In ‘Where are my Customers?’ we worked out where your customers are. Now let’s connect and lead them back to you! For each of your customer’s favourite spots or pastimes, think about the marketing opportunities. Here are some examples:
Sports
Sponsor the local team. You might find this cheaper and more effective than advertising in the local newspaper! Buy your team jerseys with your logo and business name, pay for refreshments, or sponsor a best-player award that might generate good feeling, healthy competition and a photo in the local newspaper. Go support the team. Hang out, have a chat, be casual. Help people to feel relaxed and associate good feelings with you and your business. People will trust your business if they trust you.
Newspapers and Magazines
Be specific about print advertising. Some pages will be more effective than others. Know what articles and columns your ad will be printed with. Will your ideal customer read this page? Consider paying for an editorial. It looks like a normal newspaper article and is more likely to be read.
Email lists
If you think your customers subscribe to email lists on a particular topic, consider starting one of your own. Or connect with other blogs or email lists and ask if they would like a guest post. They might jump at the offer of free content! Make sure your article includes a link that leads back to you.
Social Media
Many successful businesses market exclusively through social media. This can be done by:
- Writing interesting posts that people will share with their friends
- Write informative, useful posts with good headlines
- Advertising. Facebook’s low-cost advertising can target specific groups by location, age, gender and interests. This gives you an exceptional opportunity to reach your ideal customer, whom you’ve already identified in Are you Repelling Your Customers?
- Making sure your posts tell the reader what to do – see below.
Tell your customers what to do!
Be bossy! In your marketing, tell your customers what to do. You might think you’re stating the obvious but your customers are busy, so make it easy. For example:
- Go to my website webhive.com.au.
- Like my Facebook page facebook.com/ozwebhive
- Share this article with your friends.
- Phone me on 1300 932 448
These ideas are just for starters. Get to know your customers, get to know the physical and digital places they inhabit, and identify the most effective ways to reach and engage with them.
Thank you for reading :) Jackie
Read The Golden Thread that leads customers to your cash register… The Golden Thread Part I
Read Are You Repelling Your Customers?… The Golden Thread Part II
Read Where Are My Customers? The Golden Thread Part III