Marketing advice always comes in handy when you are running a business and trying to get ahead of the competition. You may have some marketing tools in your belt and some experience behind you, but keeping up with the trends and learning unique methods to add to your marketing strategy collection is always wise.
Many marketers would tell you that looking back on their careers, they wouldn’t be where they are today if it hadn’t been for a method or mentor that transformed their careers.
Take a look at these 5 examples of marketing advice that you never got, but wish you had. These tips can help you start expanding your marketing horizon by trying a few new strategies.
Be a friend to your customer
Ever notice that the best customer service you get is when you are being treated like a friend, not just another customer?
When you think of a cold, overly-professional salesperson helping you at a store or with a service, you may immediately feel uncomfortable and hesitant to spend money. Now imagine this same interaction with a friendly professional who has the potential to become a new friend. The conversation is instantly more comfortable for both of you.
If you can deliver this friendly type of service to your customers, you’ll give them the warm and comfortable assistance the desire. You’ll become more than a marketer or employee.
Focus on building quality relationships with your potential customers and treat every lead as if they are already your customer. Think about their needs, and if you can, don’t mention what you’re selling in the initial conversation.
Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, has tremendous success with this method:
I didn’t know anything about what I was selling and didn’t have a clue on how to sell. When people did invite me in for an appointment, I was surprised and I asked them what motivated them to invite me in. I’d ask them about their jobs, what their goals were, if they had any advice. So we began having very personal conversations and by the 3rd month, they said, “If you’d just bring a brochure, we’d buy from you!”
I didn’t even know to do that! We were just having fun conversations, and because I kept coming back, the executives thought it was really important stuff I was selling. – Elinor Stutz via HireVue
Identify your true market
Many industries focus their marketing efforts on millennials because they are the generation spending the most money right now. But what is your true target market? Marketers, if they aren’t careful, can get caught up in the trendy markets instead of the target markets.
Don’t focus on millennials if they aren’t the audience for your product. Focus your marketing and advertising plans on the group or demographic that wants and needs what you are selling, and can be converted at a reasonable cost to you.
Set a working budget
Marketing is basically a series of tests that are analyzed and tried again for different results. It’s exciting to start testing and put marketing plans in motion, but many people forget to set their budget when considering their marketing plans.
Make sure you are allocating a budget and updating it as the situation changes. It’s easy to get caught up in spending at the beginning because you assume that it will pay off right away, but that’s not likely. You’ll want to slowly increase your budget over time.
Measure data and content
It’s important to embrace technology with your marketing strategy. Big data is being used more than ever to help companies make smart decisions. It’s the easiest way to track demographics and to assist you in connecting with your customers with platforms like social media.
Be willing to embrace technology, spend your time going over the figures, and keeping up a great website. Post great content on a blog that can be shared on social media. Create an eBook. Content marketing is essential because it not only educates and entertains, but brings in leads and keeps your customers loyal.
Maintain customer relationships
It takes much more than closing a deal or gaining a new customer to make your company successful. That’s why great marketers know that follow through and communication with current customers is essential to keep them interested and loyal to your business.
Your customers can easily forget you when the next big sale pops up with a different business or after an average or dissatisfying experience at your store.
“Keep the relationship ongoing instead of occasional, and watch how followers become more loyal.”
Keep in touch with your customer base, reach out through email, and interact on social media. Keep the relationship ongoing instead of occasional, and watch how your followers become more loyal and dedicated to purchasing from you the next time they need a product or service.
When it comes to your knowledge of marketing, this is the advice you’ve always needed but never got. See where you can implement these techniques and watch how your customers respond.
