By Brenda Weathers Hargroves
Effective marketing comes with practice. Sure, you can research data concerning proven marketing tools. There is a great deal of information available. But, the reality is that all tools do not work for all businesses. Your task is to determine which tools will help you market and sell your particular product or service. And believe me, it requires much trial and error to develop a solid marketing plan that produces your desired results.
Every day small business owners confront their lack of marketing experience. Many entrepreneurs are knowledgeable about their product, but don’t have a clue as to how to reach their target audience. Let’s consider a few tips as you forge the path to addressing this dilemma.
1) Successful marketing requires nurturing relationships. The importance of networking cannot be stressed enough. Developing both business and personal contacts is crucial. Show up at events your potential clients are likely to attend. Join and participate in the trade association activities related to your field. Bear in mind that you must be discerning when selecting your affiliations. Choose the ones that you decide offer the best visibility to your intended audience. Remember that while you should bring added value to the organizations you join, you must be careful not to become so involved with the organization that your business suffers. Determine how much time you can devote to your networking activities and learn to say ‘no’ when you’ve reached your limit.
2) Stay informed about industry trends and current business information that concern your clientele. Knowledge of the events that affect your industry helps you to develop your marketing techniques. Keeping abreast of what’s going on prepares you for intelligent conversations with your clientele. The ability to discuss these matters adds to your credibility and solidifies those all-important relationships mentioned above. Staying informed also provides a method to track your competitors’ activity.
3) Create a plan that blends different marketing approaches. No single idea is going to develop all of the business you are seeking. You must use an arsenal of techniques to ensure that you reach the universe of potential clients. Build up a mix of free, low-budget and more expensive sources to advertise your product or service. Save the more expensive approaches on the segment for your clientele with the highest incoming producing potential.
4) Develop a consistent way to reach your target audience. This form of branding will make people expect to hear from you in the same form or fashion. You become a part of their routine. Consistently distribute a newsletter, write articles, host community events or facilitate a webinar. These are all examples of ways to provide continued exposure for your business.
5) Offer something for free. People love free. And, offering something that attracts attention is the best way to build your database of contact for future marketing purposes.
Make sure what you offer has enough value that it makes potential clients clamor for more. You must then follow up with quality service. In the words of entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, “Give value. Give value. Give value. Then ask for business.”
Determining effective marketing techniques is the result of researching proven methods, then tweaking them to develop your own approach. You must then get out there and test your approach to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Abandon what doesn’t work and try something new. Following this method will help you to develop a successful marketing program.
OK, time to share a marketing approach you found successful in the comment section.
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