Seal the deal with effective marketing.
Creating awareness and building brand recognition of a business office can be difficult, but with an effective marketing strategy, you can promote your company's services to the appropriate audience. Knowing who your audience is and how they like to be marketed to is key for reaching them in the most cost-effective and direct way. Your location and services will also determine how you market your business. Use this guide to get the most out of your marketing efforts.
Determine Your Target Audience
Think about the types of people who are your customers. Who needs the products or services you offer? Sketch out a description of your ideal customer, including age, sex, education, background, location, marital status and income. If your company offers business-to-business services or products, list what industry your clients are in, what their needs are, and their budgets for your products.
Once you've created a solid description of your target audience, think about (or research) how they communicate and how they like to receive their marketing. If they're young college students, chances are they use Facebook to communicate with friends. This could be a good marketing channel for you. If your clientele consists of Fortune 500 businesses, you should look into advertising in glossy business magazines or exhibiting at industry trade shows.
Marketing Ideas
Once you've pinpointed your audience, you need some ideas on market to it. If you're not sure, look at what your competitors are doing. Some options: press releases, social media marketing, e-mail campaigns, print advertising, online advertising, trade shows and blogs.
You may do well by networking at local chamber of commerce events. Consider distributing flyers in your office's neighborhood.
Not every company has an in-house marketing team. Consider hiring a marketing consultant or marketing firm to better help you decide on the best marketing strategy for your company.
Create a Budget
Before you can implement the marketing ideas you've generated for your office, you need to know what your marketing budget is. If your office is a small operation, consider making it a percentage of sales. Even if you start with just $100 a month, you can work your way up to a larger marketing budget as sales increase.
Estimate how much each of the marketing ideas you listed will cost on a monthly and yearly basis, then add a little extra for marketing incidentals.
When implementing your marketing strategy, above all, stick to your budget. If you're presented with an opportunity that will take you beyond your budget, save it for next year.
Implement Your Strategy
Once you've got your target identified, marketing strategies chosen and set your budget, you're ready to start marketing your office. Track your results with each marketing technique, and if something doesn't net results after a few months, drop it and try something else.
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