Small Business

December
02 2013

Learn How to Create a SIMPLE and EFFECTIVE Marketing Plan

marketing-strategy-planYou may have heard that all small businesses should have a marketing plan, but did you know that very few actually take the time out to create one.  The task of creating a marketing plan may seem daunting and intimidating, but you can create a simple and effective marketing plan by answering the following 8 key questions about your business:

  1. Who is your target market?

    You’ve probably heard this before, but it is VERY important to understand exactly who your target market is for your product or service.  When it comes to understanding your target market, it is not limited to just knowing the demographics like the age range, gender, geographical location, income level, etc., but also knowing the psychographics of your target market.  This includes items such as belief system, personality traits, attitude, etc.  Once you understand the demographics and psychographics of your target market, then your marketing effort becomes much easier!

  2. What is the problem that your target market has (as it relates to your product or service)?

    List specific problems that your target market has as it relates to your product or service. žImagine how these problems make your target market feel stressed out, overwhelmed, uncertain, etc. Once you fully understand how your target market feels, you will be better able to communicate effectively to your target audience!

  3. How does your product or service solve that problem?

    žBe sure to focus on how the benefits of your product or service solves their problems.  You can mention some product features, but the benefits are what people are interested in. Benefits focus on the advantages i.e. your product makes a person look younger, become healthier, etc., and features focus on the characteristics of your  product or service i.e. over 10 years on the market, fast acting, etc. Your message should be 80% about the benefits of your product or service, and only 20% about the features!  

  4. Why should they buy from you and not your competitors?

    žWhat is your unique selling proposition? These are the things that make you and/or your company different. Your customers want to know what makes you better than your competitors.The more able you are to effectively communicate why your company is the best solution, the better your marketing efforts will be.

  5. Where is your target market?

    You need to find out where your target market is located geographically and specific locations. This could include local (cities, counties, etc.), international (countries). žPlaces could include associations, festivals, groups, organizations, etc.Find out where your target market is in large quantities, so you can reach them in large quantities.

  6. How do you reach your target market?

    Are you reaching out to your target offline through networking, advertising, media, or žonline through your website, social networks,blogging, etc.You should have several ways both online and offline to reach out to your target market.

  7. When do you reach out to your target market?

    Create a marketing calendar. Plan out the next 90 days, 6 months, to a year of marketing activity.  Schedule your activity daily, monthly, quarterly, and stay organized.Plan out your marketing activity in advance in order to successful execute your marketing activities.

  8. What do you say to your target market?

    How you communicate to your target market can make the difference between success and failure.  Use messaging that your target market can understand and relate to.Use appropriate messaging that your target market can relate to.  žKnow the best keywords and buzz words to use in your content.

Posted by Nadine Mullings  |  Comments Off on Learn How to Create a SIMPLE and EFFECTIVE Marketing Plan  |  in Business, Business Development, Marketing, Small Business, Uncategorized
November
27 2013

3 Ways to Get Referrals from Your Current Customers

Are you currently offering your clients an incentive for referring someone to you?  If you have customers who already know, like and trust your company, use that to your advantage by asking them to refer their friends, family, and colleagues to your company.    Remember, people like to do business with companies that a trusted friend or family member has referred them to, so it is almost guaranteed business for you.

If you don’t already have a referral program, here are three ways to start a referral program.

1.  Offer a Referral Incentive–  You can offer the referrer a discount on your services or products for each referral that you receive that turns into business for you, or you can offer a visa gift card or a store gift card like Target, Starbucks, etc.  Offering an incentive encourages people to actively refer business to you.

2.  Create an easy way to submit a referral–  For tracking purposes, I would suggested creating an online referral form where people can easily send you a referral online.  A great free tool that you can use to create a referral form and track it is Wufoo.  You could also have people call or email you directly to submit a referral, but you have to be sure that you have a way to track a referral that is submitted via phone or by email.

3.  Promote your referral program.  Just like anything else in your business, you have to promote it in order for people to know about it.  You should promote your referral program on all of your communication pieces to your customers (i.e. your business card, your enewsletter, your brochures, your website, your blog, etc.)

Do you have a referral program?  If so, what techniques do you use to encourage referrals?

Posted by Nadine Mullings  |  Comments Off on 3 Ways to Get Referrals from Your Current Customers  |  in Business, Business Development, Marketing, Small Business
November
21 2013

3 Ways to Get Repeat Business by Rewarding Your Customers

Welcome Back! DoormatA great way to get repeat business from your CURRENT customers is to start a rewards program.  Rewards programs have become popular over the last decade or so in various industries including credit card companies, restaurants, and retail stores to name a few.  Rewards programs are great because they encourage repeat business and increase brand loyalty.  They don’t have to be complicated, you can create a simple rewards program for your customers.

Here are three types of rewards that you could offer:

  1. Birthday Rewards–  Send your customers gift cards on their birthdays.  This is a great relationship marketing strategy to strengthen the relationship you have with your customer, and it is also a great rewards benefit because you are rewarding your customer’s loyalty by offering a special discount on the customer’s birthday.
  2. Repeat Purchase Rewards–  When a customer purchases from your business, show that you appreciate the business by offering some type of incentive to purchase again in the future. For example, you could offer, 50% off on your fifth purchase, and/or a FREE items on your tenth purchase, etc.  You will have to have a way to ensure you are tracking the purchases accurately and that items are awarded at the appropriate time, but otherwise from that, this is a fairly easy type of reward to implement.
  3. VIP Sales Events–  Offer VIP Sales Events where your customers get a special offer only available to your VIP customers at a special sales event.  This type of reward works well because it makes your current customers feel special because they are being offered something that the general public does not have access to, and it allows you to reward them for their loyalty.

Do you have a rewards program for your customers?  If so, what types of rewards do you offer?

Posted by Nadine Mullings  |  Comments Off on 3 Ways to Get Repeat Business by Rewarding Your Customers  |  in Business, Business Development, Marketing, Small Business