BUSINESS TOP 10 MARKETING TIPS FOR 2012
With 2012 fast approaching, it’s no surprise many companies in the locksmithing industry are already thinking about their marketing plans for the New Year.
To help our readers with their marketing strategies, The Locksmith asked marketing expert Andrew Scott for his top marketing tips. After careful consideration, Andrew submitted the following 10 answers:
1. Be Consistent Brand recognition, repu-
tation (and ultimately new customers)
comes through
repetition and association. It doesn’t matter if you are sell- ing “Te Ultimate Driving Machine” or “Finger Lickin’ Good” chicken.
Placing the
odd ill-conceived last-minute press advert or a poorly con- structed direct mail letter will not help your business! De- veloping a strategic marketing plan will ensure you leap-frog your competitors and create real growth.
2. Develop your USP’s Every business needs
Unique Selling Propositions (USP’s). If you can’t decide what sets your business apart from your competitors then why should any customers buy from you? Great service, quality products and reliable deliveries are not USP’s be-
3. Create IMPACT! It doesn’t matter how great
your product or service is, unless your message (the creative design, headlines and copywriting)
really catches
the attention of your custom- er you are wasting your time (and money). Create a theme that is con-
sistent and recognisable. Te most memorable promotions are those that capture the im- agination - Marks & Spencer is a good recent example of this (“this isn’t just food, this is M & S food”) and Guinness built a global business through it.
cause your competitors are saying the same thing. USP’s can take many forms
– products, service levels, sup- port package, ordering or de- livery process, in fact anything that distinguishes your busi- ness from your competitors.
4. PR Tird-party credibility is
a powerful way to establish your business, and PR is the ideal way to achieve this. Reg- ular, interesting stories will re- inforce your brand image and awareness in a way advertis- ing or direct mail cannot.
and suppliers know you mean business. Te
occasional ad-hoc,
poorly designed advert is not the answer and won’t produce results – think about your sales message, invest in good creative/design, and commit to a 3, 6 or 12 month cam-
“unless your message (the creative design, headlines and copywriting) really catches the attention of your customer you are wasting your time (and money).” A steady stream of press
releases, articles and fea- tures, and opinion pieces will catapult your reputation. Consider using both printed matter and online channels. If you don’t have the time to build on-going relationships with the journalists and edi- tors or don’t have the time or resources to produce good PR stories each month, it is worth investing in an external indus- try-experienced PR agency.
5. Trade Advertising We
all know that retail
companies need to advertise, but it is equally important for trade suppliers throughout the supply-chain. Te trade press provide a valuable ser- vice to the Industry. As well as attracting potential new customers, advertising in the trade press gives confidence to your existing customers and lets your competitors
66 • NOV/DEC 2011 •
WWW.KEYZINE.CO.UK
paign to create repetition and credibility.
6. Direct Mail Tere is no more powerful
tool for generating enquiries than direct mail. However, like advertising, direct mail works best through repetition and enquiries can often filter through weeks after the mail- ing has arrived. Effective di- rect mail can produce a very high response rate – the key is using quality, customer-spe- cific data, high impact design/ creative, and personalisation (avoid stuck-on mailing labels as this can be the kiss of death to direct mail). Of course mail-merging and printing thousands of sales letters, designing leaf- lets/flyers and stuffing enve- lopes can be a tedious and time consuming job, but you can always outsource your direct mail to a database/di-
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