In today’s economy, service-based businesses have to work hard on advertising and marketing to keep up with the competition. The reality of a competitive marketplace is that it can be difficult for a business to stand out from the crowd without some strategy behind its efforts.
While there are many ways for a company to make itself known, these seven strategies will help any company get ahead in this tough economic climate.
Be Unique
Some people might think that making your product or service unique isn’t enough when you’re competing with other companies who offer similar products or services, but you would be wrong! It’s important not only because it makes your business stand out from others but also because it gives people more reason to purchase from you as opposed to other businesses.
Suppose you own a landscaping business. In that case, your one-of-a-kind idea could be setting up a mini garden on the front lawn of every client or offering to plant and take care of their children’s vegetable garden. Since you’re the only one doing it, it is unique and worthwhile. As a result, customers will buy from you and not from someone else, even if their prices are lower or they offer a similar service.
Everyone likes something special. Make yours unique, and people will feel more inclined to purchase from you!
Create an Exclusive Club
This is basically like before, where it’s essential not only because it makes your business stand out from others but also because it gives people more reason to purchase from you as opposed to other businesses. This could be anything, like a loyalty or rewards program for customers who come back again and again. Or, if you don’t want to do that, you can still offer exclusive deals or promotions such as buy-one-get-one-free offers. Such deals are good because they help you get rid of any excess inventory. Likewise, promotions are good for your customers because they’re getting more value for their money.
The goal is to give customers a reason to keep coming back or at least tell their friends about your business, so they can take advantage of exclusive deals.
Be Consistent in Your Marketing Campaigns
One thing that you should always make sure to do is to be consistent in your marketing campaigns. This means that whatever you’re doing to get the word out there about your business should always include a specific theme, strategy, or plan of action.
Suppose you want people to know that your company does web development. In that case, you need a campaign that highlights all the things your company does. Don’t just say “we do all sorts of web development services” because that’s vague. People will find it difficult to remember you, so instead, say something like “our company offers a variety of web development services from design to content management systems.”
Be Persistent When It Comes to Branding
If you are a dentist, you won’t be very successful if you only advertise when schools are handing out fliers. You need to add your logo on everything such as business cards and stationery, or even add it to an ad on a website like Craigslist.
When you first start, it might seem like a hassle to constantly think about where your brand has been left, but it will become second nature after some time.
Use social media as an advantage for your business by promoting it on your website. This way, more people are likely to visit your site and get to know your brand.
Send reminders to customers via email, text, or postcards for yearly appointments. If you remind them ahead of time, it will ensure that they don’t forget, and make sure to add a promotional code to save money on their visit.
The big thing here is that you don’t want to create brand awareness and then stop. Instead, you need to keep adding value to your brand if you want people to keep continuing to know and like you.
Be Visible in the Community
When you own a business, your brand must become a visible part of the community. You can accomplish this by doing things such as sponsoring local events or supporting a cause that fits with your brand’s image and values.
Particularly in smaller communities, people love to see their favorite brands be active members in the community because they’d want to support businesses doing good things in the community. You might even get more new customers from this effort by word of mouth.
Don’t underestimate the power of word-of-mouth marketing, as it is still one of the most effective strategies around. One recommendation from a customer can lead to another 33% increase in revenue from that customer, and word-of-mouth marketing can be used to increase new customers by 42%.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, the service industry is not only growing but also lucrative. The ability to create a unique idea or product that brings immediate value into people’s lives is what separates successful businesses in the service industry from the rest of the pack.