Reaching the Market
What We’ll Cover Today
1. How to develop clear brand messages
2. How to do the basics of marke<ng
3. How to further define target markets
4. How to be strategic with your marke<ng
5. What it looks like in ac<on
What We’ll Cover Today
1. How to develop clear brand messages
2. How to do the basics of marke<ng
3. How to further define target markets
4. How to be strategic with your marke<ng
5. What it looks like in ac<on
Define your brand identity. Get beyond your services list to what makes you different – an elevator
pitch could capture this.
Spy on your competitors: What do they say about themselves?
How are you different?
Focus on talking about WHY you are a better choice
We can help you grow your business We can help you streamline operations We can help you expand your capabilities We can help you make better products We have the best customer service We have the most experience We have the lowest price (be careful with this) We are local
GET BEYOND THE SERVICE LIST!
Paid marketing won’t work if you haven’t clearly spelled out why people
should consider your company.
Developing clear brand messages SECTION REVIEW
What We’ll Cover Today
1. How to develop clear brand messages
2. How to do the basics of marke<ng
3. How to further define target markets
4. How to be strategic with your marke<ng
5. What it looks like in ac<on
Have a professional website This will serve as the central hub providing the
most complete information about your company and directing people to social media channels.
Make sure it conveys your brand and messaging
Is it on par with or better than your competitors in terms of design and quality of content?
Make sure your website clearly presents brand messages and services
Don’t let your uncle’s neighbor’s son’s girlfriend do it – you have options!
Ad Agencies/Web Development companies/Freelancers (will they be there for you after it is built?)
You!
Low budget? Build your own website
smallbusiness.yahoo.com, GoDaddy.com, Homestead.com, squarespace.com
Big Commerce, 3dCart, or Volusion for ecommerce sites
Benefit: low cost and can include applications like photo galleries
Drawback: depends on your time and writing skills, cookie-cutter design
Make your site Mobile friendly Building a site with Responsive Design is now an option - or build a separate mobile website that can detect access by mobile phones
Create a professional handout People don’t read
Business cards or rack cards may be enough if you have a good website – primary purpose of many print materials today is to drive to web or social media
Include testimonials, if room permits
Use low cost VistaPrint.com templates
Hundreds of designs by industry
Hundreds of designs by industry
Network! Network! Network!
The 3 Rules of Networking Don’t heavy sell
It is like dating - ask questions about them! (But watch for openings to share info about yourself and your business)
Don’t worry about how many people you talk to, just make sure they are good conversations
Send out Press Releases
Search “How to write a press release” online
Has to be newsworthy – launch new products, announce events, new staff, new account, big project, awards
A few times per year, if you are lucky
Use Social Media
What can you talk about? Company announcements New customers or completed projects New staff or staff stories Awards or achievements Customer stories Related business or community news Unsure? look at what others in your industry
are doing
It is about ENGAGEMENT (and SEO)
WOW!
DID YOU HEAR?
AWESOME!
COOL!
Cross share content (and have your employees share too) to make it all work!
CAUTION: Don’t start anything you won’t continue long term
Great free (or inexpensive) tools for this: • CrowdBooster.com
• TweetDeck
• HootSuite.com
• My new favorite: www.bufferapp.com
Schedule ahead:
NutshellMail.com
Make your existing customers feel special Quarterly phone calls or
e-newsletters
Welcome notes, thank you notes, holiday cards
Purchase level recognition with gifts
Customer of the quarter gift cards
It costs
to get a new customer vs. keep an existing
2% 10%
Customer Reten<on Costs
Customer profitability tends to increase over the life of a retained customer
Ask for Referrals
Ask for testimonials
Have a professional website and a professional handout
Drive traffic and awareness through networking, press releases & social media
Nurture your existing customers
Doing the basics of marketing SECTION REVIEW
What We’ll Cover Today
1. How to develop clear brand messages
2. How to do the basics of marke<ng
3. How to further define target markets
4. How to be strategic with your marke<ng
5. What it looks like in ac<on
Identify & prioritize your target markets
They can look very different and need different marketing approaches and messages to reach effectively. Good marketing is not one size fits all.
Target market examples
Existing customers Board members/stakeholders Homeowners Retirees Small business Government contractors Women
Then drill down even more
Small businesses within a 30 mile radius, at least 3 employees, preferably in the following types of industries, chamber members
Women, age 25 – 50, in the workforce
Adjust your message for each market
Define different targets and develop customized messages for each.
Further defining target markets SECTION REVIEW
What We’ll Cover Today
1. How to develop clear brand messages
2. How to do the basics of marke<ng
3. How to further define target markets
4. How to be strategic with your marke<ng
5. What it looks like in ac<on
AUDIENCE PRODUCT/SERVICE MESSAGE BEST WAY TO REACH
General Business Branding, print design, web design, marke5ng & social media consul5ng
We can help you be more strategic with your marke5ng so you get results
Networking, public speaking, sales reps, referral program, social media
Economic & Community Development Organiza5ons
Web design, retail recruitment guides, presenta5on materials
We can help your community aDract the aDen5on of site selectors and retailers
Industry Tradeshows, sponsorships, referral program, e-‐newsleDers, blog
Exis5ng Customers All services – with a focus on new services
Don’t forget we can help you with a wide range of services
Direct mail, referral programs, e-‐newsleDers, calls
List each Audience…
…and the service/product you want to
provide each
…and the message you
want to tell each
…and the best ways to reach each
Build your marketing strategy
What are your options? Associations and advertising opportunities Sponsorships Newspapers and local magazine ads Trade magazine ads Online advertising Networking – Chamber, WBCNA,
HASBAT, etc.
What are your options?
Radio TV Billboard Social media Blogging Direct Mail Press Releases
E-newsletters Speaking
engagements Promotional
products Etc. etc.
How do you choose? What can you consistently deliver? Is a
monthly e-newsletter realistic? What can you afford? Biggest rule: Have a presence in as
many places as possible within your budget: a small ad four times is better than a big ad once
Spread out your visibility over time
Develop your 12 month plan and budget Do date/pricing research for print ads, events. Then plug in around those.
Determine the best approaches to deliver your message to
each target market, multiple times throughout the year,
within your budget
Being strategic with your marketing SECTION REVIEW
What We’ll Cover Today
1. How to develop clear brand messages
2. How to do the basics of marke<ng
3. How to further define target markets
4. How to be strategic with your marke<ng
5. What it looks like in ac<on
Red Sage Strategy for Economic Development Market
Association membership in EDAA, NAIDA, and SEDC Three to four conferences per year
Booth and sponsorships at conferences, be a speaker whenever possible
Rack cards – one for web, one for marketing
Direct mail – database from association
LinkedIn participation
Quarterly E-newsletters
CommunityResults.com
Materials for Economic Development
Red Sage Strategy for Small Business Market
WBCNA, HASBAT, Energy Huntsville & Chamber participation in Decatur and Huntsville – regular networking
Public speaking
Ad in Decatur Chamber newsletter
Weekly blog, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
Commitment to update website and SEO
Press Releases
Award entries
Materials for Small Business
How do you know if your marketing is
working?
Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted, and the problem is I don't know which half.
- Lord Leverhulme (British founder of Unilever)
Ways to track results Train your staff to ask all new callers – how
did you hear of us Traditional advertising (radio, print ads,
direct mail) tie in a trackable offer – bring this in for a discount, mention this ad etc.
Google Analytics, social media metrics, e-newsletter metrics
How many people tell you they saw your ad Sales volume or inbound calls volume
Be consistent with your elevator pitch and core messages
Do the basics well and consistently Be strategic with target markets Spread out your efforts with a variety
of activities over time
FINAL REVIEW
Bottom Line: You don’t have to be perfect.
You just have to be better than your competitors.
WE ARE DONE!
1. How to develop clear brand messages
2. How to do the basics of marke<ng
3. How to further define target markets
4. How to be strategic with your marke<ng
5. What it looks like in ac<on
Download this presentation at www.slideshare.net/ellendid4
Please connect with me! www.RedSageOnline.com
twitter.com/ellendidier twitter.com/RedSageAL
facebook.com/redsage linkedin.com/in/ellendidier
Facebook = personal and friendly
LinkedIn – your online resume and business network
Ask for testimonials
Search for and actively participate in industry groups locally, nationally,
internationally
LinkedIn groups are a great way to monitor buzz and trends – and
contribute content
Create a page for your business
Rapidly growing in importance Gen-Y and tech savvy participants Some industries more than others Search Twitter and “research” what
people are thinking about things (or saying about your brand) – great focus group
Post daily or multiple times per day
Using # and @ to increase visibility
Use @ to mention an organization or individual by name – this shows up in their feed (and is very desirable) @RedSageAL
Use # to highlight topics to show up in searches such as #PromDress #Marketing #Huntsville
Create your own #hashtag for an event or promotion such as #RiverFest2012 or #SageAdvice – use to create buzz at an event
# and @ in action
Small (but growing) audience At a minimum, duplicate the posts you
are posting to Facebook or Twitter – but best to build out like microsite – allows photo galleries, videos, services pages, more information than Facebook
For some local businesses – may be best way to show up on page 1 of Google!
Populate with positive reviews!
Google+
YouTube – seriously consider!
Blogging
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