Not sure you’re getting a return-on-investment from your marketing dollars?
Ask: “How Did You Hear About Us?”
Find out if your ads and marketing materials are effective: keep track of where your customers are coming from and how they heard about your business.
Was a new customer referred to you by a previous client? Send that client a thank-you promotional gift (remember? we talked about these last week) – stay fresh on their radar and let them know their referral was appreciated. Who knows? This former client could become a constant source of new business!
Is this new customer responding to an ad? Find out which ad they saw and where they saw it – this helps you track which ads are working. If you want to get even more specific, find out what made this customer act on the ad’s offer: was the deal really good? Were they responding to a need (“Boy, I need my gutters cleaned. Oh look, an ad for a gutter cleaner!”)?
Ads that are incredibly effective fulfill four main criteria:
- Use the right media (email, newspaper, etc.) to grab your target market
- A strong headline that asks a pertinent question or offers a solution
- Has a clear call to action (“Call today to schedule your appointment!”)
- Lists multiple ways to contact you (Phone, email, website & mailing address)
Maybe you’re a member of your Chamber of Commerce or another networking-type organization. Are you tracking which leads come from those events? When you’re talking to people at the next Chamber event, you don’t need to make a “hard sell” – you’re all businesses trying to help other business within your network. Spread the word about your services and how they could help people. Don’t forget to track these sources!
Remember, everything that has your name and your company’s name on it counts as a marketing material: business cards, pens with your logo, that ad in the weekly paper… If you’re spending money on ANY marketing, make sure you’re spending it wisely.
ASK QUESTIONS
(And train all your staff to ask: “How did you hear about us?”)
