The big hot button issue at the moment for many businesses is how to create a lot of marketing buzz around their products without spending a fortune. In these tight economic times, we are scrupulous about where we spend our money, and we want to make sure we are getting the most value for it. But when it comes to marketing your business, you should be even more careful. Don’t just find a list of tips and implement them all because it worked for someone else. Everyone’s business is different- and it’s about finding what works best for your business, so here are a few ways to help you figure out what strategy will work for you.
- Define your target audience
As we mentioned in our last blog, your target audience is the key focus point for your marketing. Figure out who wants what you are selling, and then go and learn everything you can about them. This is part market research, and partly an exercise in imagination. Think of the smallest and most specific group of people who would want your product (realistically of course) and learn from them about how they buy.
- It’s not just what, it’s when
Now that you know who wants to buy you product, you need to figure out when they want it. This is a critical part of creating marketing buzz, but it’s also the easiest to get wrong. No one wants to buy any one product all the time. This isn’t just about seasonal changes and what time of year it is. It’s also about the time of day, and the ever changing needs of the customer. Think about it – you don’t want food when you’re not hungry, and you don’t want to replace parts in your car when it’s all running smoothly. The point you want to reach your customer at is when they want your product- and often this isn’t when they are at a computer Googling what they want to buy (this is a common mistake – assuming that what people are Googling when they want to buy is the best way to reach them).
- Right place, right time
So now you what and you know when. The next step is being in the right place at the right time for your customers to buy. All the other moments of marketing will never quite compare to being in the right place at exactly the moment that your customers want your products. Think outside of the box and be creative – don’t just go with traditional mail out tactics. If you are selling a new kind of ice cube to offices, then look into vendor advertising, putting signs on the vending machines in local businesses or entering into a vending machine partnership. It’s all about getting yourself in front of the customer when they want your product.
- Expand
As the business owner, you should always be incredibly excited about your idea. If you aren’t, then you need to address this straight away. if you aren’t excited and positive about your idea, how are you going to get your customer to be? Try going back a few steps in the development or even starting over again. Only when you are completed satisfied with your idea should you start to pick out ideas that will cast the net a little bit wider than the small target audience you identified earlier, while still hitting them perfectly.
This process will really help you focus and let you unravel your idea so you understand every single element. If you are excited and can get your product in front of the right people at the right time, then you have started off the most powerful marketing tool there is – word of mouth.
