February 21st, 2010 by Andrea Conway
John F. Kennedy\‘s statement \“A rising tide lifts all boats\” perfectly describes the boom years of the economy. Throughout the \‘00s you really didn\‘t have to do much to have an OK business. But what about in today\‘s receding tide? Fortunately the recession won\‘t take all boats down with it — only the leaky ones. Use attraction marketing to build your business, especially in tough times. Start with these three strategies.
#1 Be in touch with your clients and prospects frequently.
Contact everyone on your email list once a week at least. Remember, though, it\‘s not only about selling. Customers find value in tips, useful information, articles etc. Sometimes business owners worry about sending too many emails — they are afraid people will leave their list. If your messages have value, people like to hear from you. Except for those who most likely would never have bought. Frequent email contact actually strengthens your attraction marketing.
If you have physical addresses, mail a postcard every 4 – 8 weeks. Promote a customer appreciation sale. Offer a free consultation. Send people to your website for a free special report, an article, a video of you using your product, or a tip sheet.
Post on Facebook and Twitter regularly. Aim for one Facebook post and 1 Tweet every day at the beginning. Granted, social networking can sometimes be confusing at the beginning. I recommend you create your accounts and simply observe for a while. When you do start posting, keep in mind the #1 rule of social networking: it\‘s not about selling something, it\‘s about relating to people. You\‘ll soon get the hang of it.
Don\‘t have a mailing list at all? Start building one. Right now. A mailing list is one of the essential assets of any small business — it\‘s the foundation for much of your attraction marketing. Writing articles — like the one you\‘re reading right now — is a great way to begin.
#2 — Be innovative with your products and services. It\‘s time to shake things up and look for ways to add value to your typical offerings.
If you\‘re a coach, add teleseminars or digital products to your offerings. If you sell products, add coaching or training that helps people use what you sell. If you offer a service, such as pet-siting or office cleaning, create a tip sheet or simple newsletter. When you stand out from the crowd you\‘re attractive to customers — in any economy.
Team up with other businesses for mutual leverage. Think of the neighborhood wine shop creating a wine-tasting evening with cheese and crackers from the gourmet food store around the corner. Or take a gallery that sells artwork — like the one my life partner owns. He sells custom framing that\‘s outsourced to a framer a few miles away.
Online businesses can also use leverage. I created an audio set on Law of Attraction marketing from a series of interviews with other attraction marketing experts. It only took 6 interviews to create a product. Everyone who participated in the interviews promoted the product to our mailing lists. Talk about the power of leverage! Make a list of experts you could interview to create a valuable collection of interviews your customers would want to own.
#3 — Use your personality when you promote! Luckily for us small business owners, we aren\‘t required to act distant, like the typical large corporation. Thank goodness! It\‘s possible to be quirky (but business-like) — and it\‘s a lot of fun. Open up and tell your customers that you spend weekends riding your Honda Gold Wing. Talk about your favorite charity, the local animal shelter. Or express your enthusiasm for restoring antique furniture. It\‘s great to write about your vacation, your parakeet, your hometown, your kids.
In every marketing promotion, express your passion for your business. Tell people why you\‘re in this business and how much you care about it. You can also develop short, interesting stories — customers appreciate knowing you, and stories create powerful connections. During a down economy, people seek out friends to do business with. Attraction marketing includes expressing who you are.
Tips: 1) Respect the line between being open and over-revealing your personal life. 2) Stay away from political, religious or other viewpoints that might create controversy. 3) Use personality in moderation — think of it as a side dish or condiment. Keep the attention of your customers squarely on the main course: your business.
Here\‘s how to take the next step in attraction marketing for small business success Get your free copy of Andrea Conway\‘s special report Secrets of Attracting Prosperity in Hard Times
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