Imagine if a time-traveling entrepreneur from the 1990s landed himself in our decade. Given a modern product, how would his tactics fair? After carefully researching the markets, plotting his data points, and studying lists of information on his competitors, he chooses a fine location and starts to make his move. Cold calling, door-to-door sales pitches, a large advertising campaign – he pulls out the works, but builds no revenue. After putting more juice into research and development and creating a better product, he pushes out a second time, but again to no avail. What is our friend doing wrong?
Unaware of the new social media boom during the 21st century, our friend never had a chance. As opposed to using a sales soap box like before, marketing is now more about creating your own city; it’s about creating a place where prospects can both give and receive information. A thorough research into new-age marketing would have revealed the following:
1. Utilize new technology to keep an eye on both your consumers and your competitors. Use social media engines such as Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest trends while creating Google Alerts for the companies that sell the same products and services as you. The technological age offers the perfect avenues to gather information.
2. Create an environment where potential clients can freely try out your product before making a dedication. Don’t overload the free offer with alarms and whistles in a hope to cage them in. Just the opposite – make it easy on your customers to let go if the offer doesn’t suit them. Creating a trusting bond between you, your customer, and your product is of key importance. You want to create a city, not Alcatraz.
3. Offer your clients tools and resources beyond your product that complement the service it gives them. Are you an education-based company? Offer free tutoring that utilizes your products. Do you manage a restaurant? Send out free recipe cards for a few of your dishes coupled with the ingredients to make them. Create an enveloping experience for your clients that involves more than what they are purchasing – give them a reason to come back for more.
4. Approach potential clients with free information or assistance without giving them a sales pitch. Create brand awareness by packaging your name into the offer, but turn your generosity into a commercial. Work on forging a trusting bond with them.
Social Media has changed marketing in a variety of ways in the 21st century. Utilizing new avenues is essential to keep new business afloat and teaming for success. If you have any questions on this topic, feel free to contact us at (562) 283-5400 and ask for Jeff Laban or Allen Highnote.
By: Jeff Laban
Posted: Jan 11th, 2012
Gap, for example, gives employees a few paid days off every month to spend working at a nonprofit of their choice. Google allows, and even encourages, their employees to work on personal projects during company time. It increases employee moral while bringing in new business.
