“I have to stop marketing”…
…a friend of mine announced over breakfast recently. “What? Why?” was my response. “The business is doing really well and I can’t take on any new work right now” was his reasoning. How do you think the rest of the conversation went over a classic eggs benny at the local café?If your first response to this was – you should never stop marketing, then I couldn’t agree more! Perhaps marketing yourself when things are going great is the best time to do it. It provides a unique opportunity to change how you speak with your market. Instead of communicating a sales piece, you are now in the exciting position to be able to talk about yourself – your wins, achievements, USP’s, completed works, awards, etc.
Ultimately, your marketing objectives can now transition from gaining new clients and new business to converting those clients into ‘Raving Fans’ as described by bestseller business authors Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Knowles. It’s time to make your mark in the industry, show the market why you’re the best until your brand stands out above everyone else. This may be a little outside traditional ‘sales’ marketing, but it’s time to really invest in marketing when your business is doing well.
Here’s a start – 5 things you can start doing today to help your business walk over your competition now and also when times get tough.
1. Listen
So, you’re killing it. You’re doing what you do and you’re doing it well. Your customers are satisfied (happy even) and the horizon looks terrific. But what if something changes? What if you’re so busy taking care of the daily grind, that you lose touch with the ever-changing market around you? Keeping your head up and engaging with your market to understand their needs and expectations is essential to maintaining your success. There are a number of ways to achieve this but most of the time the easiest way is to slow down and have a simple conversation.
2. Own the Space
Position yourself. Really invest in your brand, get very specific about your message (who you are and what you want to be known for). It takes a long time to build a brand in any market and yours needs customers to instantly associate your brand name, with your product or service with quality, reliability and value.
3. Content, Content, Content
Huh? What’s content? Content is anything relevant and valuable to your market that you write, create, video, message, photograph, etc and it has to be communicated. You’re doing great, servicing clients, manufacturing product, selling stuff, so let’s tell everyone about it. Document it now, make ‘how to’ videos, and create as much content as you can now when you can afford it.
4. Grow and Nurture Raving Fans
It’s time to reward the people that got you where you are. Make a point of sharing your successes with your loyal customers that got you there. Not only will they keep coming back, but they’ll tell everyone around how great you are. Often your customer service standards take a hit when you get busy, but it’s essential to continue to sweep them off their feet, especially when your running! The results are breathtaking when loyal customers are nurtured into Raving Fans that will not only be with you for life, but will also go out of there way to refer people to your business time after time.
5. Industry Recognition
Awards time! What better time to nominate for awards than when your business is flying? Check out what industry bodies hold awards nights in your sector and chase them down. Apply for awards when you’re more likely to win them. Having the opportunity to brag about your successes in a large industry forum boosts your credibility in the eyes of your markets and amongst your peers. You never know, you may even get away with charging a bit more for your newly awarded business offerings!
If you want a hand with kicking these 5 things off for your brand, please get in touch with the team at Sam’s Garage to arrange a free consultation.
