Essential Marketing Tool
Nope, that’s not a typo and we’re not referring to anything pickled. If you’re talking and your market isn’t listening, switch it up and listen to them. Listening is an essential marketing tool.
You’ve assembled all the marketing basics – at the very minimum a logo, business card, website, social media profile, print materials. Check, check, check, check, check. Sales aren’t pouring in. Now what?
It’s a really good idea, time-tested and proven, for any new business to identify potential audiences and get some feedback before a hard launch. This means listening. “If you build it, they will come” works if you’re building something somebody wants (even if they don’t know yet that they want it). Do some research to see where your idea fits, who your product will appeal to, what needs your service might fill.
Then, do some projections, and then create the marketing materials and campaign. These should be professional quality, responsive to what you’ve learned, and coordinated so that each element works together to promote your product to the audiences you want to reach. If you already have these in place, but they aren’t working, go back to the drawing board.
What words are your target customers using to describe themselves and communicate with their peers? What media channels are they using? What patterns do you see? If you have the opportunity to interact with customers one on one, face to face, draw them out. Rather than delivering a sales pitch, find out what their concerns are or what gets them excited. If your customers are remote, get online, participate in conversations, and listen.
Be prepared to shift your approach based on feedback. Reflect back to your audience using their language and communication preferences. That’s basic Sales 101 – to mirror your prospect’s behaviour. If hardly anyone is calling the phone number on your postcard and website, for example, maybe your customers are hanging out on social media, and a “follow us on Instagram” campaign would bring better results.
Get to know your audience. And listen.
FSC offers consulting for any stage of your for-profit or non-profit business in any sector, such as art, manufacturing, distribution, a niche cottage industry, or professional services. We provide practical business insights and essential marketing tools. Our specialty and passion is guiding your small business, whatever it may be, to success and continued growth through branding that engages your audience and reflects the unique qualities of your product.
Contact: FSCintl.com | 900 West Santa Anita Street, # 12 – San Gabriel, Ca | 626.308.3811
By Adele Field, 11/13/15