Do you really know who your ideal customer is? Can you picture what he/she reads, likes, wears and how your ideal client makes purchasing decisions? If you know your customers’ needs well, then you don’t need to follow them around, you can lead them with confidence and you can spread ideas that resonate with your audiences. Twitter and Facebook are great for networking, but if your customer does not even know how to spell Twitter, you may need to hang out somewhere else. You need a different marketing strategy during recession, but first you need to
KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER.
Examples of companies who know their customer:
Apple – Design matters! People pay more for products if you give them a reason to do so.
REI – Offers quality and utility to people who value them. Appreciates customer feedback.
Target – Makes customers feel good by letting them trade up, differentiates its brand from low cost retailers.
BE CREATIVE, do what your best competitors do, but do it differently, stand out. Find ways to create great customer stories and create your own story that others will tell. Reward your best evangelists. Write articles about your expertise or your business or have them written, submit locally and online.
BE INNOVATIVE, find news ways to market. Start your own inexpensive podcast if you have talent or find someone who will interview you.
Here are some useful websites for aspiring podcasters as well as listeners:
Free audio recording/editing software for podcasters:
www.audacity.sourceforge.net
Check out BlogTalkRadio as well.
STAY IN TOUCH with your customers and gain new clients via newsletters, webinars or special offers. Have free videoconferences via Skype.