Know your audience.
Get to know your customers. If you want to know the right way to use advertising and marketing to reach new customers, ask those who already do business with you.
There are as many ways to reach out to new customers as there are media reps ready to help you see the light about their service. Outdoor is your best buy because it offers a reminder of your [insert unique selling proposition here] while your customers are already out on errands in the neighborhood, right? Not so fast.
Radio hits a moving target, too. Gen X and Y, Baby Boom or Echo Boom - - all you have to do is tell them who you want to advertise to and they will deliver results. So, who do you need to talk to most? Answering that question is key.
Even if your involvement is only with a neighborhood newspaper or sponsoring local high school games on cable, it's important to know that you're talking with the right people. How much mileage are you getting out of that billboard in left field at the VFW softball complex?
With so many options, start simply. Talk to the people who are coming through the doors right now and find out what brought them to you. Sweeten the deal with something you can afford. Thank your customers for helping you do a better job for them.
Why not give your best customers 10% off a portion of their purchase for answering three simple questions? Get a better idea of how they found you, what they like best and how to keep them coming back. Learn about your customer, so when you're ready to invest in design, marketing or advertising, you're know you're talking to the right people. Talk to me, I might be able to help.
Next season, feature a new item in your inventory by giving one away. But if you do, make sure you reach out to every single name you collect and thank them for doing business with you. Make it tanglible. Build loyalty and trust into everything you do for your customers. Because the best advertising in the world is how your customers talk about you to their friends and neighbors. Better than that, it's free.
