Sometimes the simple things in life are the best. Good marketing isn't hard if you know the basics. Here's three easy tips to success.
Tip #1: The more that your potential customers see your name in front of them, the more likely they are to call your number and not your competitors.
Many marketing efforts go unrewarded, not because they were off target but simply because they weren't given enough of an opportunity to work. Showing your TV commercial one time, running an ad in the newspaper once, or sending only one mailing piece won't be enough to grab and keep the audience's attention.
Taking the time to really see which messages generate the response you want will really pay off. Don't just totally give up when a response is low - persistence is vital.
Get your name out there. Do it on a regular basis and people will remember you when they need someone in your line of business. Actually, this particular piece of advice cannot be stressed enough - and failure to adhere to it is the number one reason new businesses fail in their first year.
Tip # 2: Measure your return on investment (ROI) in terms of actual money, not response rate.
An advertising vehicle is working when the money that it brings in has more value than the money and time that is spent on the marketing.
Don't fall into the trap of becoming discouraged by a small number of callers responding to a large number of pieces. If you spend several hundred dollars to be in the view of a few thousand possible leads, it may only take a few customers responding for you to make enough of a profit for this type of marketing to be valuable. The usefulness of any vehicle can only be determined after the amount of income generated by the promotion has been calculated. If you spend one-fifth of what you generate or generate five times what you spend, your campaign was successful.
Tip #3: It is much easier to sell to a prospect once you get them to call or come in to your store.
In two step marketing, step one is to get them interested; step two is having them speak to a representative to get all the details - and get "closed" by that representative.
Your design must be eye catching and informative, but don't try to close the sale by explaining all of the details in one piece of advertising. The details of a business transaction may often take many more words to explain than the main concept of what is being sold. For example, if your company offers great prices depending on the quantity purchased, there is no need to list the prices for every quantity that you sell. Simply give examples of two or three different quantities and state somewhere in the advertisement that other discounts are available for other quantities. This will prompt them to call to get the rest of the details once you have gotten their interest.
Joy Gendusa is CEO of PostcardMania, Clearwater, FL.
