What goes into a good marketing strategy?
We have been conditioned to believe that marketing your products or services is to simply make people aware of them and convince them to buy. But marketing is so much more than that.
Marketing involves many things including:
- Letting your ideal customer know that you exist.
- Connecting with them on a personal level.
- Helping them understand how you can solve their problem or enhance their life.
- Providing them with information so they can make a well-informed decision about whether to buy from you or not.
So instead of trying to get your potential customers attention and hoping they buy from you, consider paying more attention to your customer’s needs, wants and problems.
When you stop seeing your customers as simply ‘prospects’ or ‘targets’ and begin to see them as real PEOPLE with real PROBLEMS you can solve, you will no longer have to struggle to get their attention. In fact, your customers will seek you out.
How do you know which problems need to be solved?
You have to listen!
There are many ways you can listen to your customers. You can take deliberate and strategic action to find out what’s on their mind, or you can go where they are by studying online forums, review sites, and social platforms.
Ask For Feedback
Asking for feedback will provide you with honest and genuine insight into what your customers think about your product or service. You can use things like surveys cards, online polls, or by requesting reviews. Keep in mind that not all feedback will be positive, but it’s through the negative reviews that you will be able to improve your business.
Use Data
Use consumer data to understand your customer’s behavior, needs, and buying trends. You can follow the data of your customers, as well as big data analytics to understand how buyers are reacting across the board. This will help you to reach the right people at the right times as most purchases require multiple touch points across a number of platforms. Doing this will help you understand customer behavior through predictive modeling and get a peek into the future and how to respond.
Get Social
Social media has made it easier than ever before to communicate with your customers. Engaging with your potential clients is extremely important in today’s day and age. Ask questions, learn about your buyer’s preferences, and most importantly, always be available to answer questions and to respond to comments or complaints.
Put Yourself In Their Shoes
Before you sell your product or service, you should have a target buyer in mind. While anyone can hypothetically buy from you, it is important to know who you are marketing to. Walk in your
I believe when
businesses (big or small) truly care about their customers, employees and
suppliers, it is reflected in their products and services. When someone truly
cares, it shows in all they do.
Caring doesn’t cost a dime. It is an easy way to:
- differentiate your brand from the competition
- win over your customers
- drive long term loyalty to your brand
As business owners, we spend so much time perfecting our offerings and yet we don’t always give enough consideration to the LOVE we put into our products or services. The passion you put into what you do can differentiate your work and give you an advantage over the competition. When you genuinely care about your client’s results or the experience your customers have when using your products, you set yourself apart.
