Reaching Your Customers

Every day I walk my dog in a field near my house. Through this daily routine, we have both gotten to know the locations of various gopher holes. Much of the field is currently covered in hay which has not yet been cut this year. My dog knows the gophers live there, but the hay is three feet tall and neither one of us can spot the gopher holes, let alone see a gopher. Every day, when we get to particular sections of the field, the dog will starts to scout for gophers. She always ends up disappointed because she can’t find them amongst the tall hay.

Today, as I watched this happen one more time, I was reminded of many small businesses who know that customers are out there but just can’t seem to find them. Often, small businesses believe that everyone will want to buy their product, but most have little or no budget to promote themselves to the masses. So, what can a small business do?

The key to success is truly understanding your customer — this means knowing who your customers are, what their needs are and where to reach them. Segmenting those customers by their characteristics and actions will enable you to identify where to focus your attention. Then, choose segments that are lucrative and can be targeted easily and effectively. Rather than trying to be all things to all people, small businesses will be most successful when they target a particular audience and differentiate themselves from the “big guys”.

If you can identify target audiences with particular characteristics, you can tailor your marketing efforts to reach them. Using messages that resonate specifically with an audience, delivered through media that will reach their effectively, you can create a relationship with that audience. A small business has the opportunity to build a personal relationship with their niche customers in a way that big businesses can’t, despite their bigger budgets. Developing a close relationship with key customer segments — and learning more about them — will help you target your message and marketing to meet their needs, increasing the chance that they will act. More effective marketing means a better return on your marketing budget, and what small business doesn’t want that?

More Thoughts on Signage and Writing

One of my pet peeves is signs you can’t read. It is such a waste of money. For example, while driving down the highway at 60 mph, who can read much more than a headline? Which begs the question, why would you put 100 words on a billboard?

Outdoor ads represent a significant marketing challenge — how do you communicate your message when there is such a short window of opportunity for people to see — and absorb — what you have to say? It takes good creative with strong brand elements, combined with copy that grabs the attention of readers while quickly communicating your message.

The goal of most billboard ads is to generate brand awareness by positioning your name in the minds of the consumer. This means that your copy needs to communicate a key product attribute and your creative must be evoke your brand. If you can accomplish just these two things, you will be in the position to get a nugget of your product’s name in the consumers mind.

If you want a consumer to act based on a billboard ad, you will need a strong call to action that is simple to comprehend and remember. Again, great copy supported by creative that reinforces your brand is key. For an action-oriented billboard to be effective usually requires proximity. A billboard touting a fast food restaurant at the next exit has a better chance of creating action than one that simply promotes it.

Regardless of your advertising goals, clear and concise copy will contribute greatly to the success of your campaign. Getting your message across in a few words is harder than you may think. Just try writing your 6-word memoir! (see May 6th entry)

More inspiration

For another creative inspiration, I offer another little gem I stumbled across last year. Called “Eight Principles of Fun”, it was created by Box of Crayons, a creative coaching company in Toronto: www.eightprinciples.com.

Enjoy!

Could you tell your memoir in SIX words?

The editors of Smith magazine (www.smithmag.net) created a book (now available on Amazon) filled with examples from the famous and not so famous. A video, complete with catchy tune, was also created, which I found on Women’s Health (magazine) website (www.womenshealthmag.com/life/tell-us-your-life-story-in-six-words). It will make you smile.

So think about what you would write — it’s a great opportunity to work on your writing skills.

What’s mine, you ask?
Traveling alone, found my inner strength.