You have a great product or service to offer the public, but how do you get the news out there? An effective marketing strategy is arguably the most important way to ensure that your news is heard by the proper audience at the proper time. Here are some easy things to do to market your product or service that you can begin today.
Educate Current Customers
Your current customers (as long as they are happy customers) are the perfect people to educate about your new offerings. Whether you sell restaurant equipment or software, if you are releasing something new, especially if it is an add-on or improvement to a current product, let your loyal customers know first. Often, customers will jump at the chance to preview or beta test a new product. Utilize those who are already loyal to you to make your first sales and also to help you get the word out.
Post on Social Media
Nearly everyone has an account on at least one of the major social media sites. In fact, social sites gained 1.3 million users every day in 2020. If everyone is on it, your company should be too. These sites are a great way to find new customers through targeted keyword-rich ads, and also engage with your existing customer base. Encourage your current customers to follow you on your social channels by offering them special deals and pricing that are only for followers. It’s time to let the social media craze work in your favor.
Do Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the most powerful, but simple, ways to get your messaging out to a large audience. As long as you have a subject line that is interesting and will grab your readers’ attention, this is a great way to get in front of existing customers and potential customers. However, in order to be noticed in a sea of other marketing emails, ensure that your email pops and offers something interesting from the get-go. Are you running a great sale? Talk about that early on before readers lose their focus and move onto the next email in their inbox.
Blog
Blogging is another great way to get yourself noticed by your target audience. Ensure that you are using product- or industry-specific keywords in your post so that it will index will in the search engines. By doing this, each time someone searches for keywords pertinent to you (like “stainless steel stove”), your post may pop up organically in their search results. Blog often, and write about broad topics that are related to your industry as a whole. This is a great way to prove that you are a thought leader (and earn some clout in the industry) and know about more than just your product or service.
Get Customer Reviews
Before making nearly any purchase, it is common to read online reviews to see what actual customers and users think about a product. If you have happy customers, ask them to write reviews of your product on review sites and to publish directly on your website and social media pages. It can be challenging to get even the happiest customers motivated to write a review, so offer incentives, such as a discount code for their next purchase or a free product add-on (if applicable) or anything else that may be enticing.
Host an Event
Host some type of event for your customers and potentials. Do you have a new product on the horizon? Host a virtual session to give those interested a “sneak peek” of what is coming. If you work in a more technical industry, consider an event that is geared towards troubleshooting common problems or a “Q & A” session where users can get their questions answered.
Creating a marketing strategy for your product or service can be easy. Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to growth and success.
Guest Article by Kevin Gardner
Kevin Gardner graduated with a BS in Computer Science and an MBA from UCLA. He works as a business consultant for InnovateBTS. As busy as he is with his career, Kevin has made his family a priority and has found creative ways to give them the time they deserve. Whenever possible, he writes about his experiences and shares them to help others.