Marketing is everything you do to attract and retain clients from getting the attention of strangers who don’t know anything about you, to educating prospects about the benefits of doing business with you, to closing the deal and solving your client’s problems and frustrations.
It’s more than one-time advertising or trying to convince someone to buy something they don’t need.
A good marketing strategy educates rather than being self-serving. It provides valuable information to help prospects make an informed purchasing decision rather than trying to be cute, clever or entertaining.
Below, you will find resources to help you improve your marketing’s effectiveness. For more help, download our free small business marketing plan guide.
The Nuts And Bolts of Creating A Marketing Strategy
If you shy away from marketing because you hate “tooting your own horn,” think it’s shady or manipulative, or just a bunch of tactics like advertising that seem like a crap shoot, this section is for you.
Marketing is primarily about psychology. Your target market is a particular group of people who share similar problems, lifestyles, and worldviews. By narrowing your focus, you maximize your effectiveness and concentrate your resources on the people who are most likely to buy from you. Once you know who your target market is, the single best way to market your services is to clearly explain why your services are uniquely qualified to help your clients and why they should choose you over all the other options out there.
Make Your Small Business Advertising More Effective
The principles of direct response advertising can be used anywhere – from newspaper, radio and TV ads to your website and pay-per-click ads. Every effective ad shares several common traits: an attention-grabbing headline, an enticing offer that motivates interested prospects to do something about their situation now, and a call to action that tells prospects what the next step is.
Recommended Books
Below you will find our recommended books for creating your small business marketing strategy.
Michael Port’s book offers service professionals a step-by-step blueprint for getting new clients and increasing revenues.
While not specifically for service professionals, Duct Tape Marketing is a useful reference for crafting a cohesive marketing strategy.
Referrals are the life blood of any service-based business. Burg offers practical tips and strategies for making networking painless.