Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Creative Marketing Strategies


One thing I learned pretty early about being an entrepreneur is that marketing is important for getting the phone to ring. The other thing I learned, that's more specific to what I do, is that all marketing is NOT created equal.

I've spoken with my fair share of "marketing experts" and they would like me to believe that marketing is marketing is marketing, but that's simply NOT TRUE. My clients are affluent busy businesspeople and you just can't market to them the same way you market to everyone else. Don't believe me? Here's a question - when's the last time you've seen a Coca-Cola commercial on TV? Probably recently, right? Ok, now, when's the last time you've seen a commercial for Rolex or Audemars Piguet or Lamborghini or Hermes or Alexander McQueen on TV?

I'll wait.

You probably didn't come up with an answer for that because all marketing is NOT the same. Higher end brands like Rolex, Audemars and Lamborghini don't advertise on television. They do advertise in publications that also cater to their target demographic. This is proof-positive that all marketing is not the same.

Years ago, the top marketing methods were direct mail, TV and radio spots. Today, most people throw unsolicited mail in the trash, DVR shows so they can skip commercials, or listen to their MP3 player instead of the radio. So, it's important to come up with creative ways to meet your client-base.

One of the ideas I had was to go out to Open Houses (generally on Sunday) and meet high-end realtors because they're selling homes in the price range that my ideal clients are buying. This is a great way to get to know people, have face-to-face interaction and build the like, know, trust factor that is necessary in doing business. If the realtor likes me and the client likes the realtor, it makes the gap between me and the client a little smaller. It's all about relationship-building.

This is just something to think about. If you're out there hustling or grinding or even praying to get business, opening yourself up to opportunities for the right people to come your way is extremely important. Having a website is great, but unless you are or hire an SEO wiz, it's just not enough to bring people in the door.

What are some of the creative marketing methods you have tried? I'd love to hear from you in the comments.

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