Small business marketing advice

[Matthew E Wilson]

Small business marketing advice. . . Matt Wilson

One of the more overlooked areas of small business is that of a consistent marketing campaign. We are all talented in our relative areas of expertise but we were never introduced to the importance of marketing until we experience a sales slump. We ultimately come to the realization that in business, marketing has to be understood and implemented correctly in order to attract potential customers? We have felt that we can rely on our talents and word-of-mouth to distinguish us from our competition. That was basically true in the past but not anymore. When there are no ‘new’ customers calling than there can be no sales and a business dies from the weight of it overhead burden.

No small business is too small for an effective marketing campaign.

All of the service industries are no different than any other business in respect to marketing. How do we get our message out to the general public and more importantly to potential clients seeking our unique skill set specifically? There are several answers to that question starting with ‘branding’. Branding defines a brand as a “name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.
Therefore it makes sense that branding is not about getting your target market to choose you over the competition, but it is about getting your prospects to see you as the only one that provides a solution to their perceived problem.

The objectives that a good brand will achieve include:

• Delivers the message clearly (without clutter, cartoons, or too much color. (Think; Target, Shell, Nike, Coke and what do you think of?)
• Confirms your credibility (not necessarily that you have been in business since 1983 but rather that you speak with confidence in your knowledge of your goods & services.)
• Connects your target prospects emotionally (this speaks of the human experience of vulnerability and trust. If they don’t ‘feel’ that you or your services are authentic they will never commit)
• Motivates the buyer (to commit to purchasing your goods & services now)
• Concretes User Loyalty (get them to boast about your goods & services to others by becoming concerned about the value proposition you bring to them and not objectify them as just another sale)

To succeed in branding you must understand the needs and wants of your customers and prospects. You do this by integrating your brand strategies through your company at every point of public contact. This may include your website, business cards, stationary suite, brochures, portfolio, vehicles, uniform, etc. This includes utilizing your company colors, logo, & catch phrase consistently on everything that is affiliated with your business. NO COMPROMISE on colors that are close enough or cost that will always seem too high as it has to be consistent with the image that you are trying to convey.

Your brand resides within the hearts and minds of customers, clients, and prospects. It is the sum total of their experiences and perceptions, some of which you can influence, and some that you cannot.
A strong brand is invaluable as the battle for new customers intensifies day by day. It’s important to spend time defining, and building your brand. After all, your brand is the source of a promise to your customer. It’s a foundational piece in your marketing communication and one that you do not want to be without. If you cannot attract new customers what is the point of your specific talent?

Have you ever thought deliberately what sets your goods & services apart from all of your perceived competition? What is your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) that sets you and your firm apart from all others? Are you the least expensive? The fastest? The best value? Do you offer a money back guarantee? You must spend some quality time with your friends and family to ascertain what makes your firm different than all of the rest. You are literally dead-in-the-water with your marketing campaign until this is cast in concrete. This will not be easy and it will not be along the lines of conventional thinking.

Once your U.S.P. is understood you can then go about the composition of your “catch phrase” that drives the message home. A catch phrase should be very short and to the point. A good rule of thumb is too utilize the fewest number of words and stating exactly what your services are about.

Branding is not limited to composing a clever name, phone number, or logo however a logo is a critical component to branding and should not be a cluttered composition of shapes that appeals to you but rather a memorable icon that is burned into you potential customers psyche. Your iconic logo should be separate from you corporate name style unless the ‘text’ of your name IS the logo.

Your logo should be produced originally in black and white and resonate with everyone visually. Next, it’s time to apply the corporate colors to the logo, graphics, or text. The color selection process again should convey your image and not be a composition of your favorite colors all carelessly included. Try to utilize more modern color(s) or combinations. If all else fails use black & white.
What is the point of collateral material? Credibility.

If you want to succeed with your marketing / branding efforts you must have effective collateral materials to leave with your potential customers. This collateral should always reflect the corporate logo, name style, fonts, colors, graphics, and image as all of your other marketing material. There can be no exception with conveying the same image throughout your campaign.

Print media

There are many times that I am questioned as to what publication to place print media in. Most of the time cost seems to be the primary decision making vehicle and frankly it could not be more wrong. You must afford the proper size advertisement in the correct market demographic regardless of costs or you will not only be wasting your time but also your money.

An advertisement that is too small or lists some arbitrary group of words describing all your areas of expertise is dated and tired. Try to solve a problem for your specific client. Ask the question right in the copy of the advertisement “are you looking for a sanctuary of your very own?” as opposed to “we design and build beautiful landscapes”.

My observations suggest that if you are truly creative in your respective field of expertise than that creativity should spill over into your adverting as well. Think original and creative thoughts to design a campaign unlike anybody else’s. Your distinctive advertising campaign itself will display your creativity to those savvy clients that really want something uniquely different.

The visual image that a photograph of your work conveys speaks volumes over simple words describing what your firm can provide. However a combination of both a strong visual image that is combined with a few very carefully crafted words can paint a picture for your prospective client. A full page advertisement can be very expensive but the image it conveys to a prospective client is that of success and professionalism. A small advertisement for the most part states a thrifty approach and works for that market share that wants a value in their purchases. For my specific market share I go big or I go home. My clients have achieved a level of success and strive to set themselves apart from the crowd and therefore they contact me for that reason. They find me in magazines that appeal to their taste and interest. Not in any publication that fits my given budget. If I don’t have the funds available for a full on campaign I change my marketing plan to accommodate that level of funding or I postpone my efforts until I do have adequate funds. Running a campaign short on funds does not work. A small effort for a short duration of time, 1-3 insertions, is a waste of money. It is called an advertising campaign for a reason. It takes a concerted effort to launch and maintain a campaign as opposed to throwing a given amount of dollars at an advertisement sales representative and hope for the best.

When you do decide to run an adequate sales campaign may I suggest that you hire the best photographer that you can for your work. To many times people try to cut corners by taking the photo themselves or asking their neighbor to shoot the photo on their day off. Take the time to research a top notch photographer, look at examples of their work and pay their fees as requested. They are worth the money as surely as you are worth what you charge. They have skills with a camera that you don’t and there is a noticeable difference. Take the time to stage the photo with all the applicable props relevant to the income level of your prospective clients, such as yard sculptures, fresh flower arrangement, expensive patio furniture, etc. . .that you would need to portray a convincing scene for people to visualize themselves being a part of. You would not want a plastic table and chairs set in your photograph if your target clients are upscale professionals. You might find that type of staged item acceptable but you are not your target client are you? An attractive person in your photo shoot not only paint a picture of usefulness it also provides scale to the surrounding amenities. Essentially, go to the time, trouble, and expense that this sales medium requires for good results. Install anything that completes the photograph for your clients. Make them wish that they were in the picture and they will likely ask you to duplicate the landscape for them.

Remember that you are not a creating a scrapbook of memories intended to boost your ego; you are simply providing one photograph of each project for your portfolio and advertisement campaign that best displays your firm’s abilities to prospective clients. Do not make the uninformed mistake of taking your photograph before your project has adequate age and maturity of the surrounding landscaping which may take a year or longer.

You will need to have the photographer shoot several Polaroid’s before hand to ascertain the correct aperture setting and lens to use. Try to avoid the temptation to shoot multiple angles of the same project as this stunt does not fool anyone but you. If you don’t have enough photographic content fill your portfolio considers graphic material along with text or articles to fill the gaps.

If you are forced, by time constraints (shame on you for your lack of planning), to provide photographs that are not up to par with your marketing campaign than utilize the millions of stock photographs that are available online. Choose photographic images that convey the same message as your campaign and not necessarily the goods or services that you offer directly.

When the inevitable sales lead arrives be prompt and punctual always. Today’s client waits for no one so be prepared and have all the answers before you meet.

Another marketing avenue that is frequently over looked is press. The newspapers and magazines of your community are always looking for public interest articles to fill their pages. Your significant project or technique has an angle that is of interest to many people but how would they know anything about it unless you let them know. Don’t be shy and blow your own horn and make yourself known in your community.

Hire a copy editor to proof read and rewrite your written words. They are affordable and nothing should be released without your copy editors approval. You only have one opportunity for a first impression and if your written word is less than professional you will lose a client before they have had a chance to evaluate your skill level because of your grammar or phrasing.

Another example that seems to have fallen through the cracks these days is your appearance so dress for success. Don’t dress like your fellow competitors because “that how everybody in my line of work dresses”. When you are in front of a client you cease to be (blank) and must portray yourself as a competent salesperson and you should dress like one. The market share I have chosen is the top 2% residential community and my attire reflects my level of success and professionalism. Many times I am dressed nicer than my clients and that’s ok because they are not at work I am. Your clothing and vehicle that you drive are a direct reflection of your success, or failure, as perceived by your prospective clients.

Your vehicle should reflect your success as well so wash it prior to a sales meeting. I would strongly suggest not driving a construction truck to a sales meeting unless your target market is more value oriented. Take a spare change of clothes if need be so that you look fresh and rested before a sales call. If you are late for appointments, your appearance is haggard, or you cannot return a phone call your organizational skills need work and that will certainly be conveyed to your prospective client. Nothing is good enough anymore and if you want a viable shot at competing out there in this market you will have to bring your ‘A game all the time.

Second Nature
Integrated Landscape Concepts for discerning clients looking to recreate an authentic resort experience with their own property. Second Nature’s approach to design is to discover the limits of the possible by going beyond them into the impossible. Second Nature’s success is earned through their ability to stand out rather than blend in.

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