So, how was your 2006? Meet your sales projections? How about profits? Did you hit your target, blow it away or… fall a little short? Regardless how you did -- and I hope you did well -- 2006 is history. But 2007 is just getting started. With that in mind, here are Five New Year's Marketing Resolutions.
1. Resolve to make all your advertising, marketing and sales collateral more effective.
Give your copy a thorough, customer-centric, prospect-centric review. Read it with the same mindset, attitude and prejudices of your top customers and prospects. Is your copy 100% focused on how your product or service satisfies their wants, needs and desires? Do you offer specific and meaningful benefit-oriented details about your company, product or service? Does your copy speak to the differentiating advantages offered by your company and its products and services? Have you included testimonials and other forms of proof? Are your materials pleasing to look at and easy to read?
2. Resolve to get input from the people that matter most.
On average, it's five times more expensive to land a new customer than it is to retain an existing one. So if you haven't done so in the last 18 months, contract with a reputable third-party to conduct a customer satisfaction survey. Why use a third party? Two key reasons: (1) When responding to an objective third party your customers will offer up more candid, forthright and valuable answers, and (2) assuming you earn high marks, you'll want to use the results of your survey in your marketing efforts. By stating that the information was compiled by a third party, those results will be more credible and effective.
A well-executed customer satisfaction survey can help you prevent customer defections, and uncover problems and resolve issues before your customer takes their business elsewhere. A survey can also generate customer testimonials, something most small businesses can't get enough of—just make sure you get permission before using them!
Surveys can also help you develop new product or service offerings, as customers give you input about things they would buy from you.
3. Resolve to improve response rates by including a "call to action" in every ad.
There's no small business I've ever come across that could afford to run print ads without including a clear and direct call to action. Give the readers of your ad an actionable, benefit-oriented reason to respond. For example, if you run an IT consulting business that specializes in network security and disaster recovery, offer a white paper on something like "The Five Key Gaps in Enterprise Cyber Security." The call to action for a CPA, lawyer or financial advisor could be a free one-hour, no-obligation consultation. And so on. Remember, the same holds true for any postal or e-mail campaign.
4. Resolve to make "news."
Much of the news you see and hear in the media about any specific company is there because the company made a concerted effort to "make" that "news." Simply stated, it or its representative came up with a story angle and directly contacted the media about running the story. It happens every day, and there's no reason you can't make it happen for you.
There are countless ways you can generate news. For example, sponsor a survey of interest to your customers or prospects. Use a reputable third-party to conduct the survey, and business publications may pick up on it, which can help position your company as a thought leader in your industry.
You can also put out a press release to commemorate a meaningful anniversary. But keep in mind you need a newsworthy story angle. For example, has your success defied the odds? Do your products have an intensely loyal following? Was/is the company founder an eccentric, colorful character? Think like a reporter.
Extra marketing mileage can be gotten from successful campaigns by getting the media to showcase them in a feature. This helps position your company as a savvy, successful enterprise.
As in everything, relationships matter. You'll achieve the most profitable results when your efforts are part of a consistent and ongoing media development program.
5. Resolve to make 2007 the year you clearly differentiate your business from the competition.
The consumer and business buyer today is bombarded with a multitude of choice in every category, save but a few. So if you can't successfully differentiate your business and its products and services, then you'd better be really good at "price limbo." As in, "how low can you go?" And few businesses other than Wal-Mart can successfully execute a "price limbo" strategy.
As we all know, most New Year's resolutions are quickly broken. The good thing about the five on this list is that making and keeping just one of them could have a substantial impact on your year. But whatever your game plan is here's to a happy, healthy and highly profitable 2007 for you and your business.
Ernest Nicastro is a direct marketing consultant and copywriter with Positive Response, Dublin, OH.
