3 Keys to Small Business Marketing
In terms of designing a marketing strategy, do you know why so many organizations are in such a hurry to get momentum, to get traction from their efforts, that they forget the age old rule – accuracy first, momentum second?
Isn’t that why builders at all skill levels recognize you really need to measure twice, cut once?
Don’t forget – it doesn’t help to be making good time, when you’re driving in the wrong direction.
So, how come some businesses – not you, your competitors I hope, firing away before they’ve got the actual target dialed in – with a precisely defined focus?
Maybe it’s simply because business people usually are naturally action people not to mention it really feels better to do something than simply thinking about it.
In all probability you’ve never thought of yourself as a strategist, the other members of your company are too occupied with the day-to-day duties to help out, and there is no one else to confide in that you trust 100%.
And anyway, let’s say you spend time and energy strategizing all the “what if” situations you can think of only to come up with something that doesn’t work?
A primary secret weapon to success is the value of your organization’s uniqueness. What is it about your business that sets apart you from the competition in your marketplace?
By the way, who are your conventional competition? Are there any new competitors coming on the scene? Exactly what do you consider your marketing area? Did 70-80% of your new business come from a relatively few accounts, or a sub-niche in your marketplace, or a single geographical area last year?
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Unless you know specifically who is already buying from you, and why, you’ll never be able to articulate your USP, your unique selling proposition – from the opinion of your customers.
Would it be useful if you could arrange a small group of your friends , people who recognize your opportunities, to discuss these and other elements of your small business strategy with? People who live around the country – not nearby, so you won’t be telling your business secrets or sharing your plans with a someone you’re going to run into at the mall or at church.
An additional key to the success of your marketing plan and to the success of your company in general is the caliber of your organization’s acknowledged reputation as someone to do business with.
In this day of just about infinite choices of vendors it is critical that you are thought to be someone people look foward to business with and someone people trust to keep their word.
When you are the best kept secret in your area or in your industry – if the right people don’t know who you are, then your results will be lower than they would be if you were a household name among your potential customers.
Your customers know who you and to the extent they keep doing business with you are happy with the relationship. If they stand for the “right people” to you, how can you recruit them in your efforts to pass on your reputation as a professional organization to do business with?
Perhaps your peers, those involved with your industry, have developed campaigns that effectively target the right people in their market? Maybe these same peers can help you focus your efforts in the right places determined by what is working for them? That would put some sharp teeth into your marketing strategy, wouldn’t it?
The last key is the quality of your products and support services.
Chances are that the quality of your products and support services measures up to your customers’ expectations. If it didn’t there’d be few repeat sales and sales generally speaking would be declining.
Your challenge is to develop the ability to continually communicate the fact that your customers’ expectations are being met to your prospects. In other words getting that message out prior to the sale is the key.
An excellent strategic marketing strategy brings together these elements into a seamless process that will let you focus on what you are unique at, who is the ideal prospect for it, and then recruiting your satisfied customers to tell your story to the right people in your marketplace.
For most of you this will not be a complicated process. It will take effort and you will need help.
That help can and in all likelihood should come from a group of your peers, people from your industry, who are far outside of your traditional marketing area.
People whose marketing insights and experiences are directly relevant to you.
Today, free long distance service, instant online webinar services, and small business webinar tools can make your meetings effective without worrying about the money and time squandered getting to and from in person get togethers.
These types of Internet tools also offer the ability to interact with the other members of your strategic marketing peer group 24/7 – so your plans can be refined continually to deal with the speed of change in business today.
All the best!
