Posts Tagged ‘small business marketing’
Attraction Marketing Grows Your Business in Tough Times
Remember the boom years of the ’00s? You didn’t have to do much to have an OK business. As John F. Kennedy said, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” But today the tide is definitely receding. Our tough economy won’t take all boats down with it – only the leaky ones. Attraction marketing can build your business – even in a recession – when you use these three strategies.
#1 Be in touch with your clients and prospects frequently.
Contact everyone on your email list once a week at least. Remember, though, it’s not only about selling. Customers find value in tips, useful information, articles etc. Sometimes business owners worry about sending too many emails – they are afraid people will leave their list. If your messages have value, people like to hear from you. Except for those who most likely would never have bought. Frequent email contact actually strengthens your attraction marketing.
Postcards are also a great strategy if you have physical addresses. Mail one every 4-8 weeks. Use postcards to promote a special offer each time. Perhaps a customer appreciation sale or a personal consultation with you. Postcards can direct customers to your website where they can view a video or download a special report.
Use Facebook or Twitter, and set up a regular schedule. Start with one Facebook post and 1 Tweet a day. Getting started with social networking can be confusing. Create your accounts and just watch what your friends and those you follow do for a while. You’ll soon get the hang of it. The #1 rule to follow in social networking is: don’t make it about selling, make it about relating.
Don’t have a mailing list at all? Start building one. Right now. A mailing list is one of the essential assets of any small business – it’s the foundation for much of your attraction marketing. Writing articles – like the one you’re reading right now – is a great way to begin.
#2 – Be innovative with your products and services. It’s time to shake things up and look for ways to add value to your typical offerings.
Are you a coach? Add information products and teleclasses. Do you sell a product? Complement it with coaching and training support. Are you a service business, such as a hair salon or a pet-sitter? Offer something extra like a newsletter or a tip sheet. Look for small but consistent ways to stand out from the crowd. Standing out in a positive way makes your business extremely attractive to customers in any economy.
Also look for ways to leverage relationships with other business owners. In the brick-and-mortar world, complementary businesses often team up. For example, your wine shop might offer tastings with cheese and crackers from the gourmet store down the block. My life partner’s art print and poster store sells framing and has the work done by a framer in another part of town.
Leverage is used by online businesses too. Example: I interviewed 6 other experts on Law of Attraction marketing and created an audio product from it. All of those interviewed then had a new product to offer our mailing lists. That’s the power of leverage. Nearly anyone can replicate this model and develop a product that customers love. Think about experts whose knowledge you can leverage.
#3 – Use your personality when you promote! Luckily for us small business owners, we aren’t required to act distant, like the typical large corporation. Thank goodness! It’s possible to be quirky (but business-like) – and it’s a lot of fun. Open up and tell your customers that you spend weekends riding your Honda Gold Wing. Talk about your favorite charity, the local animal shelter. Or express your enthusiasm for restoring antique furniture. It’s great to write about your vacation, your parakeet, your hometown, your kids.
Always let customers know why you created your business. Express your passion for it. Also create signature stories – and don’t be afraid to repeat them. Stories have tremendous power to attract people. Especially in hard times, people want to do business with with friends. Express yourself.
Tips: 1) Avoid giving too many personal details. 2) Go easy on politics, religion, or other areas of potential controversy. 3) Use personality as a condiment or side dish, keeping your customers’ attention solidly on the main course – your product or service.
Take the next step to attraction marketing s uccesswhen you claim your free copy of Andrea Conway’s special report Secrets of Attracting Prosperityin Hard Times
