3 Basic Marketing Strategies You Really, Really Need to Succeed
Christmas is behind us for another year. It’s time to take a deep breath, relax, and stop and appreciate yourself for what you’ve done to make your friends and family happy. It may have been giving gifts, giving financially, or just giving of yourself. In any case, you’ve given of yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically; and you may be feeling a tad bit depleted about now.
Getting back to working on your business can be a tough transition after the holidays. As you think about what new business building strategies you want to implement in the coming year, don’t forget about what could be the most important strategy of all – a new way of thinking.
It’s now a well known fact that if you keep thinking the way you’ve been thinking, you’ll keep getting what you got. If you didn’t end up the year where you wanted to be, it may be time to “get back to the basics”. Here are 3 time-tested strategies you can use as you go through the New Year.
- Be Unique. Give up comparing yourself to others in your field of business. Thankfully, we live in a world of diversity and contrast. It would be a pretty boring existence if we all had the same personality, same ideas, and the same services we offer in our businesses. Being “better” than your competitors is not the issue. Honoring your unique ideas by expressing them in the marketplace is the key that will unlock the door to your success. You can be just as successful as other businesses, and you can do it in your own way. Instead of listening to that little voice telling you, “this won’t work”, or “why should anyone listen to me when there’s _______ out there doing the same thing…”, make this your year to find out what you can really do in your business by finding out what your customers need and providing it in your own unique way.
- Be Visible. It’s tough to have a thriving business if customers don’t know about you. The idea of creating a marketing plan of action may be a scary idea for you, but it can make the difference between success and failure. It can be as simple as using one strategy at a time, seeing if it works, and adjusting as needed; or you can use two or three strategies at the same time. The key is to keep track of your results, so you know what works and what doesn’t work. There are many marketing coaches and consultants who can help you create a plan you’re comfortable implementing and that works for you.
- Be Grateful. Customers want to know you appreciate them. While doing your holiday shopping, you most likely saw many examples of this timeless principle. My husband and I recently took our 8-year old twin granddaughters on a shopping expedition to find shoes. One of the high-tech shoe stores we visited was packed with customers, and there were many sales people to wait on us. The selection of shoes was good and they were displayed well, but we couldn’t wait to get out of that store. The reason? The music was so loud we couldn’t even talk comfortably to the salesperson. This store was obviously catering to a younger crowd. We didn’t feel welcome or appreciated. The result? We bought our shoes at another store with an atmosphere in which we felt comfortable and appreciated. Let your customers know they are the reason for your success and you care about them.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in what you can “do” to attract more customers. But sometimes the best thing you can do is not to “do” anything. The best thing you can do is to be the person that your customers want to call because they know you offer a valuable and unique product or service; they know you’re a legitimate and well known business, because they’ve seen you and heard about you in the marketplace; and you’ve shown them you care about them and about serving their needs.
Putting these 3 marketing principles into practice all year can help you end the year with your bottom line right where you want it to be.
