Cont’d from Part 1
No matter what your situation, the marketing process is always the same.
You need to:
1. Determine who you are selling to.
2. Identify their needs (or wants).
3. Create a solution for those needs.
4. Let them know about it.
And then:
Make Your Case
Why should people buy from your business, instead of any other business that sells similar products or services? What's so unique about your business?
If you don't have specific answers to these questions, or more importantly, if your customers and prospects don't have specific answers to these questions, you've got a problem. There is a solution, however, and it's called positioning. Wardell can help you with this.
3 Consider Your Options with Promotional Channels
Promotional Channels are the methods you use to communicate your marketing message to your Target Market. These could be anything from making a telephone call to airing a television advertisement. The possibilities are endless, but they all have their inherent strengths and weaknesses, depending on your needs and on the habits of your Target Market. For example:
On the one hand, a newspaper advertisement can usually be targeted to specific geographic areas, can be as large or small as necessary, can offer repeat exposures with only one placement, and is reasonably inexpensive.
On the other hand, a newspaper advertisement has a short shelf life (it is rarely read the day after it comes out), blends in with a whole host of other advertisements, suffers from poor production quality, and is sent to a broad cross section of individuals many of whom may not be part of your Target Market.
The following is a list of promotional channels. There are some inherent advantages and disadvantages of each. Review the list with your products in mind and identify the channels that will work best for you.
Print: Newspapers, magazines, Yellow Pages, trade directories, catalogues, flyers, brochures, newsletters.
Direct Response: Direct mail, catalogues, email, telemarketing, door to door, coupons, special offers.
Broadcast/Electronic: Television, radio, internet (including social media)
Display/Outdoor: Signage, billboards (including sandwich boards, bus stop benches, etc.) transportation advertisements (busses, trains), novelty (inflatables, spot lights, bumper stickers),
You may also want to consider trying a few other “outside the box” channels.
Promotional and specialty items can keep your name in front of your customers.
Speaking at a public event reinforces your name as an authority on a subject and puts you at the top of the list in your prospects’ minds.
Trade Shows and Business conventions are great places to network and build relationships with your target market and your peers.
Contests attract attention in a way that few other promotional channels can, and can be managed very effectively and without great cost.
There is often free publicity to be had with a public relations story where you can get media attention by doing something of value for your community.