You could have the best 1-hour workout in the country — but if nobody knows about it, you have nothing.
Nada, zippo, ixnay, zero.
So when you have something really special, whether it’s an innovative product or unique service, you’ve absolutely gotta figure out how to let other people know about it.
That’s where marketing comes in.
Now, let’s dive into five simple yet effective tips for marketing your business so you can get started on sharing your greatness with the world.
The first thing you need to do when marketing your business is to make people aware that you exist.
I remember when I was with a company called Lifestyle Family Fitness back in Tampa, Florida, my good friend Jeff Dyer told me that the best marketing dollars I would ever spend would be on the signage outside of my studio. Why? Because people have to know where you’re located, and they have to be able to find you.
In today’s increasingly digital world, that might look a little different. In the old days, we had Yellow Pages — today, we have Google, algorithms, and SEO. It’s becoming more and more important that people are able to find us not only physically but also online. Social media, websites, Google listings, directory listings, and all those other great online tools are what you need to employ if you want people to know you exist.
What first drew me to Orangetheory Fitness was that it was different. It was one of the only affordable group-training fitness centers. It was science backed, technology tracked, and results driven.
So when you’re looking to cut through the clutter of marketing and convince others to do business with you, you need to find what makes you different. Maybe this comes from the features within your product or service, your charitable ongoings, your relationship to your community, or countless other types of things.
Whatever that looks like for you and your business, when you have uniqueness, it creates interest. So find out what that is, and implement it into your marketing campaigns.
Making people aware and sparking their interest is vital, but no form of marketing is going to work if you don’t tell people when, where, and how to take action.
There needs to be something in your messaging that guides people to do something, whether it’s clicking, calling, sending a message, setting up an appointment, or even directly purchasing your product or service from your website.
One of the most important words in marketing is capture, capture, capture. Capture their name, their email, their phone number. This will help you ensure there’s a way for you to get more information, continue the relationship, and convince them why they should do business with you.
The next thing you’ll want to do is focus on finding the right marketing channels.
Even though its usage is ever increasing, not everybody uses social media. Those who do might not use every platform. Not everyone stands over their garbage can and throws out all the direct mail they receive — some people open every letter. Not everyone listens to the same radio station, reads the same newspapers, watches the same TV channels, or attends the same events.
Not everyone is on every channel, but all of them are unique:
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Vimeo
- Webinars
- Radio
- TV
- Events
- Flyers/Printed Materials
These are only a few of the many channels you can try out. You can also try things like asking customers for referrals or employing the use of influencer marketing. The possibilities are truly endless, but you need to find which works best for you.
That’s why you’ll also want to pay close attention to how people are interacting with the content you’re sharing. Set up data-analytics tracking software, refine your strategy, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box and try new things.
Another thing you’ll want to consider when creating your marketing plan is how your business provides value.
Sit down with your employees, board members, partners, or executive team, and put together a list of things you can do to create this opportunity. Maybe this looks like offering a 25 percent discount, or giving away a free guide, or letting them try out your products or programs in a trial period. Whatever the case, it’s important to make sure your potential customers know that this offer will only run for a limited time.
Remember: The fear of loss is greater than the desire of gain. When there’s a limited number of anything, it increases in value where supply and demand are concerned. We want to create this value, but we also want them to get involved with that value NOW.
In today’s world, it’s not necessarily about who runs the best company.
It’s about who’s got the best marketing: who’s got what it takes to make people aware, build interest around their brand, guide people to take action, make sure their messages are on the right channels reaching the right people, and provide value.
Best of luck to you in your future marketing endeavors.
As always, thanks for reading my blog.
If you’re looking for more advice on how to successfully market your business, tune into my podcast that airs every Tuesday.