Maybe you’ve been there: you’re talking to someone in your industry at a mixer and they ask you if you’re using <insert name of the latest trend here> to market your business. Or you’re talking to a seasoned business owner and they say that “everybody” in your industry uses <a certain marketing strategy>, making it sound mandatory. You stand there frozen: a) not knowing if those strategies are right for you; or b) wondering what you did wrong, because you tried those strategies and they didn’t work. You’re left wondering, how do you figure out what marketing strategies are the right ones for you?
Looking at the Get Clients Now! book, there are six categories of marketing strategies, in order of most to least effective:
- Direct Contact & Follow-Up
- Networking & Referral Building
- Public Speaking
- Writing & Publicity
- Promotional Events
- Advertising
With these strategies in mind, here are several ways to figure out which ones are the best fit for you.
Pick the strategy closest to the people.
Looking at the marketing strategies above, those strategies closer to the top are more effective because you have more direct contact with live human beings. While it may be tempting to run ads (strategy #6) or post fliers (strategy #6), remember that being with people in person is key; it allows you to interact with them directly and get to know them a bit, and they you, which is key to building rapport and future business.
Pick strategies that play to your strengths.
It doesn’t matter if “everyone” in your industry markets a certain way, or what the latest trend is in social media or other marketing ideas are, you want to make sure the strategies you pick are a fit for you and use your strengths. Your colleague could be having great success with writing (strategy #4), yet if you feel like you can’t string two words together, it’s likely it won’t be as effective for you.
Experiment with a strategy you’ve been curious about.
If you’ve been curious about a certain marketing strategy – maybe a booth at the upcoming Chamber of Commerce event (strategy #5), or attending in-person networking meetings (strategy #2) – learn more about those strategies and take small steps to experiment using them. Often where there’s a curiosity there’s also hidden talent, and by checking out several new strategies you may find one you like that’s effective for both you and your clients.
Look for the magic intersection.
While it’s great to play to your strengths when picking your marketing strategies, remember that the strategy also needs to reach the right people. What sounds easiest & most fun to you and will catch the attention of your ideal client? If you picked public speaking (strategy #3) as your main strategy, yet your ideal clients are introverts who live in remote areas, you may not be as successful as if you picked another strategy, such as writing (strategy #4).
By using these tips to find the marketing strategies that suit you and your clients the best, you’ll be a marketing wiz in no time!