Wednesday, April 25, 2012

THE IMPORTANCE OF MARKETING

Who really knows who you  are , of course  you  do,  friends , family and your existing clientele . The economy has being down hill for the past three years, well that's when I noticed that most of my clients weren't coming in on a regular basis. My weekly clients became my bi-weekly , and my bi-weekly started coming once a month or just came in for their relaxer retouch. Some of my clients even transitioned to natural in order for them to continue footing the bill.

What are some of the strategic marketing tools you have been using lately? Yes, our industry has known to be recession proof . Guess what, the truth of the matter is clients are trying to cut corners. You need to come up with a solution to retain new clients. How are you getting new clients "Marketing" I hope. 
       
What is marketing? Do you really know? I used to think marketing was simply handing out flyers. Do you know that size, color, photos and font all play a huge part. A flyer that is too busy with become garbage. A flyer that has too much information, will not even be acknowledged. There should be no itemizing.What about people who drive all day long? They need their information as well, radio is the number one source because everyone has one, and it is free. I am a visual person. I understand that some people need to see an object to be able to grasp it. Another great source of marketing is televison. E-mail marketing is a great way to connect with your existing clientele, offer new services, inform clients about promotions, also keep them updated with what is going on with your business. My favorite marketing tool is social media, it's free! The only thing you have to pay for is your internet service, which you are going to pay for anyway, so why not make use of it? Your clientele should never have the oppurtunity to say "Oh , he/she is not in the business." Meaning your clients should always hear your name, you should also be constantly feeding them with information so that your name will stay in the back of their brain, "subliminal messages". The more you see, the more you remember. Therfore, never let your clients and potential clients drift.

Text messaging is another great way to keep your name in the air. Sending that message will guarantee new clientele and referrals. Which brings me to the best marketing tool, word of mouth. Reason being people are always talking. Publications, billboards, and newspapers are great forms of marketing as well.
Most marketing tools may be a bit costly,however, the word needs to be out there. There are a lot of free ways to market yourself or your business.Therefore, in the long run it is well worth it. Invest in your future, "brand yourself". This benefits all, independent contractors, business owners, commission base employees, and even salary employees. The more consumers, the more money, which keeps you and your business in existence. This also gives plenty of job opportunities.  www.hermionsbeautyboutique.net