Already the first month of 2012 is drawing to a close. It went so fast. In fact, before you know it, Spring will be here again and the phones will be ringing off the hook. What can you do differently this year to increase sales? To gain new, loyal customers? Here are 4 marketing ideas to try in 2012:
1. Write an old school newsletter. Yes. The kind that you actually mail. We had one for our window cleaning business and it was the single most effective marketing we did. As silly as it sounds, we always printed it on blue paper and the day it hit everyone’s mailbox, the phone rang off the hook. We could have over 50 voicemails in a few hours. What did we put in it that was so profound and amazing that everyone called the second they saw it? Nothing. Our customers, however, were trained over the years to call when they got it. And, they did!
2. If you send out direct mail, postcards or otherwise, be smart. You may think you are saving money by choosing dinky, little black and white 3″ x 5″ postcards – you’re not. You just wasted your money. Send less postcards, but go big. Really big. We got at least a 10% response from the 6″ x 9″ full color versions. In fact, 3 or 4 decent new customers covered the bill. Now, they even have 11″ x 14″ versions available.
3. Re-think coupon usage. Have you become a “coupon company”? If you are constantly offering coupons, you are never making full price on your work. Or, worse, people aren’t calling UNTIL that next coupon comes in the mail. And, do not even THINK about trying Groupon until you read our post next week.
4. Get a website. I can jump up and down on my little soapbox over and over but small business owners, not just window cleaners, are avoiding the issue. Or, maybe, they just don’t get it. There is no going back. People find EVERYTHING online these days. E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. If they don’t find you, guess who they call? That’s right – your competitor!