A List of Marketing Tactics

Transcription

1 A List of Marketing Tactics Implementing the Plan... Some suggested ways to market your Product, Service or Business... Advertising Agency Would an Advertising Agency be able to provide superior advertising and better placement for your advertising? Advertising Media Which Advertising media will be most effective for you on-line, print, radio, TV, billboards? Will you use them all or some of them on a coordinated basis? Advertorials Will Advertorials (advertising in the form of a story) help sell your product? Articles Can you write Articles for inclusion in trade journals and local newspapers? Remember to use these articles in your marketing and include them in your company profile. Awards Entering awards is good for you to take a critical look at your business. Publicise your awards nomination, finalist and/or winner. Can you present an annual award and gain publicity and public relations? Balloons, Blimps and Sky Dancers Blimps and Sky Dancers with your company or product details printed on them have high visibility. Balloons can look spectacular in your window and young children love them. Barter Can you advantageously sell your products by using a Barter system? Many small organisations do! Benefits Expressing the Features of your products and services in terms of the benefits your customers will receive from your products and services. Billboards Will Billboards and Signage help in providing your advertising with a competitive edge? Will the correct target audience see them? Birthday Celebrations Every time your business reaches a significant birthday, consider the opportunity to celebrate. Board of Directors Many organisations use and market their Board of Directors as a resource. Brand/Branding Is more than your logo or your marque... it resides within the hearts and minds of your clients, and prospects. It is the sum total of their experiences and perceptions, some of which you can influence, and some that you cannot. Brochures Can a Brochure act as a silent salesman for your product and service? Budgets Make sure you set and review a Marketing and Promotional Budget! How Much Should We Spend On Marketing & Promotion? Marketers use four basic methods to determine how much they will spend (budget for) when preparing a Marketing Plan or campaign:

2 Percentage of Sales This commonly used and popular method budgets a percentage of sales, based directly on past or anticipated income or sales. It is simple to calculate and is directly related to income. A disadvantage is that when sales are declining promotional activities decrease, and it assumes promotion is a result of past sales, when it is the cause of sales. Use of All Available Funds Many new organisations will use as much money as is available for a period of time to promote its activities, in order to win sales and market share. Follow Competition Some organisations choose to imitate or replicate the efforts of a major competitor, or base their promotional spending on industry benchmarks. Problems may arise if the competitor s strategies and goals are different and also the competitor may not know what they are doing. Task or Objective Many marketers argue that the best basis is to decide exactly what it is you wish to achieve with your promotion, and then establish a cost for carrying out the task. Bulletin Boards Bulletin boards are available in many supermarkets, restaurants and other establishments. Bundling Packaging is where you combine your products and services together. Piggy Backing is where combine your product with those of another complementary supplier. Business Cards Does your Business card convey your message? Is it easy to read? Does it use both sides? Business Meals Take your customers out for a meal or simply a cup of coffee (see Touch v- Contact). You can also network at business breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Catalogues Does a (regular) catalogue - with an order form - offer opportunities to tell wholesalers, retailers and the public about your product? (See Letter Box Drops) Charities There may be many opportunities to work with them and donate product. Clean Everybody likes to deal with organisations with clean premises. Company Profile Almost mandatory these days, especially if you are tendering for work. Competitions/Contests Are there Competitions/Contests (business or sporting) your business can organise to promote itself or in which to participate. Co-operative Advertising Can your suppliers assist you with your advertising? Many of them have the budget to assist. You simply need to ask! Co-op Referral Lists Can you exchange client lists or referral lists of potential clients with other organisations? Coupons Send this coupon back and receive a ; Fill in this coupon for more information... Cross Promotions What can you do to promote your product in co-operation with another? (See Host/Beneficiary)

3 Customer Appreciation Programs Loyalty Cards, Frequent User Programs, Birthday Cards, Letters of Thanks, Christmas Cards. Customer of the Week, Month, Year Those who don t win this time may be determined to win next time. Customer Service Your service should be the best in your field! What can you do to make it better? What does the competition do better? Customer surveys Do you really understand what the customer wants, needs and expects? Demonstrations There may be lots of ways that you can demonstrate your product. Digital Strategy The Internet provides a wide and varied list of opportunities. You will need a planned approach to maximise your return. (See Internet) Direct Mail Addressed and Unaddressed Select a list of potential clients and mail them your information with an order form. Direct Response Advertisements Phone this number today; Fax this form to...; Post this form to... Directories Beside Telephone Directories, many industries have their own directory. Displays Where can you display your product to advantage? Endorsements Can you get someone famous to endorse your product/service? E Mail / Marketing provides a very low cost method of getting you message out to a large number of prospects. Extended Hours of Business When does your customer want to buy? Will extending your hours attract a greater range of customers? Exhibitions - Local and National and Fairs/Fêtes There are a constant range of trade and public fairs at which you could highlight your product. Flyers A flyer can be posted, faxed, or put in the client s hand. (See Letter Box Drops) Gift Certificates/Vouchers An advantage of these is the cash flow that they can generate before they are redeemed. Some marketers even use these to pay for their newspaper advertising - the newspaper has a prize for its competition, and the consumer gets to hear about the product. Give-Aways Everybody loves a free sample. Give them to potential Customers and Centres of Influence. Google AdWords Almost a compulsory part of your Digital Strategy. Grand Opening An opening by a local dignitary such as a politician could rate a story in your local paper.

4 Guarantees Most customers will feel reassured if you offer a strong guarantee... Risk Reversal. It also forces you to perform on a continuing basis... Forced Performance Effect. Headline This is your best opportunity to catch your prospect s attention. Make it 20% of the space and give it 30% of the time you spend developing your material. Help lines Can the customer get help on the telephone when they want it? You may be able to charge for this service. Host/Beneficiary This is the process of tapping into an offer made by another business (the Host) from which you benefit (the Beneficiary). Host or Hostess To greet customers - ideal for restaurants or up market businesses. They are in a perfect position to make additional sales. Image You should be constantly working to maintain and raise your image. Tidy dress, clean premises, quality equipment, glossy stationery. (See Brand/Branding) Incentives Buy ours and we will offer you...; Buy today and we will... Inserts Many magazines and newspapers will insert your flyer, and in many cases deliver it to your chosen target area. Internet A wealth of opportunity. (See Digital Strategy) In-Service Training We train your staff to use our product on the job... Lead Boxes If you would like to learn more about our product drop your business card in this box Letter Box Drops Either into houses/businesses or Post Office Boxes whichever reaches your target market and you can be very targeted in your message and offer. They can be very effective for retailers. (See Catalogues and Flyers) Letters to the Editor In many business magazines the letters to the editor invariably carry the name of the writer and of the company for whom they work. Logo Many logos are instantly recognisable, even without the name of the company. (See Brand/Branding) Mailing Lists Do you keep a list of clients and potential clients in list form so you can mail/ them offers? You can access appropriate lists through List Brokers. Multi-lingual As a multi-cultural society... can your team effectively communicate with all the local population? Music A strong jingle played in all radio/tv advertising helps build your Brand eg Bob Jane, Carpet Call.

5 Name of Your Business Does your business name say something about what you do? Is it easy to spell and pronounce? Is it easy to remember? (See Brand/Branding) Network Communicate and trade information with others in your industry on a regular basis. New Business Requests Tell potential clients that you would welcome the opportunity of doing business with them. Newsletter Educational Newsletters can be produced at low cost using desktop publishing. Remember to use photos and lots of topical stories. Some Newsletters even carry advertising to offset the cost. Novelty Items Consider how handing out an inexpensive novelty item would aid your sales e.g. rulers, pens, post-its. Off Pricing Can you offer off peak prices for your services? If your services are not used on weekends, for instance, can you offer them at reduced prices to assist your cash flow? Packaging/Wrapping Is your name on the bag or wrapping in which you supply your product? Many consumers reuse carry bags and carry your advertisement around with them. Personal Selling Part of the Promotional Mix - face to face with the customer is very effective. Phone Hold Messages A dulcet voice extolling your services while they are waiting to be connected. Point of Sale Displays Make the most of all your space when the consumer is deciding what to buy, and set your product apart from all the others. Premiums - Value Added Extras What can you offer as a free extra? A biro with some paper is an example. 13 for the price of 12? Press (Media) Kit. Well printed information about your company, printed on quality paper, presented in a binder, which can be used by the media to write articles about you, your business or your industry. Prizes Organisations are always looking for prizes for awards. The building trade is a good example. Product Packaging This is bundling your Products and Services to gain additional sales or to differentiate your offering. Public Relations To enhance your public image, contribute to organisational objectives in conjunction with advertising and publicity and to obtain favourable media coverage. Public Service Announcements Many organisations sponsor and become involved with Public service announcements. Quality Good quality products will usually win the sale. (See Brand/Branding) Radio Programs Many radio programs welcome speakers on topical subjects. Make your product topical.

6 Rebate Programs Buy nine, the tenth is free! Or a rebate of x% on monthly purchases over $y. Reprints of Press Articles Show your customers your success stories. Research A huge subject and it is vital for you to understand your target market. Eg Where do your customers live? Find out their postcode with every sale. Sales Letters Is an attractive and inviting-to-read one page letter appropriate? Sampling Get your target audience to try your product - samples in supermarkets, in the letter box, railway station or sampling in the street. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) There are ways to maintain your presence on search engines such as Google. (See Digital Strategy) Seminars Hold a seminar to promote your product and network with potential clients. Service The level of service you provide is a marketing tool. Every time you have a customer contact you are marketing your business. (See Brand/Branding) Shop Your Competitors Compare - What do you do better? What do they do better? Signage Are your signs appropriate? Are they attractive? Do they convey the message? Do you sign write your vehicles and use them as mobile advertising? Special Events May include sales, promotions and events to tie in with other promotions. Speeches Can you talk about your product at an appropriate meeting? Sponsorships Lots of people and organisations are looking for sponsors. Make sure there is some synergy though. Spotter s Fees A cash payment or gift to those who introduce you to new clients. Strategic Alliances What organisations can you form an alliance with to the mutual benefit of both parties? Stuffers Put an informative flyer about your business with every item you sell. Take-One Displays Have an easy to reach flyer detailing your product which the client can reach easily - in your premises, outside your premises, or in other locations. Telemarketing Use a specialist phone sales person to phone potential clients at appropriate times. Testimonials A satisfied client is the best person to endorse your product.

7 Touch v- Contact A call, a personalised letter or a visit (a touch) (see Business Meals) is a great addition to other forms of mass communication (a contact). Tracking Many organisations make a point of asking where the customer heard about you at the initial enquiry stage, in order to measure their marketing effectiveness. Trade Nights Invite the people in your trade along to a demonstration with refreshments afterwards. Trade Shows Virtually every industry has its own trade show where you can network and meet potential clients which you would often not meet elsewhere. T-Shirts Always a favourite. Anybody can wear a T-shirt, and if it advertises your product at the same time... and if there was a cap as well... Uniforms Can you supply attractive uniforms with names and logos for your staff to wear? If they like them they will probably wear them to and from work as well. U.S.P. Can you identify for your product and your business a Unique Selling Point or Proposition? Value-Added Service Warranties that the client pays for; charging for delivery; regular upgrades to the latest model. Vehicles Can you sign write your vehicles and use them as mobile advertising? Videos Would a video that could be given (or sold) to potential clients help to promote and sell your product? YouTube is a great location to put your videos. Webinars A popular way to introduce prospects to your products and services. They can even become products themselves. Web Site A very important part of your Digital Strategy. WIIFM What s In It For Me! Letting your clients know of the benefits of your products and services. Word of mouth Probably the most relied upon advertising in business will be more effective if you develop a structured referral process. Workshops Hands on interactive introduction to your product or service. Writing Articles for books, magazines, journals. Yellow pages Still a popular and widely used directory both hard copy and on-line. (See Digital Strategy)