Attracting new customers in your community!

There are businesses in a community that service that community, but may not have the foot traffic or obvious appeal of a retailer or franchise chain. Businesses include Dentists, Chiropractors, Real Estate Agents, Insurance Companies, Optometrists, Fitness Studios, and others. In Community Marketing, any potential customer will come from that community. The community is a specific regional area. There may be 5,000 or so potential customers in that area. The goal for these businesses is to make sure that when a person needs the service, that business is at the top of their mind and is considered a trustworthy resource in the community.

In a book called, "The Luck Factor," Dr. Richard Wiseman shows that the more a person sees an image, the more that person is favorably inclined toward that image. In his study, Dr. Wiseman showed people meaningless squiggles and asked them to rate how much they preferred or liked each. The squiggles that were shown the most received the highest ratings. You can see the relevance to community marketing: the more your brand is shown in the community, the more the community will have a favorable impression.

Frequency and consistency are the keys to getting that favorable impression and maintaining awareness.

Frequency is the obvious key. At a minimum, you need to be in front of prospects quarterly to maintain any awareness. Most real estate agencies recommend that their agents make at least one "impression" per month.

Consistency is the other key. Consistent branding is important. Always use the same "look" colors, fonts, imagery, etc. Make the graphics relevant to the community - use a photo of a local statue, building or scene. Show photos of your own office and staff. Reference the community in your text. An offer is always recommended. The offer should have an expiration date to create a sense of urgency. Offers are great when they are tied to a sales or event.

The media type should also be consistent. To make that impression, the media (postcards, newspapers, radio) should be consistent. In other words, don't do postcards one month, and then choose newspapers the next. You should choose one media consistently and frequently. If another media is desired, then add that to what you are currently doing.

Finally, when considering a marketing budget, you need to stretch that budget over the year so that you can make a consistent impression. Never spend your entire budget on one campaign so that you cannot maintain frequent contacts with your consistent message. If you spend your entire budget on one campaign, this gives your prospect the rest of the year to forget about you! So if you can only afford to reach 5,000 people one time, then reduce the scope of your marketing to 1,000 people and reach them five times. That will ultimately result in better response rates and a better return on your marketing dollars.
If we can help you maximize your opportunities in your neighborhood with our 5000 piece Every Door Direct Marketing programs where you can mail a 4.25 x 5.5 or 5.5 x 8.5 postcard for as low as .18 - Give us a shout.