“Customer Journey Stages For Local Businesses: A Proactive Advertising Strategy”

As a small business owner, I’ve come to the realization that advertisers have been sold a lie. In fact, not one, but two lies that may lead to wasting your hard-earned money. The first lie is the notion that people need to hear or see your message seven times before they can be expected to make a purchase. While technically that may be true, the path to those seven touches doesn’t have to be on the same platform.

In my experience, the second lie is that targeting the largest audience is the best way to advertise. Every platform, from radio to television, to newspapers, brags about the size of its audience. But the question every business owner should be asking is how many of their best customers can they reach through that platform?

My Misadventure with Advertising

When I owned my home construction business, I nearly advertised myself out of business. My mistake was letting the radio station who sold me the ad create it as well. They created an ad for me that I loved! The problem was, I am not my desired customer. The ad talked about old-world craftsmanship, how long I had been in business, and blah, blah, blah!

After three months of running the ad, I hadn’t received a single call. So, I called the radio station rep, and she informed me of the “they have to hear the commercial seven times” rule. Not happy, but accepting she knew what she was talking about, I let the ad run for another five months. Still, not one call.

The Epiphany: Target the Right Audience

This is when I decided I needed to figure out advertising for myself. I offered all kinds of things, and the only thing that seemed to work even slightly was offering a discount. Until… I stumbled on the strategy I’m going to share with you here.

The strategy involves starting with the prospect in mind, but not just any prospect. You have to start with your best prospects in mind so that you can get better customers or clients. And the first step is to offer them something that is actually helpful to them. In my case, I created a Home Remodel Organization Packet.

It wasn’t initially created to publicize, but rather for a customer who was having trouble keeping up with paperwork, ideas, and everything, we’d talked about. I mentioned it to another customer, and they asked if I’d give them one. I started offering it to every person who became a customer, and then I had an idea. What if I offered the packet on my website?

The Packet: A Customer-focused Approach

People who were interested in having a project done on their homes would request the packet from my website. They’d give me their contact info, and at that point, I had a choice to make. I could mail it to them, or I could deliver it to them. As I said, I have this all mapped out and more streamlined now, but at the time, I’d call the person up and say, “you requested a Home Remodel Organization Packet from my website. I’m going to be near your neighborhood most of this week, is there a good time that I could drop it off to you?”

Most of the people would schedule a time with me to receive the packet. When I dropped it off, I’d simply ask, “what sort of project are you looking at doing?” From there, the conversation went something like this, “that sounds like a great project, when are you thinking you might start? Would you like me to take a look and offer some ideas?” Which led to an estimate and either I got the job or didn’t. Typically I did.

Why it Works:

Focusing on the Customer

First things first, the key to this strategy is that it’s all about the customer. You need to offer them something that is actually helpful to them, not just about promoting your business. People are bombarded with ads and promotions all day long, so you need to make sure that what you’re offering them stands out and provides value.

Make it Personal: Becoming Proactive

Another great thing about this strategy is that it allows you to be proactive with your prospects.

By focusing on the last six touches that it takes for a prospect to encounter your business, you can stay on top of their minds and make sure that they remember you when they’re ready to buy.

Control the Game

But the best part? This strategy eliminates the majority of competitors. By getting in front of customers before they even think about calling another business, you’re in control of the game.

So all those “We’re your hometown business, Call Us” ads from your competitors are left dead in the water.

Making Advertising Work for Your Business: Get Personal

Now, let’s talk about how you can make this work for your business. First, you need to get personal with your customers. Find out what their needs are and offer them something that will truly help them.

Plan Ahead

Next, plan ahead for those last six touches (it may take more). Figure out what you can do to stay on top of your customers’ minds and make sure that they remember you. Maybe it’s a follow-up email or a personalized note, or a visit as I did, but whatever it is, make sure it’s something that will make a lasting impression.

Beat the Competition

Finally, beat your competition to the punch by getting in front of customers before they even think about calling someone else. Figure out where your target audience spends their time and make sure you’re there, providing value and making connections.

And there you have it, folks! A marketing strategy that works wonders for my business and can work for yours too. So get personal, plan ahead, and beat the competition!