conducts product sampling
- promotes its
interactive website
- sponsors events
- stays involved in its charitable
foundation
All of these things are proactive
approaches. The passive approach gives Coca-Cola exposure
and
helps to brand them in the marketplace, but that alone
wouldn’t
be enough to sustain sales. And Coke knows it. So
how do you figure out which strategy is best for
your business?
If you already have great access
to your target audience, you may decide to focus on
Strategy #1. You may decide to do a direct-mail campaign,
or exhibit at trade shows where your prospects are,
or join organizations where these people reside.
If you’re more comfortable going to the people
who have access to your customers, you’ll market
to these people. Here’s an example: an electrician
may market to people who can refer business to him
or her, such as plumbers, contractors, and even real
estate agents. One way the electrician may do this
is by joining referral groups, such as Business Networking
International (BNI).
If you go with Strategy #3, remember
you MUST supplement it with one or both of the other
strategies for it
to be successful. For example, you won’t spend
all your marketing dollars on newspaper ads. You’ll
supplement with other programs, such as direct mail
and/or networking.
Bottom line—don’t stress over the hundreds
of individual marketing techniques. Focus on one of
three strategies. From there, come up with 2-3 programs
that will support that strategy. And remember this:
your marketing campaign is fluid—revisit, re-evaluate,
and re-adjust as necessary. About
Precision Marketing Group: Precision Marketing Group
helps companies make more money with their marketing.
Call us at 508-969-9581or visit our Web site, www.PrecisionMarketingGroup.com if you are looking for practical marketing solutions,
programs or advice that will move your business forward!
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