Maximize Attention for Your Small BusinessJeremy Cohen If you have a great product or service that people want you are well on your way to being successful. However, in order to lock in and grow your success you need to maximize the attention your products and services get. As a small business owner you probably dont have millions of dollars to spend on advertising campaigns to drill your companys name into your prospects minds. Thats okay. Many small business owners find their success by effectively developing and using their marketing message. You can use your marketing message to position your business in such a way that your prospects will think of you when they decide its time to take action to tackle a problem they have that you help solve. A marketing message is not a slogan or catch phrase. There is an important difference. An effective marketing message speaks directly to a specific audience and features benefits, results and the value of a product or service. Slogans and catch phrases often have nothing to do with a specific market or results and benefits. Slogans and catch phrases are used by big companies to imprint their corporate image in our minds simply by sheer repetition. They need not relate to hamburgers or sneakers for us to immediately associate a couple of words with the appropriate company. Here are five simple steps you can take to help maximize attention for your business. 1. Drop the Slogan If youre using a slogan or catch phrase to market your small business youre probably missing opportunities to have prospects identify you as the solution to their problem. If your slogan does not clearly identify the population you serve and the results you provide you are definitely allowing business to pass you by. Make the decision to drop the slogan and develop and use a marketing message. You will increase your ability to develop new business. 2. Develop or Correct Your Marketing Message Once you have decided to let your slogan go the way of the Dodo you must develop your marketing message. When writing your marketing message think about those you help and the benefits they seek from your product or service. Ask yourself as many questions as you can to identify your customers and the results they seek. When youve answered these questions you can use the information youve gathered to put together a marketing message that sells. 3. Use Your Marketing Message Once youve developed your marketing message youll want to include it any aspect of your business where a marketing opportunity may present itself. Remember, the purpose of using a marketing message is much the same as that of a slogan or catch phrase, you want to position your business in your prospects minds so that they think of you when they decide to take action to solve their problem. Because you dont have the capital to run thousands of television and full page print ads in major periodicals, you must massage your marketing message into the every-day occurrences of running your business. For example, how often do you give someone a business card or answer the phone These are great opportunities to splash your prospects with your marketing message. You dont need a $2.5 million commercial to run during The Big Game to successfully market your business. So, do some brainstorming and come up with a list of other frequent opportunities where you can use your marketing message. Youll be glad you did! 4. Demonstrate Value If your marketing message is good it will help your prospects recognize you as the solution to their problem and it will also inspire them to take the action you want them to take; visit your web site, for example. Use this step to demonstrate value to your prospects. Once youve drawn them in, show them youre for real by giving something away for free in exchange for their contact information. Some common giveaways are E-Books or instructional articles. By giving something away you create the opportunity to demonstrate your expertise and you also give your prospects something to talk about with their peers and colleagues. Theres nothing like word of mouth referrals. 5. Develop a Relationship Once you have your prospects contact information you can maximize attention for your business by staying in touch. I suggest publishing a helpful newsletter. Send it as often as you can, but probably not more than once a week. You dont want to become a bother to your prospects. Get permission to send it when your prospects sign up for your freebie. We dont want to send unwanted email. By sending a periodic newsletter or other correspondence you help to keep yourself on your prospects radar screen. As time moves on you will maintain your position in your prospects minds and vastly improve your chances of having them turn to you when they decide they need help. You can also use your newsletter to inform them of new products and services as you develop them. Move Your Marketing Forward Make the decision to drop the slogan and take the time to develop, use and follow through with your marketing message. You will be amazed by your ability to have new clients contact you.
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