The Marketing “System” That Generates More Sales (Hint: You NEED To Do This!)
Small businesses need more than just a flashy website and a search engine ranking to generate sustainable, long-term results. Granted, both of those elements are essential to your web presence and netting sales from the internet, but there’s more to it than that, which is what I’m going to cover in this article.
The thing most people don’t understand is that a website and search engine rankings – while both are key components to a successful online campaign – are only parts in a system, not the entire system itself.
Imagine a machine. There are numerous cogs in the machine that allow it to work, and each cog has a distinct purpose in relation to the whole. Without a single cog, the machine won’t function.
Your marketing and sales system needs specific cogs to function properly and run on autopilot, generating leads for you non-stop (even if it’s at 2:00 in the morning).
Also, the entire system that results in more leads and more sales needs to incorporate both online AND offline strategies, with an emphasis on getting as many customers onto your email list as possible.
To do this, you first need what’s called an autoresponder. This is a service that allows you to keep track of all the emails you have in your database, and send them all an email simultaneously. You can even automate when your pre-written messages go out (for instance: an email can be automated to go out 1 day after they “opt in” to your list, then another can go out 4 days after they opt in, and so on).
Or, you can simply create an email and choose to send it to “all contacts in your list”.
This is the perfect tool to use if you want to run a promotion or special offer. People can “opt in” to join your email list in exchange for a coupon or promotional code for a discount on your products/services, which will allow you to get onto the job site. From there you can upsell them on other services, which is more revenue and future services to be rendered.
This is incredible since it means that you can offer your initial service for a steep discount or a break-even price (or even take a slight loss), as it could lead to more business in the future. Hey, it’s another lead in your system, only more than that because they’re already pre-qualified and have bought from you before.
After you do, you can implement offline strategies such as yard signs for all the customers you’ve done services for, which will provide visual marketing and spread the word to local prospects. Word of mouth marketing is arguably the best form of marketing in the world, and this small strategy capitalizes on that.
But, the key idea is to provide a URL (which is a website address) for a prospect to go to so they can get a coupon for your services at a discounted price.
From there, to capitalize more on the leads already in your system, you can implement a referral program to turn your current clients/customers into lead-generating powerhouses.
So to summarize, some cogs in your marketing machine include:
- your website and search engine ranking for exposure (and email captures) from the internet
- your email list for automated sales generation
- yard signs to hurl your name out there and collect more emails
- a referral program to turn your current leads into even more sales
All of these cogs function best when combined into the overall system; the marketing system, that is. Independently, they are only as powerful as the next one, but when you integrate them into a cohesive unit, they will provide you with more business than you may be able to handle.
Hopefully this article has helped open your eyes to a successful business strategy. If you need help or ideas on how to implement it into your business, feel free to give us a call at 312-569-9420. We’ll be happy to sit down (or converse via phone) with you and figure out how this will explode your business.
Talk soon,
312-569-9420
