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Winning Marketing StrategiesBy Kim T. Gordon At the start of 2004, it’s natural to take a look back over what was, by all accounts, a tough marketing year. While some small business owners saw their companies soar ahead, others failed to take definitive marketing action and are left to debate what they should have, could have or would have done if only... Were your 2003 marketing results all you’d hoped? The new year offers up a clean slate. The key is to step back and take a look at the big picture, then adopt the programs that will have the most profound effect on your bottom line. To increase sales for your growing business, resolve to make these six smart marketing moves. 1. Become Indispensable Small business owners who communicate with customers only during specific product promotions find it harder to build repeat sales than those who create ongoing customer relationships. Do your customers consider your company a valuable resource? If not, it’s time to add relationship-building tools to your marketing program, such as newsletters (both online and off), help desks or more complete customer service, online message boards and pages with in-depth product data and reviews. 2. Match Reality with Hype Today, customers carefully consider the "ownership experience" when making a purchase. Before buying, they want to know how and where they’ll get answers to important questions, whether the product they’re considering will be reliable, and what they can expect when dealing directly with your company. For effective programs in the new year, create marketing messages that detail the benefits of the complete ownership experience. And be sure you can live up to your promises. Customer attrition and failure of leads to convert to sales can be directly linked to a company’s inability to meet the expectations raised by marketing. 3. Make It Easy to Buy If you’re not already a multichannel marketer, consider using a combination of channels – such as in-store, catalog, and online sales – to make it easy for your customers to buy. Multichannel shoppers enjoy the convenience of making purchases by whatever methods suit them and they’ll reward you by spending more and shopping more often than single-channel customers. To increase sales in the coming year, resolve to add new channels with consistent messaging and follow-through to maximize your cross-selling opportunities. 4. Formalize Your Listening Businesses that race ahead of the pack are famous for their ability to listen to customers and tailor everything from marketing through product development accordingly. Gaining feedback through your salesforce is just the beginning. To get the information you need to meet customers’ needs, formalize and structure your listening tactics to include customer surveys (by mail, telephone or online), informal focus groups and feedback through your Web site. 5. Collect the Right Data The success of your entire marketing program depends on knowing who your customers are and what they buy. Not only does that knowledge enable you to build repeat sales, but it also supplies the demographic information you need to identify your best prospects and turn them into customers. Make 2004 the year you create a comprehensive customer database. Track purchases and segment your database accordingly so you can tailor your marketing messages and tactics to the needs and preferences of each group. 6. Touch Customers Often How often do you ask prospective customers for their business? If you’re not maintaining ongoing communications with your prospects, chances are your competitors are making inroads. In most industries, multiple contacts with prospects are required before sales are closed. So communicate frequently using a combination of sales contacts and marketing tactics, ranging from direct mail and e-mail to advertising and public relations, to make 2004 your best year ever. Get In-depth Coaching on this Topic>> Kim T. Gordon's columns and articles are read by nearly 3 million small and home-based business owners each month. She is the author of two books, including Bringing Home the Business: The 30 Truths Every Home Business Owner Must Know. Copyrighted material. May not be reproduced in whole or part without expressed permission from the author. |
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