Mission 2010: Courting Customers & Keeping Them
January 1, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Now that the hype, heartburn and hoopla of the holidays is just a fond memory, it’s time to get back to business.
I know, you’re probably not quite ready to emerge from celebration mode just yet. Sorry about that — just call me Ebenezer.
We all know that without customers, a business won’t survive. That said, it stands to reason that we have to do more than just court them with clever advertising — we must convert them into customers and keep them. Finding customers isn’t exactly rocket science — especially if you’ve done your market research beforehand (you DID do that, right?). The part that can get a bit dicey is in keeping the customers you manage to get, and maintaining an excellent business relationship with them.
So, folks — here’s your mission, should you choose to accept it. Court those prospects — tempt and woo them. But once those prospects hand over their hard-earned cash to you and become an actual customer, be prepared to treat them like your business depends upon them.
Because it does.
Making a List, and Checking it Twice
Santa knows a thing or two about making a list, and so should you. Don’t let the thought of creating a customer database be daunting to you, though. Open Office has a spreadsheet component to it that is compatible with Microsoft Excel, and it’s free. You don’t have to keep elaborate records — simply keeping track of their names and email addresses will enable you to send off the occasional mailing to keep in touch.
I Have a List…Now What?
So glad you asked. Here are a few tips to maintain those customers, and encourage them to use your products or services again:
Keep in Touch
Your customers are just like you — they get busy with day-to-day life, and may not always think about revisiting your site to check out what may be new and noteworthy. It’s your job to service those customers, and keep them up to date on how you may be of service to them. Whether it is a new software upgrade, accessories to an original purchase, new companion products or sales announcements, you can create a simple ezine to share this information with your customers.
TIP: Don’t make your newsletter an in-your-face sales pitch. Spice up your mailing with tidbits like seasonal observances and holidays, tips, resources of interest, or other morsels that will make readers look forward to receiving your mailings.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Without subjecting you to my lackluster Aretha imitation, you get the general idea. The art of old-fashioned customer service is nearly non-existent these days — on the rare occasions that a customer receives a thank you note or email, it makes an impression. Make your customers feel valued and appreciated, and they will consistently seek you out for their future product or service needs.
Big Things from Small Packages
Everyone likes to get free stuff. While this may not be an earth shattering revelation to you, it may be something you haven’t considered. Drop a promotional pen, business card magnet or notepad into an outbound shipment, along with a “thanks for your order” note. You don’t need to go crazy ordering lavish items; but, you do need to make sure that any token you offer includes your name, logo and contact information on it.
Give Me a Break
Discounts are always welcome. During these challenging economic times, a discount on a future purchase may well encourage a future purchase in a timeframe of 10-30 days. You may consider setting up an autoresponder series that mails recent customers a promotional offer to encourage a future purchase — or you may use your regular ezine to send out these offers to your “preferred customer list.” Again, this all goes back to making your valued customers feel valued.
Turn Customers into a Commissioned Sales Force
There is no stronger endorsement than that of a satisfied customer. If we’ve learned anything from the boom of social networks, it is that consumers will seek out the advice and feedback of their peers before making a purchase decision. Turn your customers into brand evangelists by offering them a discount or free gift when they refer a friend that makes a purchase. Most shopping carts allow you to add a custom field for data collection during the checkout process — this provides a simple way for shoppers to give credit to the friend who referred them.
Make 2010 the year that you skyrocket your site traffic, and convert those prospects into paying customers!
Download your FREE COPY (no registration required) of the Promo Diva’s 2010 Profit Boosters Tool Kit — featuring helpful tips and resources to help you start the new year right.
Click here to claim your copy!
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October 15, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Many small businesses fall prey to attempting to be all things to all people.
The reality is, no business will ever attract ALL the consumers; therefore, it stands to reason that we should focus our time, energy and resources on identifying a select group rather than trying to reach across the mass market. For this reason, it becomes important to pinpoint, as closely as possible, exactly who the potential buyers are. The process of identifying the most likely customers and creating a tailor-fit marketing campaign addressed exclusively for those potential customers is known as target marketing.
Target marketing is the strategy of focusing your marketing efforts on a distinct group of potential customers. When properly conceived, designed and implemented, target marketing can help increase customer satisfaction, improve brand loyalty and gain an edge over competitors.
Is it Really That Important?
The short answer is yes.
Consider mainstream corporate America. Early in my career, I worked for a large field office of a market research firm. Over the years, we surveyed consumers on a wide variety of items — from food items to perfumes, from cleaning products to alcoholic beverages and duct tape. We screened commercials, storyboards, print ads, slogans, and radio commercials. Our clients would fly in from all over the country to sit behind two-way glass just so they could get a glimpse into the minds of their target audience.
All this to say, big businesses know that the time they spend honing their message will save them time and expense when they introduce the product to the market. If a particular ad concept falls short of thier expectations, it is far easier to make changes in the early stages of production rather than when the ad is actually in print.
The same rules apply to small business owners.
When you conduct target marketing, it is critical that you fine-tune your product or service to meet the precise need of your chosen target market. Positioning your brand as the obvious choice for a particular niche can pay strong dividends. Becoming the “go to” expert in your field can provide the keystone to building a brand that stands out from the competition.
Best of all, once you have achieved this status — you will begin to see that you are gaining sales due to the merits of your product and reputation, and not strictly based upon price.
Get Ready
The steps that you take in the preparation of your marketing campaign are among the most crucial to its success. It is in this stage that you consider market segmentation — a process in which you divide the total market into distinct sub-groups of buyers who have distinct needs or wants, or are likely to respond differently to certain products or marketing mixes. Market segments are often defined by many different factors — geographic location, age, gender, socio-economic standings, and lifestyle preferences (i.e. pet owners, health-conscious consumers, etc.). In order to be able to drill down to the most specific demographics of your audience, it is imperative that you know WHO your customer is.
Taking Aim
Now that we have defined the market segment we wish to target, it’s time to take aim. In this stage, we are evaluating the market segments we’ve identified in order to determine their potential. The attractiveness of a market segment is determined by factors such as its size, growth rate, current and potential competition, brand loyalty of current customers in the segment, projected market share, sales prospects and expected profitability in the segment. Based on the evaluation, one or more of the segments may be selected for your business to target. However, the final decision to zero-in on a particular market segment also depends largely on its suitability to the objectives, resources and capabilities of your home business.
Fire Off that Campaign!
The final step in the process involves designing a detailed and effective marketing mix that will resonate with and appeal to your chosen market segment. Your marketing efforts should be coordinated into a concerted effort to successfully reach your target buyers — and should strike a balance between pricing, distribution, promotions, and product specifications. Despite what media format your message is presented in, consumers will receive the same message. Knowing that consumers must be presented with your message on the average of seven times, the need to make those messages cohesive becomes much more evident. Likewise, the value of target marketing is enhanced — the identified market segments are more receptive, and tend to respond favorably to your marketing efforts.
Marketing without a plan is like winking at a pretty girl in the dark. You know what you’re trying to achieve, but the object of your interest remains unaware.
In either case, despite the best of intentions, you’re still going to miss the mark.
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August 11, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
It’s that time again.
It’s time for school age children to begin dreading every sunrise, and for the parents of said children to begin the countdown…
Yes, my friends — it’s back to school time.
For the record, I never minded back to school time when I was growing up — but that was primarily because I loved the thought of getting new paper, pens, and various and sundry organizational school supplies (strange, but true — explains a lot, doesn’t it?).
Last week I had the rare pleasure of having possession of the remote control. During my cursory scanning of the channels, I happened to catch a Staples commercial that employs some of the most savvy back-to-school marketing that I have seen in quite some time. In trying to locate this clip, I came to find out that this commercial isn’t new — in fact, it originally aired in the 90s. It just goes to show that when you have a great concept, it will often stand the test of time.
Aside from giving you a nearly-midweek-chuckle, why am I sharing this? Well, I’m glad you asked. This commercial is a fantastic (and brilliantly creative) example of how you can cash in with seasonal marketing. There are certain times of the year when it is easy to tap into the collective mind of society — and whether you are underscoring the shared joys (such as the holidays), or the shared headaches (tax season) — a bit of creativity can often make your message resonate even stronger.
Without ruining the clip for those who may not have seen it, I will set it up just by saying that I swear I saw my folks do a similar dance when I was young…and I sincerely doubt it was because my mom was hopped up from sniffing markers.
I’m just sayin’…
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July 14, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Who doesn’t recall playing a rousing game of tag as a kid? I can remember playing a revised version with the neighborhood gang — we’d gather just after the sun went down, and we’d play tag with flashlights until someone’s mom invariably ended the fun when she called out the dreaded phrase, “bedtime!”
Ah, those were the days.
These days, tag has taken on a completely different meaning to me — but strangely enough, it is still just as much an integral part of my life.
Considering Your Tagline
Truly, nothing says more about you, or your business. Just think about some of the world’s largest brands, and I’d be willing to bet you can rattle off their taglines with ease. From Nike’s “Just Do It,” to Coca-Cola’s “The Real Thing,” to McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It.”
Your tagline is another facet of your brand. It is you — just as much as your logo, color scheme, and mission statement are.
Taglines are something that lots of business owners struggle with. One thing I routinely tell my clients is not to overthink it — the best taglines are simple and straightforward, and convey a sense of what a potential customer can expect from you. Knowing this, it often helps to put yourself in your potential customer’s shoes — what would they be looking for? What would convey that you are the right choice for their needs?
Okay, so we know we need a tagline. But, not everyone can afford a highfalutin agency to help them hammer out the intricacies of their brand equity. So, for those without the branding bankroll, here are a few tips to help you brainstorm some ideas:
- Start with the obvious. Quite often, the winning idea is right there in front of you.
- Investigate the competition. Do this not only to spark ideas, but also to make sure you don’t brand yourself too similarly. Particularly if you plan to trademark your tagline, it is important to make sure that there is no confusion in the marketplace. Such confusion will invariably keep the tagline from being able to be trademarked. If it does get trademarked, you want something you will be able to defend if it were ever challenged. This happens more often that you may think!
- Consider your color scheme and logo – they may help spark that “a ha!” moment.
- Survey your friends, family and colleagues. They know your vision and your passion, and can offer a unique perspective that you may lack due to how close you are to the subject matter.
- Make a list. Jot down what your business products or services are. Take that list of keywords, and run them through your favorite search engine. This may yield some gems you haven’t considered.
- Use available resources. Two of my favorite books that I always have within arms reach are “Phrases that Sell,” and “Words that Sell.” I would recommend that you consider adding them to your reference library — as they will pay for themselves multiple times over. From verbiage for web copy to sales ads and taglines, you will get plenty of mileage out of these two resources.
Employing a tagline for your business offers another way for you to position your brand with your customer — and make yourself memorable. In a loud and crowded marketplace, it is important to take advantage of every opportunity that you have. Don’t delay putting this useful tool to work for you.
Besides, the last one home is a rotten egg.
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I love crazy socks. In fact, the more outrageous they are, the more likely I am to fall head-over-heels for them — much to the embarrassment of my friends and family.
This crazy fashion fetish isn’t exactly a new one — in fact, I’ve been like this for as long as I can remember.
What tends to confound everyone is that my socks are in stark contrast to my otherwise conservative image. I guess you could say I am the result of what happens when you combine J. Crew with Rainbow Brite.
But here’s the thing — I’m perfectly happy with that. You see, it illustrates a more universal truth about me — I try not to take myself too seriously. More importantly, I try to make a concerted effort to find a bit of humor in each and every day. It may come in the form of pink and black pirate socks, or it may come from writing a post about Captain Jack Sparrow’s marketing methods for recruiting a crew.
Either way, the result is immediately recognizable as a reflection of my personality.
Okay, so socks may not be your thing. Perhaps you are an avid golfer. You can use the same principles by drawing parallels between the game and your business. Create promotions that play to the theme — “check out these sale links while our boss is hitting the links,” etc. If this is something new that you are trying, don’t overdo it. Start small, and build over time. You don’t want to come off as disingenuous.
One of my favorite retailers, The Black Dog, does this brilliantly. When you send in a photo of yourself wearing a Black Dog t-shirt (preferably in some exotic locale), you may end up in a future catalog. They’ve even added a Flickr photo gallery to their recently updated website. They involve their customers, and make them feel like part of the family.
Allowing your business to reflect your personality builds rapport and loyalty — two cornerstones of any successful business.
Firms that operate with white-glove sterility and robotic auto-reply emails are a dime a dozen — and for some market segments, that may be just fine. For my dollar, I tend to prefer those product and service providers that provide a user “experience” — they provide a welcome respite from our daily lives, and leave us feeling good about our interaction.
And THAT is certainly no small feat.
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July 5, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
In my household, I seldom have control over the remote. In fact, I have come to believe that it is somehow repelled by estrogen, like some sort of reverse magnet.
If I were in charge of the remote, I’m quite certain that I’d be keeping it busy. Between politics, the economy, frenzied fuel headlines, and the lack-luster prime time offerings…frankly, it seems as if we can’t find much to watch at all. And, what we do find seldom leaves us feeling warm and fuzzy.
Consumers are restless, and they are changing channels. They are looking for a bit of good news…anywhere.
As marketers, we know that we must continue to advertise, even in lean economic times. That may seem counter intuitive, but it’s true. If you wait around for things to get better, you will most surely lose any foothold you already have; believe me, there is no shortage of hungry competitors just waiting for you to throw in the towel.
I can almost hear you say, “But Traci, I can’t afford to advertise right now!” All sugar-coating aside, friends…you can’t afford not to advertise. I’m certainly not suggesting breaking the bank with pay-per-click ads, or taking out a second mortgage so you can do a direct-mailing.
Instead, allow your creativity to assume control of the remote.
Take a chapter from the networks’ playbook — during the course of broadcasting all those reruns, they bank on the fact that some of those episodes will be new to you. Hmm…not a bad idea, right?
Start thinking of new ways to market yourself. How can you adapt an existing product or service for a new market? What can you repackage, reformat, revamp, or rename in order to create something new?
Dust off back issues of your newsletter and create a “best of” ebook. Find collateral affiliate links that you can embed into the content, and offer it as a give away. Good quality content is likely to become viral. You may also want to repurpose old newsletters or articles into audio or video content (think iTunes and YouTube).
What about episode “cross-overs?” Consider reaching out to those who have a complimentary (but not competitive) business — you can pitch ad swaps, joint ventures, and special offers — essentially anything that creates a win for both of you.
In terms of your promotional efforts, there are plenty of things that you can do during the lean months that can help keep you afloat. Options like article marketing, search engine optimization, affiliate marketing, and press releases can be viable (and valuable) alternatives when budgets look bleak.
Finally, don’t make snap judgements. It’s difficult to focus when you are zipping around the dial at near light speed. Slow down that clicker-finger, and you are likely to uncover a few gems that you knew were there.
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