http://smallbusinessonlinecommunity.bankofamerica.com/community/forum/salesandmarketing?view=discussions Most recent forum messages en Wed, 20 May 2009 12:02:14 GMT Clearspace 1.1.1 (http://jivesoftware.com/products/clearspace/) 2009-05-20T12:02:14Z en http://smallbusinessonlinecommunity.bankofamerica.com/thread.jspa?messageID=71120&amp;tstart=0#71120 Now is the time to for all small business owners to<br /> step out of their routine and examine how their customers view their<br /> business. It is time for action with an emphasis on marketing, branding<br /> and outreach. <br /> <p /> Here are some simple proven steps to follow to increase<br /> visibility and sales in a short time. In this series we will examine<br /> five key strategies to getting more sales. The starting point towards<br /> improving your bottom line is identifying your target audience.<br /> <br /> What<br /> does power washing, concrete curbs and pilates have in common? Small<br /> business owners come in many varieties, but they can only succeed when<br /> they identify their target audience.<br /> <br /> Who is your target audience?If someone was to ask you this question, what would you say? Could<br /> you explain your target audience in two, three or four words? Many<br /> small business owners fall into the trap of thinking that everyone is a<br /> potential customer. This is not true. <br /> <p /> The companies that succeed are<br /> ones who know who is their target and are focused on creating their<br /> business message that reaches them.<br /> <br /> Your target audience will be<br /> a unique customer base that has specific characteristics. Target<br /> audiences can be classified in many ways, here are a few to consider:<br /> <br /> <ul class="jive-dash"> <li>Male or female: Does your product meet the needs of men, women or both?</li> </ul> <br /> <ul class="jive-dash"> <li>Location: Is your product or service targeted to people in a specific state, city or a specific zip code?</li> </ul> <br /> <ul class="jive-dash"> <li>Residential or Commercial: Do you sell to homeowners or other business owners?</li> </ul> <br /> -<br /> Life Style: Are your potential clients first time home owners,<br /> apartment dwellers, new parents, young mothers, college students?<br /> <br /> Once<br /> you identify your target audience, suddenly the marketing plan becomes<br /> a set number of choices, narrowing your efforts to a manageable number.<br /> Let's examine some real case studies involving small business owners<br /> and they defined their target audiences.<br /> <br /> Case Study - A power wash company in HoustonPower washing is a broad field with many potential customers. We<br /> advised the company owner to describe five of his most recent and<br /> profitable clients. While he worked on both residential and commercial<br /> properties, he determined that commercial propertties were of more<br /> interest because they were recurring revenues and more profitable<br /> overall. Suddenly commercial properties became the focus as a target<br /> audience.<br /> <br /> Next we examined the target radius for potential<br /> clients. With gas prices biting into profit margins, it made sense to<br /> market to nearby zip codes within a 10 mile radius. Using an online<br /> search engine, we targeted businesses in those zip codes. We quickly<br /> came up with a list of potential business clients. <br /> <p /> Upon further<br /> examination, we determined that property management companies might<br /> also be a target audience since many buildings are managed by third<br /> parties. So suddenly the target audience was taking shape and the<br /> marketing strategy became more clear.<br /> <br /> As we prepared the<br /> marketing materials. suddenly he had a clear message for a specific<br /> target audience. It was easy to create the website and printed<br /> materials that spoke to those clients. Focusing on defining the target<br /> audience helped save time and energy in overall marketing efforts.<br /> Using this data, the client was able to start marketing in a organized<br /> manner and build new clientele rapidly.<br /> <br /> Case Study: Concrete curbing companyThis company specializes in working with prime contractors to build<br /> curbing. We advised them to target their marketing efforts to major<br /> construction companies and local municipalities. We also suggested they<br /> take time to become aware of upcoming capital projects. <br /> <p /> Their marketing<br /> efforts were on a broader regional scale including the Houston<br /> metropolitan area, south Texas and even adjoining states. Helping to<br /> identify key contractors has focused their marketing efforts and<br /> increased profitability since they spend their time on targeted sales<br /> calls.<br /> <br /> Case Study: Pilates studioThis company offers pilates workouts in a suburban area of Houston.<br /> We asked the owner to describe three typical clients. From this<br /> information we were able to create three fictional characters that we<br /> built marketing profiles around. We identified where they lived,<br /> shopped, hobbies and other life interests. <br /> <p /> In this way our client was<br /> able to co-market with other small buisness owners in non-competing<br /> areas. We also suggested targeting apartment complexes in key zip codes<br /> to reach more people with less effort.<br /> <br /> Bottomline: Identifying<br /> your target audience and focusing on marekting to those specific<br /> characteristics improve sales and profitability. Wed, 20 May 2009 11:52:25 GMT 8acompany http://smallbusinessonlinecommunity.bankofamerica.com/thread.jspa?messageID=71120&amp;tstart=0#71120 2009-05-20T11:52:25Z May 20, 2009 8:02 AM