Building mind awareness through
the right medium choices is one of
the most important things you can do to improve your bottom line. Knowing
where those new customers are coming
from is the second most important thing.
So why are you throwing your money
away, and why are you giving credit to
the wrong medium?
First things first, in order to create
mind awareness with your future customers, they have to find you. Did everyone hear that? They have to find you.
Chances are they will not find you when
you advertise in one magazine, one radio
station, on just cable, or a print ad. Many
of your future customers may not read
that magazine, listen to that radio station,
watch that cable channel, or read that
publication.
Top-of-mind awareness can only be
achieved through an integrated marketing plan; your future customers need to
see you in multiple places.
Of course, the media will not tell you
this, but they will gladly take your
money. After all, they’re in business to
make a living as well. More media dollars
are wasted every day with the wrong creative and placement. If you’re going to
the media for advice on creative and
placement, then you get what you
deserve.
There are two important points that I
must make. The first is the need to utilize
more than just one medium, and integrate the media in a comprehensive time-line to expose your products and/or services to future customers. Most importantly, don’t spend all your effort and
money on advertising. Put an emphasis
on developing significant marketing
strategies that reach your target audience. Like never before in history, you
must reach out to your future customers
in their immediate circle. They must see
your message repeatedly and in multiple
places.
If you don’t remember most of this column later, please remember this; your
future customers may not need your
product or service right at that moment,
but at some point, they will.
The key is to keep your name in front of
them so that when they do need it, they
will remember you. This is what we call
top-of-mind-awareness. Too often executives assume it’s not working because
you didn’t get the exact number of calls
you expected, and then pull the ad after
just a short time. When a future customer
needs your product or service, it’s key
that they remember your company or
you won’t get the sale, your competitor
will.
One sure way to help them remember is
to keep your name out in the community
in consistent ways, not relying on just
one medium. The more mind awareness
you build, the greater the chances are
that you’ll get the business.
Secondly, I want to talk about tracking
your leads to determine where those new
customers are coming from. This can be
very difficult to measure. Too often, your Web site and the Yellow Pages get credit
for exposure that they have nothing to do
with.
I see it every day; many of you believe
you know where your customers are
coming from because that’s the feedback
you’re getting. I have found that unless
properly questioned, the answer being
given is very often not the real source of
the lead. I call this ‘surface response
measuring’ and clearly it doesn’t go far
enough to get the true answer of why
they called in the first place. Think about
it: when you need a phone number or
contact information; you go to a Web site
or the Yellow Pages, correct? So when
the front-line person asks the question
“How did you find us?” the answer can
often be the source of where they found
the phone number, instead of what drove
them specifically to your company.
Your front-line people must drill down
to the real source of the lead with the
right questions if you are going to find
out where your money is being best
spent. Don’t just ask where they found
your number or heard about you, question them specifically on the medium, the
location, and the time. It takes a few
more seconds, but the difference in the
information will be well worth it.
MALCOLM A. TEASDALE is the principal and “Big Idea
Catalyst” of Teasdale Worldwide, a strategic marketing firm
headquartered in Tampa. The author’s e-mail address is
[email protected]. To obtain more information
about upcoming events and possible event sponsorship, visit
www.MarketingofDistinction.com, or contact Kathi Kasel at
[email protected] or (813) 868-1520. To view
additional articles, register at www.MalcolmOutLoud.com.