In case you haven’t noticed, each day of our lives we are under attack. We are under a constant bombardment of advertising messages coming from all directions.
The average American is exposed to 3,000 advertising messages each day. Most of them are coming from major corporations hoping that some of their messages will resonate with consumers. Most will fail.
Today there are ads on the parking lot lines outside of stores. There are ads on floors of supermarkets, cash register receipts, in bathroom stalls, even in the bottom of golf holes.
You go to a movie to avoid the onslaught of television commercials and you are entertained by a series of commercials until the movie begins. Then you are discreetly (?) bombarded with product placements during the movie.
When you turn on the TV (about 4 ½ hours a day) you see a series of product placements and plugs during shows all the way until they break for commercials!! Watch any late night show like David Letterman and the vast majority of movie stars are there strictly to plug their latest movie.
In many ways it is almost scary today being a small business person competing in the world of big businesses. Many have limited resources, small staffs and limited marketing knowledge. Making a major TV buy is not an option.
You have your $10,000 advertising budget (if you’re lucky) while a major firm like Procter & Gamble will spend more than that on a single focus group. How can you compete with firms like Budweiser when they are dropping million of dollars per Super Bowl spot?
No doubt it is often a David & Goliath scenario in the marketplace, but that doesn’t mean small business folks can’t use a little marketing creativity and break through the media clutter out there today. Sometimes whispering in a room of screamers can be far more effective.
First, you should realize that the most powerful form of marketing in the world is word-of-mouth. Great marketing is getting your friend or neighbor talking about your company, product or service.
Word-of-mouth marketing today is often referred to as “buzz marketing,” “viral marketing” or even “network marketing” or “guerrilla marketing.” No matter what you call it, it is vital to the success of a small business.
The key question is: “How do you get people to talk about your product or service?” For starters, social scientists have said that each person has a network of 8-12 people in their close network of friends, family and associates. Each person’s broader network may consist of hundreds or thousands of people.
The theory of buzz marketing is like a stone dropped in the water with the ripples getting larger and larger and spreading. It can start with you talking about your business at a party, at a Chamber of Commerce gathering, at a civic club, etc.
Another way to generate buzz is by giving something away for free or offering a really fine deal. Viral marketing frequently involves delayed gratification for your business, but the payoff can be huge in the long run.
As an example, let’s say you have a product that relies heavily on repeat business. Why not get customers to come in for a free trial? For the free trial all you ask is their name, address (email), business, etc.
Sure you didn’t make any money on this initial contact, but you have incented them into coming to your business, trying out your product, and you have information that you can use in the future. If you have a good product or service that satisfies a need customers will come back for more—and they will tell their families, friends, co-workers, etc.
The playing field is not always equal when you are trying to compete against major corporations. However, it takes a ship a long time to turn while your small business speedboat can turn on a dime.
Buzz marketing is something you can do starting today. Get it started.
(Reprinting of this column is permissible if credit is given to John Landsberg, President of Bottom Line Communications)
