#Collaborative post
One of the most difficult things for any business leader to digest is the fact that they may have set everything up for success, but the customers just aren’t biting. It might be that a showroom has sat empty for a week or two, or perhaps your most busy restaurant services, which should be bustling, serves around ten people at most.
It’s a rude awakening to realize that somehow, you’re not connected with your local patrons, or that internet sales are slowly being lost out on. However, when that happens, coming back to the drawing board is essential. When you can focus on the cause of the issue, rather than just the symptoms, you’re much more likely to find a way forward and reestablish your brand with confidence.
After all, many businesses assume that their customers will come if they’re prepared to handle their revenue, but that’s no always true. We must never take them for granted. In this post, we’ll discuss how you can avoid that eventuality and instead re-establish those essential ties:
Audit Your Marketing
Marketing is considered one of the main practical tools used to ensure outreach and the potential of connecting with a new audience, no matter if that’s the general public or b2b clients. If this isn’t generating much interest despite your best efforts, it’s important to follow this marketing audit template.
Here you can really get into the figures of where you’re marketing is going wrong, and identify where the problem is and what the cause might be. Is it that you have no idea who your ideal customer persona is, as in the type of person or entity you think is most likely to purchase your product? Could it be that with a little market research, you realize that many other brands are occupying the same space with cheaper and better products?
Or, might it be that after a year of a global pandemic and associated lockdowns, most people simply aren’t that confident in spending money on new businesses within a certain industry, and taking the time to drum up that support is now essential? These are questions worth asking, as they’re more likely to give you not only a direction you can follow, but a strategy you can execute.
Consider The Visibility Of Your Products
The accessibility and visibility of your products or services should be at the front of your brand. Customers should almost know what you do and how you do it even before they notice and memorize your brand name. This is because knowing this information is what will solidify your brand name in their minds.
This might mean that using social media listings, landing pages, and full online product libraries or booking options can be very helpful. Using targeted social media advertising to get out there in front of a given audience can be helpful. Taking direct action towards marketing by sponsoring a public figure, team, event, or influencer could also be a great way of getting your product out there.
You may even wish to leverage the press of a given industry to give you free marketing. If you’re coming out with a highly sustainable sports supplement, for instance, then selling this product alongside a thorough campaign for sustainability in your industry is sure to help you gain some engagement. As you can see, it’s not always just the products that make people pay attention, but how you showcase them.
Survey Your Current Customers
Your current customers, even if they’re limited, can be a valuable source of information to you. It might be that you use a free online resource to curate a somewhat anonymous survey, and send an email out to your current online account holders offering a discount on the next purchase for those who fill out your form.
This way, you can begin to learn about the people who were converted and engaged via your prior social media or advertising efforts. You can understand how they think, who they might be, if they were satisfied, and what they’d improve. While it might seem that this information is possibly useless because this is coming from people who have already proven themselves interested in what you have to offer – note that customers do not necessarily become loyal customers even after a couple of purchases. It’s always worth knowing how to keep those who gave you a chance to begin with.
Consider Pricing & Value
One of the biggest repellents for any firm to get wrong is that of incorrect pricing and value. A firm can have the best branding in the world and the slickest, most visible website, but without good pricing and without offering good value, most people won’t consider your firm justifiable to purchase from.
This is particularly true now that we live in a world where you can easily Google search competitor products or use tiered listings to see where is most reliable to purchase from.
Consider The Platform
It might be that you’re not getting much engagement based on where people are first interested in purchasing products from. For instance, consider the brand Focusrite. They are known for designing and manufacturing well-known audio interface equipment for studio professionals and home amateurs alike. They have quite a large website with every product available for purchase – but they also use Amazon to list their products just because of how widely this can introduce their goods to a range of other customers.
It might be that a platform like this, not necessarily as general but primed for your industry, can be a worthwhile partnership to take. Sometimes, expecting everyone to come to your website is not necessarily a viable option, especially when you’re starting out. Considering how to leverage your position like this can be quite helpful, giving you the exposure you might need.
With this advice, we hope you can avoid your business having to undergo further disconnects from their target audience.