As a business owner and/or head of a company, marketing your products and/or services is one of your most important tasks.
When done right, marketing can lead to new clients and higher revenue. If done wrong, it can mean fewer clients, missed opportunities, and ultimately lower revenue.
Whether you sell real estate, furniture, cable and Internet services or any long list of other items, there are several keys to properly marketing your brand.
Market Consistently and Target Your Message
First and foremost, know who your intended audience is. If you’re marketing without an intended target, your message may or may not be heard. Reviewing demographics and analysis will help you better zero-in on those you want to reach.
Companies such as Direct TV have found a winning formula in order to reach out to consumers looking for multiple television viewing channels.
For example, the satellite TV provider has accrued more than 20 million customers nationwide, allowing it to provide a variety of entertainment options, among which include the latest shows, sports (professional and collegiate), movies and more. Customers can also put together a TV-Internet bundle if they so choose.
Social Media Playing a Role
As part of its marketing efforts, Direct TV uses both Facebook and Twitter to reach out to current and potential customers.
On Facebook, the company has more than 4 million likes, while its Twitter page has some 157,000 followers.
With a Twitter page, companies like Direct TV can post the latest updates on their products and services, interact with customers, including answering any questions they have, and provide links to informative entertainment news.
Whether your product is satellite television or not, here are some tips for properly marketing to keep in mind:
• Goals – Define your goals early on and know who you want to market to. If you don’t already have a marketing budget, set one for the coming year. Keep in mind that your goals may need to be tweaked at times, so be prepared to change course when necessary;
• Socialize – Whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest or many other social networking sites, utilize social media correctly and regularly. One of the pitfalls with social media is not using it on a consistent basis. A share here and a tweet there won’t get the job done. Be a regular on social media and provide valuable messages;
• Interaction – Customer service is your first and foremost biggest responsibility when running a company. If customers feel like they are taking a back seat, you will likely end up losing them. Even if you don’t have the answer they want right this second, show them that you are working on it. In the event there is a dispute with a customer, address it fairly and professionally. Most importantly, never take the dispute public as in via social media. Doing so makes you look unprofessional to say the least.
No matter what your product or service is, properly marketing it can go a long way in determining whether you have a successful or so-so company at the end of the day.
About the Author: Dave Thomas writes for a variety of websites on topics such as marketing and running a business.
