A prospective client told me recently that his company had spent a lot of money on marketing with very little return.
In a chance meeting with an entrepreneur of a small business I heard the same thing.
The message would seem to be that marketing is an expensive undertaking with few results.
In reality, you can market your business for very little, if any cost. To be successful though, business owners must invest in the most precious of all things – time. It takes time (and trial and error) to find the best ways to engage with customers and turn prospects into customers.
The business owners I mentioned here share the same problem in the sense that their businesses were not selling as much as they had hoped after completing a marketing campaign – note campaign singular.
Marketing is not a hit and run affair. Rather, it is – or should be – an ongoing effort that businesses and organizations undertake with the end goal of engaging with customers, reaching new prospects and yes, selling your products or services.
Think about your own buying habits. Do you buy something after only hearing about it one time or do you first get feedback from family and friends or read reviews?
For most people, it takes multiple touch points before a purchase is made. A touch point is any interaction that a customer or prospective customer has with your brand.
Common touch points include:
- Your Website
- Advertisements
- Direct mail
- Social media
- Articles written about your company
- Online reviews
- Word of mouth
- Email marketing
- Customer testimonials
- Blogs
- Brand or product-specific message boards or forums
It depends on your business and the type of industry that you work in how many touch points are needed to generate a sale. For some, as little as three touch points are necessary, while other companies need to engage seven times before converting a sale.
If you only wait until your slow season to put together a direct mail campaign, you will probably be disappointed with the end result. Your marketing, like your business, should be continuous. Increasing sales and generating new customers should be a goal every day, not just during down times.
Would you like some insight on the best marketing tips for your business or organization? Call Theresa Katalinas at 215-519-8833 or email katalinascommunications@gmail.com.
