Be a Better Marketer for Your Business

Ready to start marketing? First Step: You need a plan! You can't successfully get where you are going without a plan!
     
Network and share ideas

Attend luncheons and meetings to meet others with like businesses. Strike up a conversation that allows you to find out what marketing campaigns worked for them and how they leveraged their existing organizational strengths to grow their business. Share what was successful for you and your business. Sharing ideas can help you develop a marketing plan, open doors to meet other businesses, or obtain referrals to go after new business. It's a win-win situation.
     
Try a new way of communicating

Customers are driven to purchase because they want and need and value something. And customers are influenced to purchase because of the way you communicate your value. Do you need to update your Web site - should it be more interactive? How about developing a direct mailing campaign or newsletter? Whatever you choose, make sure you have a way to track the success of your efforts by implementing contests with promotional codes, conducting online surveys or a call-to-action with 800 numbers. Developing new and creative ways to reach your customers and let them know you can satisfy their need and solve their problems.
     
Launch a "subject matter expert" awareness campaign

You're good at what you do so get the word out. Marketing collateral usually tells the world your opinion of yourself, but your customers really need to know that others think you're great. Try sponsoring an industry event and build a media relations campaign around it. Write a case study that shows how successful you are at solving your customers' problems or send out a press release that includes a positive quote from a customer. Find creative ways to have others tout your capabilities.
     
Understand your customer a little better

Knowing your customer will not only help you sell product, but will influence your company's product and business development decisions. You can start by asking questions. Visit your customers or conduct surveys. Host user groups or lunch&learns with a Q&A session at the end. Or, you can develop a market research initiative that sets out to answer a specific question. With a clear understanding of who your customers are and what drives them to purchase, you will know what communications media they will respond to and what products and services they will want to buy - now and into the future.
     

Know your competitors

Wouldn't it be nice if you could get your competitors customers to buy from you? To do this - you must know your competitor. Speak to your customers and ask them what they think about your competitor or get a real good idea of your competitor's strategic directions by reading their Web site and press releases. If you can, purchase your competitors product and determine cost, materials used and functionality. You need to be able to counter your competitor's strengths and take advantage of their weaknesses.

Start your marketing efforts with a plan! Set your goals, size your efforts, and take note of what works for you. Happy Marketing!

Lea-Ann W. Berst, Principal Consultant for Sleddogg Marketing, writes Think Like a “Marketeer” articles that give companies tips to help them transition into a customer-focused organization; attracting new customers and growing their business!