"Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify!"
~Henry David Thoreau
As a marketing and strategy consultant, I'm often asked, "What's the best way to reach people? Television, radio, newspaper, trade magazines, online, word-of-mouth?" My response is always, "Go where your customers are."
In my last post, I talked about defining your customer - taking the time to specifically figure out who you want to reach with your organization. A major aspect of knowing your customer is understanding how they get information about businesses like yours. The easiest way to find out is simply to ask them.
No matter which outreach channel you choose, the key is to make sure that your "business promise" is clearly communicated in a concise and appealing manner.
Here are some tips:
• Don't try to cram too much information about your company on your marketing materials. Remember, if you put every bit of information about your business, there will be no need for the potential customer to contact you to find out more.
• Design is important. As design professionals, you are experts in making living and working spaces aesthetically appealing; this does not always transfer to your marketing materials. My suggestion is to use professional help (a graphic designer or advertising firm) to assist in clearly getting your point across. If you don't want to use a professional to help develop your marketing materials, a good resource is The Non-Designer's Design Book by Robin Williams.
• Stay away from the "Field of Dreams" approach. The 1989 movie was famous for the quote, "If you build it, they will come." Often, companies believe that if they put up a website or create a brochure, customers will come streaming in. The reality is people will often skip over your pitch if it doesn't serve their needs. Make your material useful - provide free design tips, give advice on properly measuring a room, or suggest simple landscaping plans. These additions can transform a marketing piece into a helpful tool.
• Include multiple ways to reach your company. The goal of marketing is to have a conversation with your customer - be sure you give them a way to communicate with you.
We're going to continue this topic next month. Until then, your assignment is to think about how to concisely and clearly communicate your business promise.
Until next time,
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