Several factors will determine whether your marketing campaign succeeds.
Whether you're marketing a service, product or yourself, there are several factors that determine whether your promotional work will succeed. Marketing isn't an exact science. But if you take certain steps, you'll increase the odds that your marketing message will reach your intended audience. And that will only mean good things for you or your business.
Is It Unique?
Ads bombard consumers every day. They hit consumers when they turn on the TV, log onto the Internet, read the paper and drive down the highway on their way to work each morning. To stand out among this clutter, your marketing message will have to stand out.
There are several ways to do this. You might place your promotional materials in unusual places. Real estate agents and insurance salespeople often advertise on grocery store shopping carts. You can rent billboards and simply put an obscure sounding website address on them; motorists might be tempted to log onto the site when they return home just to see what it is. You can also use comedy; some of the most memorable marketing materials make potential customers laugh first and buy later.
Hit Your Target Audience
It makes little sense for a plastic surgeon to advertise his services in a magazine that is mainly read by people with little disposable income. It doesn't make much sense for the owner of an antique shop to run her ads on a radio station with a mostly teenage audience.
The key to successful marketing is to advertise in mediums that your target audience will read. Real estate lawyers, for instance, successfully market themselves by advertising in home-listing magazines. Web designers can hit their target market by advertising on online message boards devoted to freelance writers, contractors, interior designers and any other group of people who need a website to attract new customers.
Tell Them What You Offer
Reaching your target audience and making your marketing message stand out are important factors. But if you don't tell your potential customers why they should work with you instead of your competitors, your hard work will go to waste.
If you're a plumber, explain that you offer lower rates than your competitors. If you're a lawyer, highlight the many positive settlements you've achieved for your clients. If you're a real estate agent, make sure that your marketing materials mention how many homes you sold last year. Your potential customers want to know why working with you will benefit them.
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