Are you reaching your target audience? Are you receiving a great ROI?
Are you well diversified throughout all media platforms?
There’s so much to consider: Online presence, social media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest etc.), print media, TV/radio ads, community events, sponsorship, charity fundraisers, networking? And just when you start to get it, they change all the rules!
Let’s face it, we need our brands to be seen at every level which can be mind boggling! The one place I find that people forget to pay attention is REAL LIFE marketing. I know it sounds a little old school and you’re right, it is.
What is the number one reason you buy anything from anyone?
YOU LIKE THEM!
Building relationships, getting to know real people in real life, is the one most important rule of sales and marketing throughout the entire history of sales and marketing.
The only way for our team to keep up is to be continually educating ourselves. We attend seminars, take workshops, and are always reading about the latest trends. Lately we’ve been focusing on our online presence through our website and social media. With the whole world at your fingertips, it’s a crucial part of our marketing strategy. How can you build real relationships with those hundreds (and often thousands!) of online connections? How can you be thought of before your competition, and be remembered in such a way that they would like to give you their business?
Invite them over of course! How else do you get to really know someone? But who has the time to meet hundreds or thousands of people face to face in real life?
Par-T-Perfect Vancouver Owner Robin LeBlevec
presenting at a Make Your Mark networking event
My top 3 REAL LIFE RELATIONSHIP MARKETING must dos:
- Network: Networking events are the classic way to get out there and form solid business relationships. Before you start listing your excuses for not going, just think of all the different options! There are breakfast meetings, luncheons, dinners, evening mingles, running groups, women only, men only etc. There is never a shortage of events to attend. Strong relationships don’t develop instantly, so give it a little time to start generating results. Don’t be “that guy” who is shoving his business card in everyone’s hand, while spewing his latest sales pitch, and hasn’t even asked you your name yet. Be yourself and have some fun doing it!
There are so many great options for networking, but some of our favourites include:
Surrey Board of Trade
Ridge Meadows Chamber of Commerce
eWomen Network, Vancouver Chapter
Your Local BNI Chapter
Dynamic Women In Action
Internet Masterminds
- Education: Staying up to date with marketing trends can be difficult, but that’s why there are classes, workshops, seminars, and forums. When we study and learn together, it is natural to meet people. When you already have a topic of conversation it makes for an easy introduction to start getting to know someone. Over time you can’t help build a relationship. You are learning, meeting people and growing your business’ success all at the same time!
We love learning, and we do it every chance we get! Here are some of the resources we keep coming back to:
Janice Porter
Women’s Advantage Forums
Make Your Mark
- Host an event: Client appreciation days, company anniversary celebrations, fundraisers, grand openings etc. are all perfect reasons to get people together for a celebration! Invite your current clients, invite the masses you are connected to online, your employees, your suppliers, those people you’ve met networking or while educating! The point is to gather people together and create a sense of community. This is how you can be bigger than your competition and create real relationships. You don’t even have to do it alone Let us do it for you! We’re the experts in event marketing! Our clients return year after year for their annual events,not because planning them is too difficult, but because with our help it can be fun AND effective!