If you are using old-fashioned marketing methods like cold calls and email spam to suspect lists, it’s time to ratchet up your marketing.
There is a lot to marketing and it can get as complex as you want it to be. But starting simpler is always better because it will build you the foundation of more sales and more recurring revenue. Once those are in hand you can continue to add service levels and branch out to even more customers.
- Build In-house email lists. Not spam lists, but internal lists you have compiled through networking, trade shows, sales calls, and marketing leads. Collect them from your CRM, email contact lists, and the business cards you stuffed in your drawer. Once they are all in one electronic place, reach out with emails and phone calls and announce your cost-effective new service offerings.
- Create a marketing newsletter. Informative email marketing to your in-house list is a great way to nurture prospects and retain existing clients. Concentrate on the benefits of managed services for your prospects and on additional high value services for your customers. A monthly newsletter coupled with weekly or bi-weekly blog posts will go a long way towards branding, positioning and lead generation.
- Write a company blog. If you don’t have a blog, get one. No need to post every day; blogging a couple of times a week will help to build your business and generate leads. You will also have a flow of information to offer in your LinkedIn status and Twitter updates. Offering a free download to your blog readers for their name and email is a great way to add them to your in-house list. And compile your weekly blog posts into your monthly newsletter for even more content leverage.
- Track your marketing. Even simple CRM systems can help you track where the majority of your new business came from such as referrals, direct sales calls, a download, or a newsletter subscription. Also ask what activities you consistently did that did not produce business? Maybe that trade show you attend every year isn’t worth the time and expense you put into it. Also ask what activities you did not do that you should have.
Get serious about your marketing. Plan the highest return activities and do them faithfully to get the business that you want. Consistency and quality are the single biggest indicators of marketing success.