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20 Energise your marketing!
Marketing Tips to Boost your Business
1300 998 558
Suite 201, 71-73 Archer St, Chatswood NSW 2067
www.ideasintoaction.com.au
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Are you easy to find… in cyberspace? Online directories More and more people research online before they buy, use online search engines or read product reviews. While you may have a good website, be sure to register your details with any and all free directory services. Not only will your business name appear more times on searches but there will be more sites directing business to you.
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Keeping it local… Community publications
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Grow from within… Upselling and cross selling
While it may be beyond your reach to advertise in the large daily newspapers, you can often have great results from your local community newspapers. Not only do locals like to support locals but these newspapers have a much longer ‘shelf’ life because they are designed to be read over a week and not tossed out at the end of the day. Also if you are a regular advertiser you will find it easy to negotiate getting an article or two published about you or your business.
When last did you market to your existing clients? Have you just assumed they have what they need or could they do with some attention? We all know its way easier to sell to an existing client than to attract a new one. Keep in touch with your clients, offer them special ‘customer’ discounts and be sure that you have met their every need.
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Word of mouth rules… Referral programs
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You scratch my back, I scratch yours… Strategic alliances
Have you any happy customers or satisfied clients? Consider how to motivate your raving fans to give you referrals – one of the most powerful forms of marketing there is. There are many ways to do this from asking really nicely to putting into place a structured referral program with a reward for referees.
You may be amazed at how well this could work for you with the right kind of alliances. You will have double the clients to market to, and if you both provide a special offer – then clients have even more incentive to give you their business. This may also allow you to tap into markets you had not previously thought of.
Energise your marketing!
1300 998 558
Suite 201, 71-73 Archer St, Chatswood NSW 2067
www.ideasintoaction.com.au
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Staying in touch… Email newsletters
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Asking the right questions… Customer research
Staying in touch with your clients is paramount in today’s competitive market. It’s pretty easy to do now using email and will hardly cost you much either. There are great, easy to use cheap or even free software programs that enable even a novice to create interesting and dynamic emails. With auto responders easy to set up, you don’t even have to do the sending yourself! Of course, the first rule is newsletters is to have something interesting to say.
You may be convinced you know just what your customers think of your business… but ask anyway, the answers could surprise you and will guide you in ways to better meet their needs. Setting up a survey online is easy and can be free depending on the number of respondents you have. It’s important to make this anonymous so your customers can really be free to provide honest feedback. A good way to get responses is to provide a discount or gift for responding.
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We love your service… Testimonials
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Exploit your ‘big’ mouth… Writing a blog
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Offer your expertise… on Radio
You know you have raving fans but does everyone else? The difference in someone picking your business over a similar one might just come down to what other people think of you. Ask your clients to write a few lines of recommendation for you and include these on as much of your collateral as possible.
There are many ways to get yourself noticed. Getting into social media and writing a blog or article is one of them. It’s key to have something interesting to say, a radical opinion or a humorous style but with enough readers, your ‘voice’ can become a force of its own.
If you know a lot about a lot and can chat away convincingly then you may be just what a radio station could be looking for. You could offer advice to their listeners for free while getting to plug your business… for free. Talk to some producers and have an impressive resume ready to send to them and you could become their ‘Go to’ expert.
Energise your marketing!
1300 998 558
Suite 201, 71-73 Archer St, Chatswood NSW 2067
www.ideasintoaction.com.au
11
Say ‘hi’ in Mandarin… Advertise directly to non-English speaking customers Living in Australia we can easily forget the thousands of potential clients out there whose first language is not English. There are numerous publications, radio stations, websites and more that are specifically geared to foreigners living here. Generally their advertising rates are extremely reasonable and they will translate your ad for free.
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Check what your competition is doing… Competitor analysis It’s important to keep abreast of what your competition is doing. Not just their prices but what they are saying to your target market and how they are saying it. If you know what they are offering then you can do better, offer more or say it in a better way. Don’t get caught napping, do your research on a regular basis.
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Do what you know best… Outsource your marketing Doing something yourself does not always get you the best results. Especially if you are time poor and have little experience. Stick to what you do best… and do that some more. Get a company to do what they do best, quicker and more effectively.
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Money back policy… Offering a guarantee
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Being part of your neighbourhood… Sponsor a local event or team
The difference between a sale and no sale can be simply a matter of peace of mind. If you are confident in your product or service then consider offering a guarantee. Your customers will appreciate your confidence and be more likely to opt for your product or service.
Sponsoring a team or event may be cheaper than you think. If you negotiate well you could have your brand on all their uniforms, sports clubs, collateral, signage, coaches and more. It lets your community know that you are very much a part of them, supporting them and being front of mind.
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Giving them a boost… Internal promotions If you are relying on your staff for sales, motivating them just that bit extra could really make a difference to your bottom line. Sure, they are paid to sell your product or service but you know they could always do better. Consider implementing a fun program that rewards their efforts and gets them competing for top honours.
Energise your marketing!
1300 998 558
Suite 201, 71-73 Archer St, Chatswood NSW 2067
www.ideasintoaction.com.au
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Buy two, get three… Special offers
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Teach to earn… Host a seminar or training session
While offering a discount or special offer may seem obvious, it still remains one of the most powerful means of getting rid of old stock, boosting sales over a quiet period and generally increasing your foot traffic. It may not cost you as much with add-ons, up-sales or just happy customers who will return and pay full price next time.
Being an expert or just really good at something can put you in great demand. By hosting a seminar, potential clients have an opportunity to judge how good you are just by listening to your advice. This is done to great success with DIY – host a training session on how to build a cabinet and sell your equipment at the same time.
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Grab attention… Direct mail
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Bundle it… Group products or services
If you are going to use direct mail, make sure it cuts through the clutter. Spend just that little bit more to include a small gift, use a bright colour or include a sample. We all like a freebie and this will get you the attention you deserve, rather than just being one of twenty pieces of paper in a letterbox
Consider bundling a group of like products or services to provide greater value. A basket of beautifully wrapped products makes a great gift, a day of pampering is always sought after or one in every colour can really boost the volume of your sales. Don’t assume that your customers would have thought of that, get creative on their behalf.
Energise your marketing!
1300 998 558
Suite 201, 71-73 Archer St, Chatswood NSW 2067
www.ideasintoaction.com.au
Putting your ideas into action….. We hope you’ve found these tips helpful and that they spark off some new ideas for your business. Fresh new ideas are great – we love them! But we also know how important is to weave ideas into an overall plan for a business - a marketing action plan that takes your business from where you are to where you want to be. Developing a plan involves: • Having a clear vision • Setting specific measurable objectives • Identifying your target markets and ideal clients • Developing your key marketing messages • Discovering the “watering holes” where you will find your prospects • Choosing the best communication channels and marketing tools to reach them • Evaluating your results As a business owner it’s likely that you are often short on time, and that’s why seeking help with developing your business marketing strategy can really help. As Outsourced Marketing Specialists, we’d welcome the opportunity to provide you with a free marketing appraisal and consultation so we can suggest some of the ways in which you can energise your marketing! You can reach us on 1300 998 558 or by emailing marketing@ideasintoaction.com.au Please visit our website to explore our full range of services, examples of our work and feedback from our clients www.ideasintoaction.com.au
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Energise your marketing!
1300 998 558
Suite 201, 71-73 Archer St, Chatswood NSW 2067
www.ideasintoaction.com.au