Enough with COVID-19 for now. This column was dedicated to that topic for the past two months and it’s time to get back to work in this new business climate that is upon us.
My first column of the year talked about your marketing budget. Assuming that you set a monthly marketing budget, are you getting the maximum out of that investment? Do you have the right media mix to reach your prospective customers?
You have to know who your customers are. You need to know things like age, gender, lifestyle, geographic location and hobbies. When you know this information, it is much easier to target them with your marketing messages. Most on-the-ball business owners already know their customers’ information, but for assurance, you might want to do a customer survey. Believe me, it will be worth it.
When you know your customers, it will be easier to come up with a media mix that will reach the majority of your customers multiple times. There is no magic formula because every business is different. Obviously, social media is part of every mix because you can target whomever you want, whenever you want, wherever they are. It’s after that when getting to know your customers really helps. Every marketing method works, some better than others, but they do all work.
Think of some of the options available: online ads, SEO, email, direct mail, radio, tv, newspaper, signage, transit/billboards, trade shows, magazine ads, video, POS, Yellow Pages and referral programs. Oh, the list does go on and on. All of these do work but only if your prospective customers see or hear them. But one method alone is never enough, you have to use a mix to make sure you reach everyone.
Coming up with the right mix will be trial and error and the only proof that you’re getting it right will be increased traffic to your website, social media pages and ultimately to your business. Tweak it until you get it right.