Is your small business kinda slow these days? Are customers just not calling and coming in like they used to? It’s probably because you’re using the same old marketing and advertising you’ve been using for years.
It’s time to change it up a bit. When’s the last time you looked at your messaging and marketing materials and made changes…. I mean really looked???
Here are five ways to refresh your marketing
1. Update or improve your product or service offerings.
You can refresh them by simply making some minor changes to your selection, how you package them, or what you call them. For example – an oil change can become your “Car Wellness Package” and you can include a “five-point wellness check.” A CPA’s tax preparation service can be “Keep the IRS off Your Back Service” and you can include a little “Stay out of jail free certificate” – maybe even a t-shirt saying “I’m a not a jailbird because Joe’s CPA firm did my taxes” (corny, but effective!).
2. Experiment with your pricing.
Repackage and restructure your offerings. Maybe offer some new creative discounts, special offers, new member incentives, loyal customer deals.
3. Find new ways to offer or deliver your products or services to customers.
Is it completely 100% easy and convenient for your customer to use what you offer? If not, find ways to break down those hurdles… maybe you go to them, maybe you offer a delivery service, or do your service in one hour instead of three, or offer online shopping.
4. Is your brand image outdated?
Was your logo and imaged designed in the 80s? Does your business look dated and out of style? If so, you may want to consider refreshing your image or potential customers may view you as being passé.
5. Try creative new ways to communicate with customers and prospects.
So you’ve been doing direct mail and print ads and the returns are diminishing each year. Try something new and fun and different. Hand out flyers at the shopping center, try email marketing, Facebook, Twitter, sponsor a Little League team – find out where your target market hangs out and literally get your message in front of them!
Of course, the important thing is, no matter what you change or do, TEST, TEST, TEST and MEASURE, MEASURE, MEASURE. Small-business marketing is really about testing and measuring to find what works and what doesn’t. It doesn’t do any good to do any marketing if you don’t do these things…. you’re simply playing an expensive guessing game.
Carolyn Higgins is the President and founder of Fortune Marketing Company. Her personal mission is to help small businesses stop wasting money on advertising and promotions that don’t deliver and help business owners implement an effective marketing system that will bring in more customers—consistently. For more information about Fortune Marketing Company visit the Fortune Marketing Company website or blog.
