Advertising
Quote from Luke Stensland on June 30, 2023, 1:54 pmI recently posted a question on a group forum for businesses, as a way to interact with the group and possibly get some insight. The question I posted was: "What is the best way to get in touch with individuals that may have a need for you service?"
I got one response, from one person, who's company is supposed to get leads for people so they don't have to track them down themselves. His response was not helpful in any way, and I have a hard time believing that his business has any kind of success. What I did realize is that most of the people in that group have the same question. So, in response to my own question, for people that may be at a total loss finding leads, I'll post what I have learned.
1: Identify what exactly you are selling or what service you are providing.
2: Identify your potential customers. Who is going to use your product or service?
3: Where can you find these people?
4: Where would these people go to find your product or service?
Let's create a hypothetical scenario to understand the how to use this information. You are making and selling patio furniture. Your potential customers could be anyone that wants to relax in their back yard. But, patio furniture is not a necessity that everyone wants to spend their money on, so you have to narrow down your potential buyers. Your patio furniture is very nice, made with high quality wood and hardware, and you put a lot of time into making each piece perfect. To make this worth your while, you're prices are high, compared to the average patio furniture bought at a hardware or big box store. So, you're potential customers have been narrowed down even further to people that have plenty of extra money, that want nice, reliable patio furniture that is different from anything they can get at the average store. These people would include people with high paying jobs or people that have had high paying jobs and are now in retirement.
These people typically live in nicer areas; golf courses, gated communities, etc. Your job now, is to figure out where these people would go to find the type of items you are selling, or where you can advertise that these people will see. Most people these days search for what they want online. People can find just about anything online, and searching online is the easiest and fastest way to find what you're looking for. For a small business, the easiest way to be found online is to create a business profile with Google (Google Small Business). When people search in your area for your type of product with Google, your business will show up. I had a small business for a while for network cabling installation, and I got a few calls from out of state companies, looking for my services in my area for one of their customers.
It is nice to have a decent website that people can go to, to see your products and about your company. While your website might be difficult to find in a search, your Google business listing should not be. You can link to your website from there. So, when people find your Google business listing, they can go to your website from there.
Another way to get your business in front of potential customers is with social media. Almost everyone uses it. But, you need to try to target your potential customers. A good way to get to your customers through social media is to join groups that your customers are members of. Be active in the groups and engage in regular, useful conversation and get to know the members. Occasionally, mention what you do and the products that you have, but don't overdo it. If people aren't interested, they aren't interested. You can't force them to want something they don't want. But, in conversation with the members, you may find insight into things they want that you can provide. Maybe hammocks are the trend in your area and you can start making nice, custom hammocks with the rest of your furniture. It's best to love what you do and what your product can do for people. If your only motivation is to make money, you'll have a more difficult time selling than you would if you believed in what you were selling and were interested in improving the lives of the people you are selling to.
I'm no professional marketer, but the basics are pretty simple: have a product or service of value, get in contact with people that need or want what you're selling, and let them know that you have what they're looking for. Once you've had a few satisfied customers, they will help sell your product by talking about your business to their friends. That's why it is important to be honest, fair, friendly, and reliable. People that don't respond to phone calls or emails, don't help their customers if there is ever a problem with their product, and are difficult to deal with, will most likely not get referred to others by their customers. Reputation and referrals are important to the long term success of any business.
I recently posted a question on a group forum for businesses, as a way to interact with the group and possibly get some insight. The question I posted was: "What is the best way to get in touch with individuals that may have a need for you service?"
I got one response, from one person, who's company is supposed to get leads for people so they don't have to track them down themselves. His response was not helpful in any way, and I have a hard time believing that his business has any kind of success. What I did realize is that most of the people in that group have the same question. So, in response to my own question, for people that may be at a total loss finding leads, I'll post what I have learned.
1: Identify what exactly you are selling or what service you are providing.
2: Identify your potential customers. Who is going to use your product or service?
3: Where can you find these people?
4: Where would these people go to find your product or service?
Let's create a hypothetical scenario to understand the how to use this information. You are making and selling patio furniture. Your potential customers could be anyone that wants to relax in their back yard. But, patio furniture is not a necessity that everyone wants to spend their money on, so you have to narrow down your potential buyers. Your patio furniture is very nice, made with high quality wood and hardware, and you put a lot of time into making each piece perfect. To make this worth your while, you're prices are high, compared to the average patio furniture bought at a hardware or big box store. So, you're potential customers have been narrowed down even further to people that have plenty of extra money, that want nice, reliable patio furniture that is different from anything they can get at the average store. These people would include people with high paying jobs or people that have had high paying jobs and are now in retirement.
These people typically live in nicer areas; golf courses, gated communities, etc. Your job now, is to figure out where these people would go to find the type of items you are selling, or where you can advertise that these people will see. Most people these days search for what they want online. People can find just about anything online, and searching online is the easiest and fastest way to find what you're looking for. For a small business, the easiest way to be found online is to create a business profile with Google (Google Small Business). When people search in your area for your type of product with Google, your business will show up. I had a small business for a while for network cabling installation, and I got a few calls from out of state companies, looking for my services in my area for one of their customers.
It is nice to have a decent website that people can go to, to see your products and about your company. While your website might be difficult to find in a search, your Google business listing should not be. You can link to your website from there. So, when people find your Google business listing, they can go to your website from there.
Another way to get your business in front of potential customers is with social media. Almost everyone uses it. But, you need to try to target your potential customers. A good way to get to your customers through social media is to join groups that your customers are members of. Be active in the groups and engage in regular, useful conversation and get to know the members. Occasionally, mention what you do and the products that you have, but don't overdo it. If people aren't interested, they aren't interested. You can't force them to want something they don't want. But, in conversation with the members, you may find insight into things they want that you can provide. Maybe hammocks are the trend in your area and you can start making nice, custom hammocks with the rest of your furniture. It's best to love what you do and what your product can do for people. If your only motivation is to make money, you'll have a more difficult time selling than you would if you believed in what you were selling and were interested in improving the lives of the people you are selling to.
I'm no professional marketer, but the basics are pretty simple: have a product or service of value, get in contact with people that need or want what you're selling, and let them know that you have what they're looking for. Once you've had a few satisfied customers, they will help sell your product by talking about your business to their friends. That's why it is important to be honest, fair, friendly, and reliable. People that don't respond to phone calls or emails, don't help their customers if there is ever a problem with their product, and are difficult to deal with, will most likely not get referred to others by their customers. Reputation and referrals are important to the long term success of any business.
