Many people are excited to start the year off right with new year’s resolutions, which got us thinking. If people can have new year’s resolutions, shouldn’t businesses be able to create and fulfill them too? In fact, we figure it may be even better for a team to make resolutions because there are multiple people holding one another accountable. We all know how those pesky resolutions can slip away…
Recently we stumbled upon an article from Forbes that discussed 5 Small Business Marketing Trends to delve into this year. The article written by Kalin Kassabov, founder and CEO of ProTexting.com cited the following:
Create a Better User Experience
In personal relationships, we are taught to put others before ourselves. The same is true in business. When employees are trained to put specific emphasis on positive customer experiences, long-term customer relationships are born. Customer surveys are great for monitoring customer service performance. Another great strategy is to engage with customers and potential clients on social media. Brand loyalty is powerful, but must be earned not given.
Capitalize on Location-Based Marketing
When given permission, many businesses are now able to monitor their customer or lead’s locations via GPS on a smartphone and other devices. A consumer’s exact location is valuable information that should always be put to use. By employing location-based marketing strategies like geo-fencing, you can create campaigns that are more applicable to your specific audience, not just to unqualified leads who may stumble across your message.
Livestream Video Rocks
Facebook claimed a new frontier with the launch of Facebook live. Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram have quickly followed suit and employed live video streaming channels of their own. Now influencers can engage with their network or leads face-to-screen in a never-before- discovered avenue. Livestream video is an excellent way to add exclusivity to a message or to increase buzz. People always feel special when they’re among the first customers to hear about a special deal, incentive, or campaign. Live video is also great for answering customer questions or further attaching a personality to your brand.
Micro-Marketing Has Big Effects
Most marketing is far too expensive to waste budget on a shot in the dark. Targeting and segmentation can play a huge role in helping to narrow down your lead generation scope. Instead of having a sale on every item in your inventory, find the product that isn’t selling well or the service with the largest profit margin and market that product exclusively to the leads who would be the most interested. Another way to target is to find consumers that are interested in a similar product from a rival company. You can always attempt to convert the competition’s consumers by explaining the additional benefits and added value that your product and brand provides.
The More Data, the Better
Even if you don’t have their GPS location, any information about current customers or potential leads is like gold. You can incentivize people to share value information in exchange for contest entries, discounts, or small free offerings. The better you know your target market, the more effectively you can advertise directly to them.
In Conclusion…
Our take?
While these are all fantastic recommendations that we stand behind, no advice or strategy is ever effective without proper execution. Always be honest with yourself and your team when setting achievable goals and milestones. If your brand or company is having trouble streamlining your business or touting your message, maybe it’s time to give the professionals at The PM Group a call.
About The PM Group: The PM Group was founded in 1988. Over the past 30 years, the agency has continued to grow and is currently listed as San Antonio’s Largest Advertising Agency by the San Antonio Business Journal. The PM Group’s client roster spans numerous industries including automotive, CPG, entertainment and sports marketing, legal, business services, non-profit, real estate and fitness. In addition, the agency hosts an annual Charity Gala every February that to date has raised over $2.5 million for local San Antonio area non-profit organizations in the last 15 years! It is our way of giving back to the community that we so humbly serve.
