Every year in February many people celebrate Valentine?s Day with the ones they love. This year, Beacon Marketing is spending the month of love focusing on how we, as marketers, can show our current and potential customers some love. All of Beacon?s blogs, YouTube videos, and Beacons of The Weeks will be centered around how we can go beyond being a salesperson and be the resource our target audience wants and needs. Join the conversation on our Facebook group.
Imagine all your marketing activities – email, social media, print, audio, TV, etc., as a live person. Then imagine that person approaching hundreds, if not thousands of people per week (some multiple times per week) with a message that only conveyed the desire to make a sale. That person would more often than not get shut down and then eventually ignored.
Now imagine your sentient marketing activities as a person who genuinely was interested in being a resource. Someone who truly wanted to help others. Their primary goal is not to make a sale, but to be of service and someone others can trust. Over time that person would become welcome. Eventually people will seek out that person and recommend you to others.
That is what it means to be resource when marketing your business.
5 Ways To Show Your Audience Love and Be A Resource
Being a resource in marketing means addressing the needs of your current and potential customers over going in for the hard sale. When you do this you build a level of trust that is not possible when you rush in with a ?Buy Now!? mentality.
Here are some ways you can the resource your audience is looking for:
- Give Away Free Content – Blogs (like this one), videos (like Beacon?s YouTube Channel), emails (like Beacon?s monthly newsletter), or webinars (like Beacon?s FREE monthly webinar) are great ways to provide value to your current and potential customers. You are able to simultaneously address your target audience?s pain points while showing off your knowledge of your industry.
- Show You Understand Their Pain Points – Speaking of pain points, show your audience that you not only understand what troubles them but that you also understand the impact it is having on their lives. Provide solutions that do not necessarily mean making a purchase.
- Be Positive In Your Messaging – People like to smile and are attracted to things that make them happy. Finding ways to infuse a positive message into your messaging allows others to build a deeper bond with your organization.
- Do Surveys – Sometimes it helps to ask your audience what it is they are looking for. A survey is a great way to get more info on how you can be a better resource.
- Give Back To Your Community – Whether it is by volunteering, donating, mentoring, or networking, there are many ways you can show you are part of your community. Being part of your community lets others know you want your organization to be part of something larger.
As a small business, we understand the pressure to make sales. However we also understand how it feels to be on the end of a hard sale. You don?t feel like a person, you feel like a number. Let your current and potential customers know that you see them as individuals with problems which deserve to be addressed. Over time you and your organization will be seen as a trusted resource.
