People today want benefits in return for their time and money. Give them what they want, surprise them with more and you will win. If you build the relationship with your customers, their loyalty will be given freely. They’ll become ambassadors for your brand and the result will be increased sales.
We are all like pro athletes or should be. It matters not what you do, just do it well. If you’re a brain surgeon, be the best. If you sweep floors for a living, be the best broom handler anyone has ever seen. If you build retaining walls, use the best products, have the cleanest work site and finish the job in the time frame you promised at the price you quoted. Here are the keys to branding and marketing success:
- Understand your customer
- Drill deep into their expectations
- What do they want, no, what do they really want
- Be honest with your promises
- Do the work
- And then, surprise them with something more
When customers are looking to buy what you have to sell, will they choose you? More to the point, will they find you?
A coach and early mentor of mine once said, “you can’t play if you don’t show up and we won’t win if you aren’t ready to perform”. Today, you need to show up on the internet. Your stories and your knowledge are your marketing. Your brand is developed with relevant content. You have surely done this before but now do it with a critical eye:
- Google a service, or look for knowledge on a particular subject
- See who shows up on the first page of your search
- Be sure to include the area in which you live, something like “retaining walls Kelowna” or “tax accountants Saskatoon”
- Do you get a simple listing in a directory with address and phone number, or, do you get the answer to your question or the story of a company or individual who is obviously working hard in order to form a relationship with you
The brands with the content rich internet presence are the ones looking to solidify and expand their business. They aren’t afraid to share what they know. They have invested in marketing and relationship building in order to drive sales. And, here’s a shameless plug for my traditional media of choice, radio. Radio is still the most efficient and economical advertizing medium to achieve frequency. So, companies with marketing budgets should always buy some radio spots to tell the world about their websites.
Floodlight – Build Your Business
Kelowna – Ottawa – Kingston – Toronto
1-888-768-9415
