For some home stagers the market has slowed down and November and December may be your slow months. This is a fabulous opportunity for you to make sure you have a solid Marketing Strategy and Marketing Tools in place.
Marketing is something that you will never stop doing in your business. Even when you are busy you need to keep the 'funnel' full or as you finish up your staging jobs you may find yourself with no clients. There is a way to avoid the feast or famine and that is through having a great strategic marketing plan all mapped out for the year ahead.
Along with your great Marketing Strategy you need to have some great Marketing Tools so now is the perfect time to add new marketing tools or revise some of your older ones.
Some FANTASTIC Marketing Strategies & Tools!
One of the most important lessons I have learned for my own business is that my marketing strategies are constantly changing. What worked one year, or even one month, did not necessarily work the next year or the next month. It is imperative that you recognize what is working in your market, and what is not. The most obvious way to know this is to look at your sales targets. Are you achieving them or not?
1. MARKETING STRATEGIES
Here are some ideas of solid Marketing Strategies that you can easily incorporate into your marketing plan. Remember you can always add, delete, change, revise, etc. down the road.
1. My Marketing Strategies - the 'what you DO' to get noticed and be remembered:
- Networking - formal, informal, Meet Ups, BNI, staging related networks
- Social Media Networking (Active Rain - must do for stagers, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, My Space, You Tube, etc)
- Print Advertising
- Advertorials
- Article Submissions - make a list of which publications are interested in what you have to say
- Media Releases - if you do any chartable work associated with your business papers, magazines like this - or something NEW you are offering
- Speaking Engagements - who would love to hear what you have to share - libraries, stores, community centres, seniors centers, fitness centers, etc.,
- Trade Shows - which shows will work best for you - plan ahead and get prices - typically in the spring and fall for home stagers/home & garden shows
- Auctions - love freebies that their guests would love to buy
- Golf tournaments - what can you offer as a prize
- Retail Stores - what stores will benefit from advertising for you (strategic alliances - complement you and you them no competition)
- Workshops - where can you do some 'free' workshops for exposure
- Community Centers - can you post something or do some talks there
- Churches - often have bulletin boards you can put a flyer up at
- Coffee Shops - you can put up your marketing materials here
- For women Hair Salons or Beauty Spas - could be good place to market
- Etc...
2. MARKETING TOOLS
Your Marketing Tools are the 'things' you use for your brand. For most home stagers they are their brand. When you are branding yourself and investing in your marketing materials make sure you hire professionals to work with. You only get one chance to make a great first impression - as you well know!
1. My Marketing Tools - the 'what you USE' to get noticed and be remembered:
- Business Cards - use the back as well
- Post or Rack Cards
- Greeting Cards - hand or electronic (SOC)
- Flyers
- Direct Mail Campaigns and/or Canada Post/US Post drops
- eArticles
- eZines/Newsletters
- Newsletters
- Websites
- Blogs
- Other
Remember that as the business world changes you need to constantly be creating and implementing new and appropriate marketing strategies for your home staging business. Think outside the box to find new ways to get the word out there. You don't want to be the best secret, do you?
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